334 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



in Ipswich Bay and 27 fathoms in the inner part of Massachusetts Bay; and the 

 fact that we found it at only 4 of our 10 trawling stations of 1912 (all in the western 

 part of the Gulf) is in line with Huntsman's statement that it is found only occa- 

 sionally in the Bay of Fundy. 



Habits. — Nothing whatever is known of its life except that it is a bottom fish 

 and that it has been repeatedly found in the stomachs of cod, haddock, and halibut, 

 although it is not "much thicker or softer than an iron spike." 92 The Grampus 

 trawled it both on pebbly bottom, on sand and broken shells, as well as on soft 

 mud. So far as known adults never stray into water shoaler than 10 fathoms. 

 Its breeding habits are unknown. Probably, however, its eggs sink like those 

 of sculpins. The presence of its larvre in Passamaquoddy Bay, off Boothbay, and 

 near Seal Island, Nova Scotia, from April to June points to late autumn and early 

 winter as the spawning season. It does not take to the bottom until of consid- 

 erable size, for we have captured young as long as 29 mm. in the tow net (Bigelow, 

 1917, p. 272). 



It is of no commercial value. 



THE LUMPFISHES. FAMILY CYCLOPTERID^ 



The lumps are characterized among Gulf of Maine fishes by their short, 

 thick, high-arched bodies, the presence of a bony sucking disk on the chest with 

 the very much reduced ventral fins as its center, and by the fact that the skin 

 is set with tubercles. 



KEY TO GULF OF MAINE LUMPFISHES 



1. Body nearly round in cross section; skin tubercles sharply pointed. First dorsal fin 



persists throughout life Spiny lumpfish, p. 339 



Body roughly triangular in end view; skin tubercles blunt. When adult, the first 

 dorsal fin is entirely inclosed in the thick fleshy skin Lumpfish, p. 334 



127. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus Linnaeus) 



Lump; Lump sucker 



Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2096. 



Description. — The lumpfish is about twice as long (counting caudal) as deep, 

 with a short head, and the dorsal profile of its trunk is much more arched than the 

 ventral. There are seven longitudinal ridges on the body — one running along the 

 back as a cartilaginous flap inclosing the first dorsal fin in adults and as two ridges 

 from the latter to the second dorsal; one ridge on the upper part of each side over 

 the eye; and two more ridges paralleling it lower down, the first close above the 

 level of the pectoral and the second marking the boundary from side to belly. 

 Each of these ridges is marked by a line of large pointed tubercles, and the entire 

 skin between the ridges is thickly studded with small knobs. As a result of the 

 presence of these ridges the trunk of the lumpfish is roughly triangular in end view, 

 with flat belly (except when swollen by milt or roe) and sharp back, but the caudal 



" Goode, et a!., 1884, p. 258. 



