FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



339 



Lumpfish lame and fry of all sizes are to be taken throughout the summer, the 

 smaller undoubtedly being that season's hatch, but the larger ones may be either 

 those hatched earliest that spring or latest the preceding summer, for the varying 

 stage of development reached by different individuals at various sizes proves that 

 the rate of growth varies widely. Thus Cox and Anderson (1922) describe one 

 Cape Breton specimen only 33 mm. long in July, but so mature in outline and in 

 its dermal armature that it must have been at least a year old, whereas they found 

 that in the Bay of Fundy the fry of the year grow to 40 or 50 mm. by December 

 with yearlings averaging about 58 mm. in July and August. As they remark, the 

 rate of growth is apparently about the same in the Bay of Fundy (which probably 

 applies to the Gulf of Maine as a whole) as in Scottish waters, while in their slower 

 growth Gulf of St. Lawrence lumps correspond to those taken about Helgoland. 

 Presumably all Gulf of Maine lumps upward of 2)4. inches long are in their second 

 year. Cox and Anderson (1922) have attempted to trace the growth of older fish 

 from the structure of the vertebrae, and while it proved difficult to trace the rings 

 with certainty they determined the ages of a few Bay of Fundy specimens as fol- 

 lows : 50 to 74 mm. in the summer of the second year, 95 to 110 mm. (3% to 4J/g 



Fig. 165. — Spiny lumpfish (Eumicrolremus spinosus) 



inches) the third year, and 260 mm. (10J4 inches) the fifth year. Probably maturity 

 is attained in the third year. 



The lumpfish is said to be a favorite food of seals. Certainly it is so weak a 

 swimmer that it would fall easy prey to them. 



Commercial importance. — The lumpfish is never eaten in the United States 

 and is of no other commercial value, but finds its way to our markets as a curiosity. 

 At one time a few were consumed locally in parts of the British Isles and may be 

 still. 



128. Spiny lumpfish (Eumicrotremus spinosus Muller) 



Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2098. 



Description. — The spiny lumpfish is distinguishable from its commoner relative 

 by the fact that its first (spiny) dorsal fin remains free through life instead of becom- 

 ing inclosed by the skin, with the tubercles relatively much larger, sharper pointed, 

 studded at the base with rough prickles, and irregularly but closely scattered over 

 body and head. Furthermore its gill openings are much smaller, while its body 

 is not so high arched and is nearly round in cross section instead of compressed. 



