''Lycodes'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of zoarcid fish in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Lycodinae Lycodinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the Family (biology), family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. These eelpouts are found are in all the world's oceans, with a number of species being found off southern South America. Taxono ...

. It is the most species-rich genus in its taxonomic family as well as in the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...

and adjacent waters. They occupy both shallow waters and deeper waters down to 3000 meters. A few species can occur in brackish waters.

Taxonomy

''Lycodes'' was first proposed as a

monospecific genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

in 1831 by the Danish

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

Johan Reinhard Johan Reinhard (born December 13, 1943) is an American anthropologist and archaeologist. Currently, he is a Research Professor at Future Generations University. formerly Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. He is also a sen ...

when he described ''Lycodes vahlii'', which he described from off Greenland. The genus is classified in the

, one of four subfamilies in the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. Four species, ''L. albonotata'', ''L. teraoi'', ''L. toyamensis'' and ''L. toyamesnsis'' are classified within the genus ''

Petroschmidtia ''Petroschmidtia'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the Family (biology), family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The species in this genus are placed in the genus ''Lycodes'' by ''FishBase'' but ''Catalog of Fishes'' recognises this a ...

'' by some authorities.

Etymology

''Lycodes'' means "having the form of a

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

", being a combination of ''lykos'' meaning "wolf" and ''oides'' meaning "similar to". Reinhardt though the teeth were similar to those of '' Anarhichas lupus'' and thought that the two taxa were closely related.

Species

Currently, 64 species are placed in this genus, divided into two subgenera:

Description

The genus is characterized by one

autapomorphy In phylogenetics, an autapomorphy is a distinctive feature, known as a Synapomorphy, derived trait, that is unique to a given taxon. That is, it is found only in one taxon, but not found in any others or Outgroup (cladistics), outgroup taxa, not ...

: submental crests, the more or less pronounced

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...

extensions on the lower jaws. Within the genus, one

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

has been identified, the "short-tailed" ''Lycodes'' that are associated with shallower depths (0–1200 m) than the long-tailed species (3–3000 m). Short tail might represent an adaptation to shallow, Arctic waters; the clade includes many Arctic

endemics Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

. In contrast, the long-tailed species do not form a

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

group. Coloration of all short-tailed ''Lycodes'' includes some sorts of stripes, marks, or reticulations, while the long-tailed species are uniformly brownish, striped, or spotted.

Ecology

''Lycodes'' are bottom-dwelling fish with a relatively stationary life style. The eggs are benthic, few in number (<2000) and large in size (as large as ).

References

{{Authority control Lycodinae Perciformes genera Marine fish genera Taxa named by Johan Reinhardt