LYCODIN^. 71 



Lycodes seminudus Reiiiliardt. 



Tab. IX, Kig. I a, b, c. <1. l' 6c Tab. X, Kg. i a, b. Fig. 11 — 14 i" text 

 1S38. Lycodes seinimidns Reiiiliardt, Kgl. D. \'idensk. Selsk. vSkr. YII, p. 223. 

 1878. L. seminudus Collett, Fi.ske fra Nordhav.s-Expeditioiiens sidste Togt, Sommereu 1878; Forh. 



Videiisk. Selsk. Chria. 1878, No. 14, p. 67. 

 1880. L. semimidus Liitken, Videiisk. Medd. Naturli. Foren. Kblivn., p. 325. 

 1880. L. reticulatus Liitken, ibid. p. 318 (partini). 



1880. L. semiuudus Collett, The Norwegian North-Atlantic Expedition, Fishes, p. 1 13, PI. IV, Fig. 28. 

 1895. L.retictdatus Smitt, Skandinaviens Fiskar, II, p. 611 (partiin). 



1897. L. seminudus \'anh6ffen, Cxronland-Expedition der Gesellschaft fiir Erdknnde zu Berlin, II, i, p. 100. 



1898. L.Liitke7iii Liitken, The Dani.sh Ingolf-Expedition, II, i, p. 22 (partini). 



1901. L. reticulatus forma seminuda Smitt, Bih. K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. Bd. 27, Afd. R', No. 4, p. 31 

 (partini), No. 14-15, 17—18 & 20—22. 



The height over the anns is 9-10,6 "o of the total length. The length of the 

 head in nialesls 27-30 ° „, in females 25-28 ° /„ of the total length. The longitudi- 

 nal diameter of the eye is 5,3-3 - o of the total length. The distance between the 

 snout and the anus is 44,6-50,6 " o of the total length. The length of the pectoral is 

 9,6-11,8",, of the total length. The colour is a uniform gray-brown, or there are indi- 

 stinct dark cross-bands on the trunk and tail, or distinct dark cross-bands (7 — 9) 

 and as a rule a light neck-band. The scales as a rule reach forward only to a point a 

 little behind, over or a little in front of the anus (seldom to the tip of the flattened- 

 out pectoral). Lateral line mediolateral. Pyloric appendages 2. The size ca. 500 mm. 



D. 91-97. A. 73 — 78. P. (19)20— 22. 



Distribution. West Greenland, ca. 100 fathoms; East-Greenland, ca. 100 — 400 

 fathoms; Jan Mayen, 370 fathoms; off the Norway-Shetland Slope >, 600 fathoms; 

 Spitzbergen, 260 fathoms; Kara Sea, 92 fathom.s. 



Remarks on the Synonymy. 

 The species L seminudus ^vas formed in 1S3S bv Prof. Reiiiliardt sen. for a Lycodes almost i- ^ feet long, taken 

 at L-nianak in West Greenland. From L. reticulatus Reinh. to which it stood near in several ways, it was distinguished at 

 the first glance in that the body was uniformly coloured and naked from the snout to the vertical line through the antenor 

 end of the anal fin; in his detailed description however, R. laid less weight on these characters, rightly paying attention 

 especiaUv to other more important structural features (number of the teeth, shortness of the pectorals etc.). 



'The same specimen was dealt ^^•ith bv Liitken in his treatise of 18S0. L. came to the conclusion, after some 

 acquaintance witli larger males of L. reticulatus had been gained in the inter\al, Uiat there was nothing else on which a 

 specific difference between L. reticulatus and L. seminudus could be based, than the distinctly less extension of the scaly 

 covering in the latter. This impression in my opinion was due to an erroneous division of the material which Lutken had. 

 So far as I can see, namely, Nr. iS (1. c. p. 332) of the specimens referred by Liitken to L. ^.//.«/<z/«^ belongs to the pre- 

 sent species; this indi^■idual. whose length is 365 mm., possesses certainly a weakly banded marking and a somewhat widely 

 distributed scalv covering, but in more important characters it seems to agree with L. semintulus. In all probabihty also, 

 the specimens Xr. 24 and Xr. 25 d- c p. 332) referred by Liitken to L. reticulatus belong to /.. semin,uius ; perfect certainty, 

 however, cannot be attained as they are now unfortunately prepared skeletons'). 



.) Liitken savs of these specimens, that the colouration was not at all and the scaly covering only parUy recogni- 

 sable. The moderate condition of these individuals has naturally brought it about that a failure in determination could more 

 easily take place. 



