166 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



GENUS MALTH/EA. Cuvier. 



Dorsal single. Body with a hard and tubercidar skin, and furnished with fleshy filaments. 

 Mouth small, prominent, protractile, and placed under the snout. From beneath the snout 

 arises a process, supported by a bony ray, and terminating in several fleshy threads. 



THE SHORT-NOSED MALTHEA. 



Maltilea nasuta. 



PLATE XXVIII. FIG. 89. — (CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 



Lophius radiatus ? Mitchill, Am. Month. Magazine, Vcl. 2, p. 226. 

 M. nasuta. Cuv. Regne Animal. 



Lophius (Malthe) cubifrons. Richardson, F. B. A. Fishes, p. 103. pi. 96. 

 La Mallhie a nez court. Cuv. et Val. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Vol. 12, p. 452. 



Characteristics. Snout short. Scaly disks flat, with a conical point in the centre. Length* 

 or 7 inches. 



Description. Body depressed in front, tapering and compressed from behind the pectorals. 

 Head prominent, and apparently elevated above the jaws. Body largest across the pectoral 

 tins. Surface covered with scaly disks, largest above, and elevated on the back into bony 

 tubercles. Summit of the head between the eyes excavated, and descends suddenly in front 

 of the eyes, forming a deep cavity ; at the bottom of this cavity is a large duct, and near this 

 a long process enlarged at the tip. Eyes lateral, large and circular. Nostrils anterior, and 

 rather beneath the eyes. Mouth protractile, with minute card-like teeth on the jaws, vomer, 

 tongue, palatines and upper pharyngeals. 



The dorsal fin small, triangular, posterior to the vent, and anterior to the commencement 

 of the anal fin ; it is composed of simple rays. Pectorals composed of eleven subequal rays ; 

 the branchial aperture at the base and upper part of the elongated carpus. Ventrals anterior 

 to the pectorals, and composed of five rays. Anal long and pointed, placed far back, and com- 

 posed of four articulated rays. Caudal slightly rounded, nearly even, with nine branched 

 rays. 



Color. I could not determine the color, as it was in spirits. It appeared of a dull brown, 

 with deeper clouds of the same color. Pectorals and caudal fins with obscure rounded spots. 



Length, 7-5. 



Fin rays, D. 5 ; P. 1 1 ; V. 5 ; A. 4 ; C. 9. 



This is a rare species. It has a wide geographical range, from the Caribbean sea to the 

 coast of Labrador. Little is known of its habits. It feeds on the smaller Crustacea and 

 univalve shells. 



