43 



FA>rHiY 44. WOLF-FISHES; ANABHICHADIDAE. 



Our representative of this family is the large, powerful, eel-like 

 species known as the Wolf-fish, Anarrhichthys ocellatus (Ayres). It 

 measures as much as 8 feet in length and excites great interest wher- 

 ever it is captured. It is shaped like an eel, but the head is large 

 and wolfish in aspect, with a great array of sharp teeth set in the 

 powerful jaws. The ventral fins are absent. The pectorals are broad 

 and set low down on the body. Color dark green, with numerous 

 faint ocellated spots over the head and body. 



FAMILY 45. EEL-POUTS; ZOARCIDAE. 



In this family are classified fishes with long eel-shaped bodies cov- 

 ered with small cycloid scales. The head is large, and the mouth is 

 bordered by jaws set with conical teeth. The dorsal and anal fins are 

 very long and the pectorals are small. The lateral line is absent. 

 Three species occur in our fauna. 



The Pacific Bel-pout, Lycodopsis pacificus (Collett), may be recog- 

 nized by the black margins on the vertical fins. It reaches a length of 

 18 inches. 



The Short-finned Eel-pout, Lycodes irevipes (Bean), can be dis- 

 criminated by the minute size of the ventral fins, which are only one- 

 third of the distance across the eye. 



The Wattled Eel-pout, Lycodes palearis (Gilbert), originally de- 

 scribed from Alaska, was unknown from Puget Sound till a few speci- 

 mens were brought up in the trawl at Friday Harbor in 1909. The 

 ventral fins are much longer than in L. brevipes, and in L. palearis a 

 wide membranous border is present on the inner edge of the mandible, 

 terminating in front in a pair of sharp-pointed flaps, the whole ar- 

 rangement suggesting wattles. It is 7 inches in length. 



FAMILY 46. VIPER-FISHES; SCYTALINIDAE. 



The only species classified in this family is the curious Viper Pish, 

 Scytalina cerdale (Jordan and Gilbert), (Fig. 101) originally described 

 from Neah Bay and not since found elsewhere. It Is a small blenny- 

 like fish with a snaky head. The body is narrowed to a neck behind 

 the head. There is no lateral line. The dorsal fin is very low, the 

 pectorals are small and the dorsal and anal fins are united to the 

 caudal. It burrows in the debris among rocks at low tide. 



