(69) Cypselurus furcatus (Mitchill) 1815 

 Flying fish 



Specimens: 



Tracy (1910) mentions two specimens from Newport five and a 

 half inches and six inches (TL) in the Museum of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences at Philadelphia. 



(70) Cypselurus gibbifrons (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 1846 

 Blunt-nosed flying fish 



Specimens: 



Only two known specimens are on record; one taken by Samuel 

 Powell at Newport according to Tracy (1910). 



Family Merlucciidae 

 Genus Merluccius 



(71) Merluccius bilinear is (Mitchill) 1814 

 Whiting, silver hake, frostfish 



Specimens: (PLATE 21) 



The whiting is a permanent resident of Rhode Island waters and 

 appears to be most abundant in late summer and fall. Graham 

 (ms.) states that during the spring, large adult whiting moved 

 inshore while young sometimes moved offshore. During winter 

 months, small groups of whiting may get stranded by a receding 

 tide on sandy beaches while chasing small baitfish. 



Specimens of whiting observed by the writer ranged from 6 to 

 20 inches. 



Economic Importance: 



Graham states that the whiting is the leading inshore species of 

 trash fish. It also was the most numerous trash species in his 1954-5 

 study of the Rhode Island trash fishery. Edward's data shows whit- 

 ing or silver hake as the leading trash fish species landed at Point 

 Judith in 1957. 



Family Gadidae 

 Genus Gadus 



33 



