NO. 1782. STRUCTURE AND HABITS OF W0LFFI8HES—0ILL. 169 



the names A. lupus and A. minor. The peculiarities manifested by 

 examples of species examined by the writer are collated in the foUow- 

 in<!; table, but probably will not be found to be fully exemplified in all 

 others. The Scotch and Scandinavian naturalists, who have ready 

 access to many specimens, would confer a favor on ichthyology by 

 instituting a systematic comparison. A few of the variations mani- 

 fest are illustrated in the accompanying figures. Every individual 

 examined has been found to be jjeculiar, no two specimens being 

 exactly alike. Nevertheless, American specimens were considei-ed 

 for a time to belong to an independent species. A distinctive name 

 a ' AnarrhicJias vomerinus Agassiz Ms.") was conferred on it by 

 D. H. Storer in 1855, but the only character given was based on 

 the vomerine dentition — "Vomerine teeth perfectly united together, 

 forming a solid mass; " it was only added that "Mr. Agassiz considers 

 this a distinct species from the European, basing his opinion upon 

 a difference in the number and disposition of the vomerine tubercles." 

 It is probable that Storer did not mean what he said ; it is unlikely that 

 he could have seen a specimen with teeth "forming a solid mass." 

 The teeth are conglomerated into a compact area, but the inter- 

 spaces of the separate teeth are evident, however narrow they may 

 be. No distinctive characteristic has been found between American 

 and European representatives of the genus. 



Key to species of Anarrhichas. 



a\ Dorsal Bpines 62-77; vomerine teeth not extending forward much beyond palatine 



(by only 1 pair), all bluntly molar; palatine teeth all molar crowns. 



h^. Palatine teeth in moderately long patches (extending as far back as front of last 



vomerine teeth), those of outer row little larger than inner; color yellowish 



or grayish blue, on back and sides manifest in numerous roundish blackish 



spots A. minor. 



h"^. Palatine teeth in quite short rows (extending only as far back as penultimate 

 vomerine teeth), those of outer row much larger than inner; D. 70-77; A. 

 43^8; color dark gray, on back and sides manifest in darker cross bands (9-12) 



and on shoulders in darker spots A. lupus. 



d\ Dorsal spines 81 pm; vomerine teeth notably extending fcjrward beyond palatine 

 (by nearly 2 pairs), foremost with mammiform cn^wns, hindmost flattish convex; 

 palatine teeth in outer row erect and conic or with mammiform crowns (extend- 

 ing as far back as centers of last vfimerine teeth), those of outer row larger than 

 inner; color dark brown, wthout bands or spots A. lepturus. 



ANARRHICHAS MINOR. 



Anarrhichas minor Olafsen, Pioise i Island, 1772, p. 592 (Iceland). 

 Anarrhichas pantherina Zuiew, Nova Acta Petropol., vol. 5, 1781, \). 271, pi. G. 

 Anarrhichas karrak Bonnaterre, Encycl. Ich., 1788, p. 38. (After Olafsen.) 

 Anarrhichas maculatus Bloch, Syst. Ich., Schneider ed., 1801, p. 49C. (After 



Olafsen.) 

 Anarrhichas Icopardus Agassiz, Pise. Brasil, 1829. (Atlantic Ocean.) 

 Anarrhichas egrjerti Steenstrup, Forh. Naturf., 1842. 



North Atlantic, in deep water, south to Scotland and Maine. 



