NO. 1782. STRUCTURE AND HABITS OF W0LFFI8HES—GILL. 



159 



lage and the former perforated near base; four actinosts squarish, 

 uppermost behind hypercoracoid and smallest, lowermost behind 

 hypocoracoid, intervening second and third behind membrane; pec- 

 toral rays all connected with actinosts; pelvis V-shaped, with its free 

 limb decurved and its anterior limbs applied to inner faces of coenostea 

 and reaching forward to the crests ; abdominal vertebras (except fore- 

 most two) with transverse processes or parapophyses with which the 

 ribs are connected. 



The teeth of the lower jaw are acrodont in that the main series is 

 borne on the ridges of the dentaries,but, in addition to the main row, 

 one or more others may be 

 developed, and in such cases 

 the outer sides of the bones 

 are more or less mflected. 

 In the common wolffish (Aji- 

 arrliicJias lupus) m which the 

 multiplication and enlarge- 

 ment of the teeth are carried 

 to a maximum, the inflection 

 is manifest to such an extent 

 that the dentigerous area ac- 

 tually slopes inward and 

 downward. In LycicMliys 

 paucidens, whose lower lateral 

 teeth are uniserial, the inflec- 

 tion is scarcely noticeable. 

 In Anarrliiclithys a somewhat 

 intermediate condition is 

 manifest, although the denti- 

 tion is much more like that 

 of AnarrMclias than of Ly- 

 cichthys. 



In brief the family is com- 

 posed of a few large fishes with 

 unmistakable characters and physiognomy. The body is more or less 

 elongated and covered with rudimentary scales, or naked, the head 

 decurved around the snout, the mouth moderately deep and oblique; 

 the dentition in the typical forms is quite characteristic, the front jaw- 

 teeth being canine-like, the vomerine and palatine more or less thick 

 and molariform, and the lateral mandibular molariform or blunt; the 

 branchial apertures are confined to the sides ; the dorsal fin is com- 

 posed entirely of inarticulate rays or spines but is manifest under two 

 distinct modifications; ventral fins are entirely absent in all. 



Such are the principal superficial characters which distinguish tho 

 wolffishes, but better indications of relationship and differential char- 



FiG. 2.— Anarrhichas lupus, shoulder girdle. 



