Author: Linnaeus, 1766
Liparis liparis Linnaeus, 1766
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Liparis liparis (Linnaeus, 1766) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: Lindberg (1973) listed the holotype as LS no. 26-27 from Gunther (1899). Prior to that Wheeler (1958) redescribed a fish skin which he believed to be the type specimen. Preliminary observations suggest that there may be more than one species referred to as L. liparis and thus it is presently difficult to offer a resolution to the problem. Members of this complex can be separated from L. fabricii and L. montagui by the following: peritoneum pale; teeth trilobed; anal finrays 27-36; anal fin overlaps one-quarter to one-half of caudal fin.
Habitat: benthic in depths from subtidal to less than 300 m. Food: primarily crustaceans, especially shrimp, crabs and amphipods, occasionally fishes and polychaetes. Reproduction: eggs benthic, 1.4 1.7 mm diameter; spawning occurs from December to March in the southern portion of the range and in spring in the north; larvae are pelagic.
Distribution: Liparis liparis barbatus—Baltic Sea; L. liparis liparis—southern Norway north to Barents Sea including Novaya Zemlya, Spitsbergen and Bear I., also Iceland: L. Iiparis bathyarcticus- northern Norway to the Barents Sea including Novaya Zemlya and Spitzbergen, also at Jan Mayen I. Unspecified Liparis liparis also from east coast of Greenland, around the British Isles, in the North Sea and from Franz Josef Land.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.
Subspecies
Liparis liparis barbatus: head small (23.1-25.3% TL), pectoral fins long (20.0 24.7% TL).
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.
Liparis liparis bathyarcticus: head large (25.7-28.5% TL), pectoral fins long (20.5-23.4% TL).
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.
Liparis liparis liparis: head small (22.7 25.8% TL), pectoral fins short (15.7-19.4% TL).