26 LÖNNBERG, FISHES FROM SPITZBERGEN AND KING CHARLES LAND. 
specimens of the same species. For the foundation of a se- 
parate species I do not think that this characteristic is suf- 
ficient. LÖTKEN refers to the Lycodes pallidus CoLLETT several 
specimens collected by the »Dijmphna»-Expedition. In his 
paper on the fishes from that expedition 1 the mentioned au- 
thor has published the measurements of 7 specimens with a 
total length from 92 to 160 mm. In the smallest of these 
the length of the pectoral fins is exactly 50 = of the length 
of the head, but in all the other 6 specimens it is considerably 
more than that. 'The other characteristics reported by Lör- 
KEN as the distribution of the scales, the length of the body 
compared with that of the tail, the length of the head ete. 
seem to agree quite well with corresponding features in the 
L. frigidus. It is thus mainly the colour that separates the 
L. pallidus trom the L. frigidus, at least to judge from the 
literature. But the L. pallidus is mostly known in young 
individuals and is also known to vary a good deal with re- 
gard to its coloration. It seems thus rather questionable 
whether both forms can be maintained as distinct species 
rather than differently coloured varieties and then the L. 
pallidus as representing a younger stage. Neither can the 
differences in the number of the pectoral rays be sufficient 
when other species of Lycodes are known to vary more in 
this respect than the differences from the smallest number 
in the L. pallidus: 18 (or 17 LÖTKEN) to the largest in the 
L. frigidus: 21. In the specimen before me the number is 20. 
The relations between the total length and the length 
of the head, as well as the distance from the snout to the 
anal opening in percentages of the first measurement are 
shown by the following table embracing both forms arranged 
according to length: 
Tot. length. | Head. — snout to anus. 
pallidus LöTKEN . . . . 92 23,9 43,4 & 
> CetieTt Una 93 22,5 > 39,7 > 
frigidus SATROLYL Yi 118 230 40,6 > 
pallidus LöTKES . . . .w. 121 231 's > £22VA 
> a BOLD RU 140 25,0 > 42,8 > 
> sSHAT. AUC 154 ST 43,0 > 
> » VD, ENN 160- 23,7 > 43,7 > 
