64 

 7. JEga, ventrosa, M. Sars. 



(PI. XXVI, fig. 3.) 



fflga ventrosa, M. Sars, Chr. Vid. Selsk. Porli. 1848, p. 156. 



Syn: Mga Love'ni, Bovallius. 

 „ JEgiochus venlrosus, Bov. 

 „ — Nordenshjoidi, Bov. 



Specific Characters. — Body rather broad, oval in form, with the dorsal 

 face slightly vaulted and quite smooth. Cephalon of moderate size, with the front, 

 as usual, slightly produced in the middle. Ooxal plates of usual structure. Meta- 

 some exceeding half the length of the mesosome, epimera acutely produced; ter- 

 minal segment subtriangular, produced at the tip to an obtuse point, dorsal face 

 plain, outer part of the edges distinctly serrated, and armed with minute spinules. 

 Eyes rather narrow, separated in the middle by a distinct interspace. Antennae 

 very slender, resembling those in JE. arctica, though the flagellum of the superior 

 ones is somewhat longer. Anterior pairs of legs with the inner edge of the meral 

 joint sinuated, and only armed with scattered small denticles. Uropoda with both 

 plates distinctly serrate and denticulate, the inner one broader than the outer, 

 and having a very slight emargination outside the tip. Colour pale yellowish, 

 sometimes with a tinge of chestnut. Length of adult animal 23 mm. 



Remarks. — I fully agree with Dr. Hansen in believing the 3 forms re- 

 corded by Dr. Bovallius as Mga Love'ni, JEgiochus NorrJensk)dldi and JEgiochus 

 ventrosits, to belong to one and the same species. The genus JEgiochus cannot 

 be maintained, as, according to Dr. Hansen, it is only founded upon a spurious 

 character, caused by an imperfect exuviation of some specimens. The differences 

 pointed out by Dr. Bovallius between the 3 forms, appear, on the whole, to be 

 quite insufficient as specific distinctions. The present species, first described by 

 my late father, agrees with M. arctica in the structure of the antennae, but is of 

 rather inferior size, and, moreover, has the body comparatively broader, the eyes 

 much narrower, and the terminal segment of the metasome of rather a differ- 

 ent shape. 



Occurrence. — The" species would seem to occur not infrequently along the 

 whole Norwegian coast, from the Christiania Fjord to Komag Fjord in West Fin- 

 mark. As far as I know, all the specimens secured have been taken by the aid 

 of the dredge from rather considerable depths descending to 300 fathoms. It may, 

 however, be assumed that, like the other species, it at times infests fishes of one 

 kind or another. 



Distribution. — Coast of Bohuslan (Bovallius), Greenland (Bovallius). 



