NO. 1782. STRUCTURE AND HABITS OF WOLFFISHES—QILL. 



171 



Genus ANARRHICHTHYS. 



Anarrhichihys Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci., vol. 1, 1855, p. 32. — Girard, 

 Expl. and Surv. for R. R. route to Pacific Ocean, vol. 10, Fishes, 1858, p. 124. 



Ttjpe. — A. ocellatus Ayres. 



Anarrliichadids with the body greatly elongated and tapering 

 backwards into a very long and compressed tail terminated by a 

 caudal fin of normal type 

 but much reduced in 

 size ; rudimentary scales, 

 dorsal fin elevated 

 (about twice as high as 

 the anal) and graduated 

 to caudal; without en- 

 larged hinder spines. 



Teeth more or less 

 blunt; intermaxillary 

 very robust, especially 

 foremost, about 6 in an 

 outer row, small and ir- 

 regular in an inner row; 

 mandihvlar 4 large in 

 front with moderately 

 blunt tips, crowded and 

 molar on sides, the ridge 

 of the dentary inflected and with largest teeth, those of the inner 

 row smaller and irregular; vomerine in a wide patch longer than pala- 

 tine, molar and closely crowded in two rows only; palatine molar, 

 crowded and imperfectly biserial. 



Fig. 12.— Anarrhicha.s lupus, mandibular teeth. 



Fki. 13.— Anarehichis lepturus (after Turner). 



Hypo pharyngeal teeth rather slender, but blunt and irregularly 

 biserial. 



Brancliiostegal rays 8, 4 to inferior edge of ceratohyal, 2 to hinder 

 edge of ceratohyal, and 2 to upper surface of epihyal. 



Cranium with ossification complete, but frontal and ethmoid spon- 

 gious; the cranial axis nearly rectilinear, the vomer being but little 

 extended below the axis; parasphenoid much compressed, narrow 

 in front of cerebral chamber; post frontal region much compressed 



