FISHES OF NEW YORK 707 



perature in 1897, and became plump and sleek after the arrival 

 of cold weather. In summer it was much emaciated, and suffered 

 greatly from fungus attacks. 



It is abundant on our shores from Labrador to Virginia, and 

 its young are among the commonest of the surface fishes in our 

 bays and sounds, during the summer months. The hake reaches 

 a weight of 40 pounds, but in the markets the average weight is 

 only about 10 pounds. The species frequents muddy bottoms 

 and is local in its habits. Its food consists of crabs and other 

 crustaceans, besides small fishes. 



The chief fishery for hake takes place in the fall and winter 

 months, and they will take the hook at night as well as during 

 the day. Trawl lines are the usual implements of capture. 



352 Urophycis chuss (Walbaum) 



Squirrel Hake 



Blennius chuss Walbaum, Art. Gen. Pise. Ill, 186, 1792. 



Gadus longipes Mitchill, Rep. Fish. N. Y. 5, 1814; Trans. Lit. «fe Phil. Soc. 



N. Y. I, 372, pi. I, fig. 4, 1815, New York. 

 PJtycis fllamentosus Stoeer, Hist. Fish. Mass. 189, pi. XXIX, fig. 4, 1867. 

 Phycis chuss Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 237, 1863; Goode & Bean, Bull. 



Essex Inst. XI, 8, 1879; Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 



799. 1883; Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichth. 359, fig. 311, 1896; Bean, 



Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 372, 1897; H. M. Smith, Bull. U. S. F. C. 



1897, 107, 1898. 

 TJropliycis chuss Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47. U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill, 2555, 



1898; IV, pi. CCCLXV, fig. 902, 1900. 



The depth of the body is one fifth of its length, which is four 

 and one half times the length of the head. Body rather slender; 

 head depressed; eye large, about equal to interorbital width; 

 maxillary reaching posterior margin of pupil; filamentous dor- 

 sal ray about two sevenths length of body, when perfect; pector- 

 als four fifths length of head; ventral fin extending beyond the 

 vent; scales comparatively large, D. 9-57; A. 50; Lat. 1.110. 



Brownish above, sides lighter and tinged with yellowish; 

 thickly punctulate with darker; below pale; inside of mouth 

 white; vertical fins somewhat dusky; anal fin margined with 

 pale; lateral line not dark. 



According to Jordan and Evermann, this fish is sometimes 

 called codling. It inhabits the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of 



