Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 393 



in obtusely subangular outline. Mouth narrow-ovate, about 75% as high as broad. Upper 

 labial furrow about Vs as long as diameter of eye."" 



Teeth in type specimen about |^2^|; similar in the 2 jaws, symmetrical, erect, 

 with slender cusps on broadly expanded bases, the edges of cusps coarsely serrate in 

 uppers but very finely so in lowers,'^^ the edges of bases smooth; 4 minute teeth at sym- 

 physis in upper jaw and 2 in lower, the 3 or 4 outermost teeth in each jaw also very small. 



Origin of ist dorsal a little anterior to axil of pectoral in specimen seen, but over mid- 

 base of pectoral in original illustration, its base a little more than Vs as long as head to 

 origin of pectoral by original illustration, its anterior margin moderately convex and 

 increasingly so toward apex, the posterior margin moderately concave, apex subacute or 

 very narrowly rounded, the free rear tip broad, about y^ to y^ as long as the base, its 

 vertical height a little less than M: as great as length of pectoral, the midpoint of base less 

 than V2 as far from axil of pectoral as from origin of pelvics. Second dorsal a little more 

 than Yi as long at base as ist, its origin about over origin of anal,"^ its apex narrowly 

 rounded, rear margin weakly concave, its free rear tip moderately slender and about V2 as 

 long as base. Caudal about ^/4 of total length, its upper margin moderately convex, 

 its tip very narrowly rounded or subacute, the terminal sector about ^^ the length 

 of fin in original illustration (about y^ in dried skin), the lower lobe a little more than 

 Vs as long as upper (about 36% in original illustration but about 33% in dried skin), its 

 anterior margin strongly convex toward apex, the re-entrant corner (included by the 2 

 lobes) moderately rounded. Distance from origin of caudal to tip of anal % (original 

 illustration) to % (dried skin) as long as base of latter. Anal a little shorter at base than 

 2nd dorsal but about equally high, its anterior margin only slightly more convex and rear 

 margin more concave than in 2nd dorsal, apex narrowly rounded, free rear corner only 

 about V2 as long as base. Distance from origin of anal to tips of pelvics about V2 (in 

 original illustration) to % (dried skin) as long as base of anal. Pelvics with nearly 

 straight margins, about as long at base as anal. Pectoral about % as long as head in original 

 illustration but only about V2 that long in dried skin, about V2 as broad as long, with 

 moderately convex outer margin but only very slightly concave distal margin and nearly 

 straight inner margin, rounded inner corner and subacute tip. 



Color. Described as yellow-gray above, white below. 



Size. The greatest length so far definitely reported for it is about five feet (1,520 

 mm.), although it has been said to attain six to eight feet. The fact that embryos of 14 

 inches have been reported, and free-living specimens 17 to 18 inches, suggests that a length 

 of about 1 5 to 16 inches is usual at birth. 



132. GiJnther (Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., 1870: 375) credits it with a short labial furrow on the lower jaw as well as 

 on the upper. Actually, however, the dried skin shows that the upper alone is present, as in other members of 

 the genus. 



133. Miiller and Henle (Plagiost., 1841 : 41) state that the upper teeth are serrate only toward their tips, the lowers 

 smooth. But their illustration (pi. 13) shows the uppers as serrate from tip to base, and the lowers as very finely 

 serrate toward their tips. 



I 34. A little anterior to latter in original illustration, but a little posterior to it in dried skin. 



