Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 35 



rounded caudal extremity 5 a segmentally arranged row of mucous pores low down on 

 each side, extending from about Vis the way back from snout to beyond anus; 26 to 33 

 pores in front of gill openings, 57 to 66 between gill openings and anus in those seen (53 

 to 70 recorded), and 11 to 13 posterior to anus in 9 specimens examined from Grand 

 Manan Island, New Brunswick." 



Length of head to gill openings about 25 to 29% of total length (3.4 to 4 inches total 

 length); snout obliquely truncate; fleshy rostrum a little higher than wide and broadly 

 rounded in well preserved specimens, but sometimes more narrowly pointed, possibly due 

 to contraction in the preservative ; nostril an open pore on ventral surface near tip of snout; 

 2 pairs of slender, flexible barbels flanking either side of nostril, with a third pair, about 

 twice as large, flanking the anterior part of mouth; mouth irregularly stellate when closed, 

 without definite lip, but with a prominent, conical projection on either side of its margin;^" 

 gill openings close in front of origin of ventral finfold; usually 6 pairs of gill pouches, not 

 visible externally, but sometimes 7 pairs.^^ 



Lingual teeth comb-like, with swollen bases and sharp tips, moderately curved rear- 

 ward, close together, decreasing in size from front to rear, of a strong orange color; those 

 of anterior series about twice as large as those of posterior series, and partially overlapping 

 the latter when tongue is retracted within mouth; 7 to 9 on either side in the anterior series 

 and 8 to 10 in the posterior series; the first 2 in each series fused together at the base. 



Ventral finfold originates about Vs of distance back from snout to caudal extremity, 

 the dorsal fin about % the distance back and slightly anterior to anus," both fins about V^ 

 to V4 as high as the trunk is deep ; ventral fold unsupported anterior to anus, but posterior 

 to the latter it has a series of very slender, tapering cartilaginous rods, which extend around 

 caudal extremity and forward along dorsal finfold (decreasing in length) nearly or quite 

 to origin of latter. 



Color. Grayish or reddish brown above, either plain, variously suffused, or mottled, 

 with darker or paler gray, brown or bluish ; whitish, or pale gray below. The variations in 

 color may correspond more or less closely with the local color of the sea bottom. 



Size. In American waters, on the coast of Maine, Hags are recorded up to 790 mm. 

 in length, with one series of adults averaging 620 mm." Apparently this is a greater size 

 than they reach on the opposite side of the Atlantic, where the maximum recorded length 

 is only 420 mm. (see discussion, p. 38). 



Developmental Stages. The Hag was at first believed to be a functional protandrous 

 hermaphrodite, its single unpaired sex organ first developing sperm in the posterior por- 

 tion, then eggs later in the anterior portion.^* However, recent detailed studies of the sex 



9. 24-34, 54-64 and 10-14 respectively are recorded for European specimens. 



10. These projections have sometimes been interpreted as a fourth pair of barbels. 



n. Specimens with seven gill pouches on one side, or on both, are recorded by Cole (Anat. Anz., 2y, 1905: 3»6). 



12. Its origin is not clear-cut. The first indication of it is nearly as far anterior to the anus as the latter is distant 

 from the tip of tail, in both American and Norwegian specimens. 



13. Conel, J. Morph., 29, 1917: 77. 



14. For a summary of earlier studies, see Smitt (Hist. Scand. Fish., 2, 1895 : 1205) and Conel (Dean Memor. Vol., 

 Amer. Mus. nat Hist., Art. 3, 1931 : 70). 



