54 LYCODIN^. 



Tlie lie ad is less than in some of the Lycodes species here treated of, its length being only 

 17,3",, of the total length. For the rest it has a thick and plump appearance; seen from the side, 

 the upper and lower edges converge slightly forwards, and the end is blunt; seen from above it 

 narrows a little towards the broad rounded end of the snout. The eyes are placed so high up that 

 their upper margin projects a little in front of the forehead; their longitudinal diameter is 5 1 _, times 

 in the length of the head; seen from above, the distance between the eyes is equal to the diameter 

 of the eye. The length of the snout to the eve, is about 3-1 ^ times in the length of the head. The 

 lower jaw extends almost as far forward as the upper, whose posterior angle lies under the anterior 

 third of tlie eye. The lips are thick. The tubular nostrils are well-developed. Of large, cup-shaped pits 

 there is a no small number: 1 behind the eye, towards the upper side, 5 under and in front of the 

 eye, 1 behind and 1 in front of the nostril, S on the preopereulum and mandible, lastly 1 on the neck 



^2?> 



1 



o ; S 



Kg. 6 — 8. Head of Lycodes microcephalus, seen from above, the side and from underneath. X 2. 



a little in front of the origin of the lateral line. Further, there is a number of fine lateral line pores 

 on the top of the head, the operculum and preopereulum. 



The dorsal fin begins relatively far forward, namely, at a distance from the snout which is 

 equal to 21,6",, of the total length; it contains ca. 92 rays, the anal fin ca. 76 rays (half the tail fin 

 being reckoned with each). The ventral fins are relatively long (3,5 mm.), but very thin. The pectorals 

 are 8,5 mm. long and contain 15 rays, the lowermost of which extend at their points beyond the 

 covering skin. 



The scales already show a tolerably wide distribution, namely, forward to the tip of the 

 pectoral fin when laid backwards. They are not yet very close together, here and there also are some 

 naked spots, especially on the hindmost portion of the tail, and in front the scaly covering projects 

 forwards in the shape of a wedge leaving the belly and back bare. Further, the scales show signs 

 of going to spread out on to the unpaired fins. 



The lateral line seems to be mediolateral. It begins over the upper notch of the gill-cover, 

 tonus a slight arch over the flap of the latter, and can then be followed along the median line of 

 the trunk as far as the vertical line through the anus; the pores are tolerably distant from one 

 another and only number 21 on the whole distance mentioned. Possibly there is likewise a ventral 

 branch, as on the one side there seem to be 2 — 3 pores on the belly in front of the anus. 



The colour is a uniform brownish yellow without any signs of stripes. The belly shows 

 blue-black owing to the peritoneum shining through. In the journal of the Expedition it is written 



