Fishes of the Western North Atlantic ()() 



its length in front of moutli about twice as great as distance between outer ends of 

 exposed nostrils. Eyes noticeably small but fully developed; horizontal diameter about 

 1/3— i/g as long as distance between orbits, or a little less. Spiracles moderately oblique, 

 sloping rearward inwardly, about as long as orbit and about 1.5 times as long as 

 horizontal diameter of eye; posterior to eyes by a distance a little longer than eye; 

 their margins perfectly smooth. Second to fourth gill openings (about equal in length) 

 a little more than Va as long as breadth of mouth; first about 85 "/o and fifth about 

 75 */o as long as third or fourth (the longest); distance between inner ends of fifth gill 

 openings about 2.0-2.3 times as great as breadth of mouth, and 82—92 "/o as great 

 as distance between inner ends of openings of first pair. Nostrils moderately oblique, 

 close to mouth but entirely separate from it; distance between their inner ends (con- 

 cealed by the nasal curtain) about half as great as distance between orbits and about 

 1/3 as great as breadth of mouth; joint nasal curtain subrectangular, about three times 

 as broad as long, roofing over the inner half to third of each nasal aperture; its free 

 rear margin somewhat sinuous, sometimes with a shallow median notch; posterior 

 margin of nostril with two semilunar expansions, the free margin of the outer (anterior) 

 directed toward the nasal aperture, that of the inner (posterior) away from it and toward 

 the mouth. Mouth moderately arched, its apparent breadth when closed about 1.7 

 times as great as distance between orbits, the furrow from each corner extending rear- 

 ward for a distance slightly more than 1/3 as great as breadth of mouth when mouth 

 is closed, perhaps entirely obliterated when mouth is open. 



Teeth increasing in number of series with growth from H at a length of 655 mm 

 (North Sea specimen) to || at 835 mm and to |j at 1,040 mm (American specimens); 

 cusps sharp or slightly blunted, about as long as breadth of bases in both sexes, directed 

 into mouth, those on each side of jaws curving slightly toward corner of mouth; up to 

 seven rows in function simultaneously in medium and large specimens, these succeeded 

 by several additional replacement rows that are already of the final shape though still 

 soft and covered over by folds of skin from roof and floor of mouth. 



First dorsal about as high vertically as long; subtriangular with rounded corners; 

 anterior margin convex toward apex, distal margin nearly straight, free lower posterior 

 margin about half as long as base; its length along anterior margin about equal to 

 distance from posterior margin of spiracle to tip of snout; its origin anterior to axils 

 of pelvics by a distance ^Is—^U ^s long as its base in female, about ^/g as long as its base 

 in mature male. Second dorsal only about V2— Vs ^^ large as first dorsal in linear dimen- 

 sions and relatively lower, its anterior margin more sloping, its lower posterior free 

 margin relatively longer. Interspace between first and second dorsals about ^/j as long 

 as base of first dorsal. Interspace between second dorsal and caudal about as long as 

 base of first dorsal or a little longer. Caudal approximately an equilateral triangle; its 

 upper and lower margins weakly convex, its posterior margin nearly vertical and weakly 

 emarginate; corners broadly rounded; its axis slightly raised; its length from origin to 

 midpoint of rear margin about as great as distance from origin of first dorsal to rear 

 tip of second dorsal; its upper origin about opposite its lower origin. Pelvics with 



