Lycodinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the 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.
Lycodinae was first proposed as a taxonomic grouping in 1861 by the American zoologist Theodore Gill. The subfamily is classified within the eelpout family, Zoarcidae part of the suborder Zoarcoidei within the order Scorpaeniformes.[1] The name of the subfamily derives from its type genus, Lycodes, which means "wolf-like" and refers to the then presumed close relationship of that taxon to the wolffish.[2]
Lycodinae contains the following genera:[3]
Lycodinae eelpouts have elongate heads and bodies, they have between 58 and 144 vertebrae. The branchiostegal membranes are typically attached to the isthmus, although not in Lycodapus. Most have a wide bill slit but in some species it is more restricted. They do not usually possess a pore between the eyes. There are between 4 and 9 suborbital bones, typically, from 6 to 8, and these create an L-shaped pattern around the eyes. There are between 6 and 12 fin rays in the caudal fin. They have no spines in their fins, although in a few species there are pelvic fin rays which are fused into a pelvic splint.[3] The largest species is Lycodes soldatovi which has a maximum published fork length of .
Lycodinae eelpouts are found throughout the world with a notable radiation in the littoral to upper continental slope off southern South America.[3]