nototheniidæ

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A family of acanthopterygian fishes, typified by the genus Notothenia, including those which have a short spinous dorsal, an elongate body, blunt head of normal aspect, ctenoid scales, and the lateral line interrupted or continued high up on the tail. About 20 species are known, from antarctic and southern seas, where they replace to some extent the codfish of northern seas, some of them being of economical importance.