666 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Body much compressed, elongate, its greatest depth equal to 

 length of head and one eighth to one seventh of the total length 

 without the caudal. Eye small, twice width of interorbital 

 space, and one fifth length of head. Maxillary one third as long 

 as head, reaching to below front of orbit. Teeth blunt, in a 

 single row, not close set. Origin of dorsal immediately over the 

 gill opening; the longest spine as long as the snout; the fin separ- 

 ated from the caudal by a slight notch. Pectoral about one half 

 as long as head, reaching to below sixth spine of dorsal. Ven- 

 tral minute. D. LXXVI to LXXXV; A. II, 38 to 44; V. I, 1; 

 P. 12. 



Color grayish or brownish, with a series of oval vertical 

 dusky rings on the sides; abdomen grayish white, tinged with 

 yellow; dorsal fin gray, with about 14 black vertical distant 

 stripes; pectorals and caudal yellow; anal fin greenish gray, with 

 alternate darker stripes; iris white. 



This fish reaches the length of 12 inches. It is found in the 

 North Atlantic from Labrador south to Cape Cod and from Nor- 

 way south to France. 



Dr Smith states that this rock eel or butterfish is abundant 

 around the shores in the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass. in March 

 and April, but is rare at other times. It may be taken in Vine- 

 yard Sound with a dredge at almost any season at a depth of 4 

 or 5 fathoms. It occurs only on gravelly bottoms. 



The only individuals collected by myself were taken on the 

 oyster beds at Eaton's Neck in the fall of 1896. The species does 

 not live long in captivity. 



On June 6, 1899, Captain H. E. Swezey obtained a few 

 specimens of this species on the ocean beach at Water Island. 

 Mitchill described the rock eel or butterfish (O p h i d i u m 

 mucronatum) in Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y., I, 249, pi. II, 

 fig. 1. De Kay says this fish " is frequently found among rocks 

 along the seashore and in the mud. It swims with great rapid- 

 ity although its usual habit is that of creeping slowly among 

 rocks, in which it is probably assisted by its spiny ventrals. It 

 abounds in Robyn's reef, in the harbor of New York." 



