HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 419 
Description. Body elongated; anterior portion of the body much the more promi- 
nent; abdomen pendulous. The entire surface of the body is perfectly smooth, 
except the portion below the pectoral fins, posterior to the throat, and anterior to 
the anus, which is armed with an immense number of small stellated spines. 
Several well-marked series of mucous pores are distributed over the surface, which 
have caused it to receive its common names, in the works of ichthyologists, of line- 
ated and mathematical. One of these commences about half an inch back of the 
angle of the jaws; this passes backwards to the posterior extremity of the eye, being 
a short distance beneath the eye, then ascends obliquely to a point upon the back two 
inches above the middle of the pectoral fin, then curves downwards to the middle 
of the side of the fish, to a point about an inch back of the dorsal fin, whence 
it proceeds in a straight course to the caudal rays. This line from its origin also 
passes upward and backwards, just exterior to the nostrils, and, curving high up 
over the eyes, passes back of them and downward to meet the former line about 
half an inch back of the eyes, thus forming a ring around them. Directly above 
the base of the pectoral fins, a transverse line crosses from the lateral line on one 
side to that on the other. From this transverse line, an undulating line passes to 
the ring around the eyes. 
Its greatest depth is less than one sixth its length. Its greatest width is across 
the base of the pectorals. 
The length of the head is equal to about one quarter its entire length. The 
eyes are oblong. The nostrils are situated a short distance in front of, and rather 
above, the anterior angle of the eyes. The jaws are very strong. The lips are fleshy 
and lax. à ; 
The trapezoidal dorsal fin is situated upon the posterior half of the body. 
The pectoral fins are short and subquadrangular. 
The anal fin, of the same form and size of the dorsal, is directly opposite that fin. 
The caudal fin is deeply forked. 
The fin rays are as follows: — D. 13. P. 16. A. 12. C. 11. 
Length, one to two feet. 
Remarks. The only individual of this species I have seen was taken several years 
since at Nantucket, and was described by me, from the preserved specimen, in the 
Boston Journal of Natural History, 1843 - 4. 
Massachusetts, Storer. New York, MrrcmiL, DekaY. South Carolina, Linn. 
Gulf of Mexico, Parra. 
