Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 'i^c^'j 



Head about V4 of total length, its dorsal profile very weakly convex, about as. broad 

 at eyes as at origin of pectorals. Snout ovoid with rather broadly rounded tip, its length in 

 front of a line connecting outer ends of nostrils very nearly equal to distance between 

 inner ends of latter on smallest specimens but only % that in larger, the length in front of 

 mouth about 1.4 to 1.5 times as great as distance between nostrils and a little less than % 

 (37 to 38%) as great as length of head to origin of pectorals. Eye approximately circular 

 and relatively large, its diameter a little less than V2 as long as distance between inner 

 ends of nostrils in smallest specimens, Vs that long in larger, its anterior edge opposite 

 front of mouth or a little anterior to latter. Gill openings very slightly oblique with sinu- 

 ously concave contours, the ist about as long as the horizontal diameter of the eye in 

 smallest specimens but increasing relatively to about i .2 times as long as eye in specimens of 

 500 mm. and twice the eye at a length of 800 to 900 mm., the 3rd very little longer than 

 1st, the 5th about as long as ist, the 4th about over origin of pectoral. Nostrils moderately 

 oblique, about V^ as long as the distance between their inner ends, which are nearer to 

 mouth than to tip of snout by a distance about V2 as long as between nostrils, the anterior 

 margins somewhat sinuous and expanded near inner end as a short digitate lobe with 

 rounded tip."" Mouth broad-ovoid, its height relative to its breadth somewhat greater in 

 smaller specimens (60 to 66%) than in the larger (about 54%), occupying about % of 

 breadth of head. 



Teeth i2ori3^o'rT— i2ori3 > ^PP^''^ broadly triangular, their edges serrate, most coarsely 

 so basally except for the 2 or 3 outermost which are only slightly irregular, the ist nearly 

 symmetrical with nearly straight edges, but 2nd and subsequent teeth increasingly oblique, 

 their inner margins slightly sinuous or concave, their outer margins notched more and 

 more deeply toward corners of mouth, the lOth to 13th successively lower, the outermost 

 tooth very low, its cusp hardly discernible, the median upper tooth small and symmetrical; 

 lower teeth with much narrower cusps than uppers, on expanded bases, the ist to 8th or 

 9th serrate from tip to base, although somewhat less coarsely so than uppers, but subse- 

 quent teeth irregularly wavy at most, the ist much smaller than 2nd to 6th, those toward 

 center of mouth erect, nearly symmetrical, the outermost 4 or 5 in smallest specimens, but 

 outermost 1-3, only, in larger examples, very oblique, deeply notched outwardly and 

 with very low cusps. 



Origin of ist dorsal about over midpoint of inner margin of pectoral, its anterior 

 margin about V2 as long as head, its vertical height about as great as length of snout in 

 front of mouth in small specimens but relatively somewhat greater in larger, its anterior 

 margin only very slightly convex toward apex, its posterior margin moderately and evenly 

 concave, its apex narrowly rounded, its free rear corner about V2 as long as base, the mid- 

 point of base about % as far from axil of pectoral as from origin of pelvics. Second dorsal 

 about Vs (30 to 37% ) as long at base as ist, about V3 to V4 as high vertically and relatively 

 much lower in form, its origin about over midpoint of base of anal, the rear end of its 



140. This is clearly shown in Ranzani's illustration (Nov. Comment. Acad. Sci. Inst. Bonon [Bologna], ^, 1839: 

 pi. 2). 



