52 



LYCODIN^. 



and a half times the diameter of the eye. The length of the snont to the eye, is not quite 3'/2 times 

 in the whole length of the head. The lower jaw extends almost as far forward as the upper, whose 

 po.sterior angle lies under the anterior third of the eye. The lips are tolerably fle.shy. The teeth are 

 small and pointed, placed as usual on the intermaxillary, palatal, vomer and mandible. The grooves 

 for the pores of the lateral line are in parts considerable and ver\' deep, surrounded b)- soft, j^rojec- 

 ting borders; from the snout to under the eye there is a row of 7 distinct pits, and another 

 row of pits, likewise 7 in number, from the tip of the mandible to the lower posterior corner of the 



Fi.i,'- 3—5- Head of Lycodes plaiyrhinns, seen from above, the side and from underneath. X i. 



preoperculum. The tube-shaped nostrils are situated a little above the interspace between the two 

 foremost grooves of the upper jaw. 



The dorsal fin begins almost over the posterior third of the pectoral when extended back- 

 wards, at a distance from the snout equal to 26,3 "/o of the total length. Both this fin and the anal 

 fin are covered b\- a thick skin, so that it is difficult to count the rays; I have reckoned the number 

 to be 99 in the dorsal fin, 82 in the anal, half of the tail fin being as usual reckoned in each. The 

 pectoral, which contains 15 rays, is of an oblique quadrangular form; its length is 11,3% of the total 

 length. The ventral fins are short (almost of the same length as the space betw-een the eyes) and placed 

 very close to one another. 



Of scales no trace can be observed; whether this naked condition is a constant feature or 

 only due to the small size of the specimen, can naturally not be decided with certainty, but the scaly 

 covering is generally far advanced in development at a length of ca. 150 mm. in the Lycodes which 

 are on the whole provided with scales, so that the first alternative is the most probable. 



The ventral branch of the lateral line is only distinct in its course down towards the anu.s. 

 It begins on the neck, forms a small arch over the free flap of the gill-cover and inclines thereafter 

 down towards the anus, but becomes already indistinct over the anus. Along the median line of the 

 side a tolerably distinct line with not a few pores is to be seen under the lens; the pores are some- 

 what far apart in front but closer together posteriorly. 



The colour is uniformly a ruddy brown-gray, the fins and underside of the head lighter, 

 dirty gray; the dark peritoneum shows through the belly. 



Distribution. A single specimen [$,] was taken by the Ingolf Expedition in 1896 between 

 Jan ;\Ia\en and Iceland (St. 119), where the depth was loio fathoms and bottom-temperature — I'oC. 



