FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



341 



Size. — Maximum length about 5 inches. 



General range. — Rocky shores along the North American coast from Newfound- 

 land and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to southern New England." It is rare west 

 and south of Cape Cod, but has been taken at Woods Hole and on the coast of 

 Connecticut. 



Occurrence in the Gulf of Maine. — This sea snail is generally distributed around 

 the shore line of the Gulf. The Halcyon took it off Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, in 

 January, 1921. It is rather common (according to Huntsman) in the Bay of 

 Fundy and its tributary, Passamaquoddy Bay, and it has been definitely reported 

 at Grand Manan, Eastport, Seguin Island, off Portland (where many have been 

 collected), off Cape Elizabeth, at Kittery, and at various localities about Massa- 





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Fig. 166. — Male adult sea snail (Neoliparis atlantkus) side view. After Garman 



Fig. 167. — Male adult sea snail (Neoliparis atlantkus), ventral view. After Garman 



chusetts Bay. As yet it has not been reported from Georges or Browns Banks, but 

 is probably represented among the sea snails that have been found living in scallop 

 shells on the latter (p. 344). It seems indifferent to depth within moderate limits, 

 for while it has been dredged as deep as 50 fathoms at vaiious localities in the Gulf, 

 it is often found clinging to lobster pots in the Bay of Fundy as lumps often do 

 in Massachusetts Bay (p. 337), and has been taken in but a few feet of water there 

 also. Nor would it be surprising to find sea snails left in rock pools or on pebbly 

 beaches by the ebbing tide, for this often happens with its European representative. 

 Habits and food. — Sea snails are inconspicuous little fish usually found coiled up, 

 tail to head, under stones or attached by the sucker to some kelp stalk or other seaweed, 

 but occasionally they swim to the upper water layers for the Halycon specimens 

 just mentioned were taken in the tow net at 8 fathoms where the water was about 



" This fish is so closely allied to the north European sea snail, N. montagui (from which, however, it is quite distinct), that 

 it masqueraded under that name prior to 1898. 



