121 



Dorsalstraalerne varierede saaledes i Autal fra lUl 

 — 118; fradrages den øvre Halvdel af Caudalen med 6 

 Straaler. bliver den hele Række 95 — 112, et Straaleantal, 

 som blot de ældre Individer af L. vahlii og L. esmarkii 

 have opnaaet. Hos et af Individerne (h) ligger Dorsalens 

 Begyudelse betydeligt na^-niere hen mod Nakken, end hos 

 de andre. Dorsalens storste Højde er omtrent hg '/j af 

 Legemshøjdeh; dog er Straalernes virkelige Længde, paa 

 Grund af deres skråa StiUing, noget større, eller omtrent 

 lig Legemets halve Højde. men de kunne neppe nogensinde 

 rejses til sin fulde Højde. 



Analens Straaler variere i Antal fra 97 — 103; fi-a- 

 drages den nedre Halvdel af Caudalen, der sandsj-nligvis 

 tæller .5 Straaler, bHver Rækkeu 92 — 98, et Autal, sorii 

 liidtil ikke er fundet hos nogen anden Art. 



Pectoralerne ere forholdsvis lange og slanke, noget 

 tilspidsede. og liave faa Straaler. idet Antallet har vist sig 

 at variere niellem 13 og 17. 



Ven trålerne ere ligeledes temmelig lange (dog kor- 

 tere, end Øjets Længdediameter). og indeholdes i Hoved- 

 længden 6 — 6V2 Gange. Straaleantallet kau ikke med Sik- 

 kerhed opgives. 



Skjælbeklædning. I én Henseende frembød Skjæl- 

 beklædniugen hos Individerne af denne Art en højst mær- 

 kelig \'ariation, nemlig med Hensj'u til det Tidspunct. da 

 denne begynder at udvikle sig under Individernes Væxt. 

 Typ-Exemplaret af denne Art. beskrevet i den første af 

 de foreløbige Beretniuger om Nordhavs-Expeditiouens Fiske, 

 og som havde en Totall. af 141'""'. havde tæt Skjælbeklæd- 

 ning paa hele Legemet, medens Hovedet med 'Nakken, samt 

 Finnerne vare nøgne. Af de 3 nyerholdte Exemplarer fra 

 1878 havde den ene, en spæd Unge. intet Spor af Skjæl, 

 hvad der heller ikke var at vente, da Legemet endnu var 

 halvt gjennemsigtigt. og næsten uden Pigment. Det 2det 

 Exemplar, hvis Totallængde er 198""", stemmer i alle Dele 

 overens med Tyj)-Exemplaret. og var. som dette, fuldt skjæl- 

 beklædt. 



Det allerstørste Individ derimod, hvis Totallængde 

 er næsten dobbelt saa stor. som Typ-Exemplarets. nemlig 

 217""", vai", mærkeligt nok. eudnu næsten ganske uden Skjæl. 

 Blot enkelte Skjæl, der øjensynhg netop befinde sig i Frem- 

 brud, kunne opdages henad Halen, men paa hele den for- 

 reste Del af Legemet er der ikke Spor af saadanne. I alle 

 andre Henseender ere disse 2 største Individer, der begge 

 erholdtes paa samme Localitet og ved samme Lejlighed, 

 fuldstændig overensstemmende. • 



Det maa saaledes antages, at Skjælbeklædningen baade 

 anlægges paa et forholdsvis sildigt Stadium, og ganske 

 uregelmæssigt, hos enkelte Individer langt sildigere, end hos 

 andre. Saafremt man vil antage, at Hanuerue hos. denne 

 Art. i Lighed med, hvad der er paavist hos andre Lycoder, 

 kunne oj)naa en betydeligere Størrelse, end Hunnerne, var 

 det at vente, at Skjælbeklædningen anlagdes tidligere hos 

 de sidste, end hos Haunerne. Men det største, og næsten 

 ganske nøgne Individ er netop en Hun, medens det noget 

 mindre, der er tæt skj.elbeklædt, er en Han. 



Den norske Nordhavsexpedition. Collett : Fiske. 



The uumber of the dorsal rays ranged accordingly 

 from 101 to ] IS. If we deduct the 6 rays in the upper 

 half of the caudal, the whole series. will contain 95 — 112, 

 a number greater than is met with in any of the otlier 

 species, save in maturer examples of L. vahlii and L. es- 

 markii. One of the specimens (&) has the origin of the 

 dorsal cousiderably nearer the nape than ha\e the others. 

 The greatest height of the dorsal about equals one-third 

 of the height of the body ; but the true length of the rays, 

 owing to their obliquity, is somewhat greater, or about 

 equal to half the height of the body. 



The anal rays range in number from 97 to 103. If 

 we deduct the rays in the lower half of the caudal, pro- 

 bably 5, this series will contain 92 — 98, a greater number 

 than has yet been met with in any other species. 



The pectorals are comparatively long and slender, 

 somewhat elongated, and with but few rays, the number 

 having been found to vary between 13 and 17. 



The ventrals arc also r.ather long (shorter however 

 than the longitudinal diameter of the eye), being contained 

 from 6 to 6^/2 times in the length of the head. The 

 number of rays cannot be accurately stated. 



Scales. ^ — In one respect, the scaled integument in 

 the specimens of this species exhibited a most remarkable 

 variation, viz. as to the exact point of time at which it begins 

 to develop during the growth of the individual. The typical 

 specimen of .this species, described in the first of the pre- 

 liminary reports treating of the fishes collected on the Ex- 

 pedition, total length 141 """. bad the whole body covered 

 with scales; the head, the nape, and the fins were naked. 

 Of the 3 individuals newly obtained (1878), one. a fry- 

 specimen, exhibited no trace of scales, as was indeed to 

 be expected, the body being still semi-translucent and almost 

 colourless. The second example, total length 198""', agrees 

 perfectly with the typical specimen, being, like that, en- 

 tirely scaled. 



The largest individual, on the contrary, with a total 

 length twice as great as that of the typical specimen (217""'), 

 was. strange to say, well nigh scaleless. A few scales only, 

 and obviously in the first stage of development, could be 

 detected along the tail; on the whole of the anterior part 

 of the body there was no trace of any. In all other respects, 

 these two largest individuals, both of them taken in the 

 same locality and at one time, agree perfectly. 



There is, accordingly, every reason to infer, that the 

 scaled integument makes its appearance at a comparatively 

 late stage of growth, and quite irregularly, much earlier 

 in some individuals than in others. Now assuming that 

 the males of this species, in common with what has been 

 shown to hold good with other Lycods, can attain a 

 greater size than the females, the scaled integument would 

 naturally develop earlier in the latter than in the males. 

 But the largest and well nigh naked example, is a female, 

 whereas the smaller specimen, which is densely scaled, is a male. 



1(1 



