2460 Bulletin //, United States National Miiseum. 



933. LYCODOPSIS, Collett. 



Lycodopsis, COLLETT, Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1879, 381 (pacificus). 

 Leurynnis, LOCKINGTON, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 326 (paucidens). 



Body moderately elongate, the depth 8 to 9 times in length, covered with 

 small, smooth, embedded scales. Lateral line rather faint, extending along 

 middle of side. Head large; snout broad and long; interorbital space 

 very narrow; mouth large, horizontal; teeth conical, those of the upper 

 jaw in a single row ; those of the lower in a band in front, the inner series 

 enlarged, larger than the upper teeth ; no teeth on vomer or palatines. 

 Ventral fins very small ; vertical fins continuous, without spines. Sexes 

 more or less unlike, the mouth larger in the male. Pacific Ocean. (Ly codes; 

 oi/n$, appearance.) 



2816. LTCODOPSIS PACIFICUS (Collett). 



Head 44 (male) to 5 (female); depth 8 (male) to 8 (female). D. 100; 

 A. 85. Female (pacificus), head comparatively short; orbital region not 

 restricted, nor cheeks tumid; mouth comparatively small, the maxillary 

 reaching center of pupil. Male (paucidens), with the head and mouth 

 large, the snout very broad, the interorbital region constricted ; maxillary 

 reaching posterior edge of orbit. Head, nape, and axil of pectoral naked. 

 Dorsal and anal fins enveloped in thick skin, which is covered with em- 

 bedded scales like those 011 the body ; pectoral the length of head in 

 female, in male: ventrals | length of orbit; mandible | length of head 

 in female, f in male ; distance from snout to base of dorsal 4 in length 

 in female, 3f in male. Lateral line lateral in portion. Light reddish 

 olive, becoming lighter below; vertical fins margined with black; the 

 scales paler than skin, forming light spots ; pectorals dusky. Length 12 

 to 18 inches. San Francisco to Puget Sound ; rather common in water of 

 moderate depth offshore. Sexes markedly different. 

 Lycodes pacificus* COLLETT, Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1879, 381, female, Japan. (Coll. 



Peters) the locality given probably an error. 

 Leurynnix pauciden*,] LOCKINGTON, Proc.TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 326, off San Francisco, Cal- 



ifornia, male (Type, No. 23502, U.S. Nat. Mus. Coll.W.N. Lockington); JORDAN & 



GILBERT, Synopsis, 785, 1883. 



Lycodopsis paucidens, GILL, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 248. 

 Lycodopsis pacificus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 785, 1883. 



934. APRODON, Gilbert. 

 Aprodon, GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1890, 106 (cortezianus) . 



This genus differs from Lycodes only in the dentition, the teeth being 

 present in a single strong series on the palatines, but none on the vomer. 



* In regard to the type specimen of Lycodes pacificus, Professor Collett writes us as 

 follows (December 2, 1895) : 



" I got the specimen for describing from the Museum of Berlin from the hands of Pro- 

 fessor Peters himself, and he told me that the specimen was from Japan. It] is not 

 impossible that he was mistaken ; but I can not have any opinion about that." 



In view of the fact that the species is abundant off the California coast, whence Pro- 

 fessor Peters had obtained collections, that it has not been found in Japan nor in Alaska, 

 we have no doubt that the locality given by Professor Peters is erroneous, and that the 

 fish really came from California. 



t The examination of many specimens leases no room for doubt that L. pacificus is the 

 female and L. paucidens the male of the same species. 



