Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 235 



large thorns; about four anterior to pectoral girdle, about 11 -12 from pectoral girdle 

 to level of axils of pectorals, and about 35—36 along tail to first dorsal (no thorn, however, 

 between first and second dorsals when these are separated); each side of tail with 1—3 

 irregular rows of smaller thorns anteriorly, one row posteriorly, extending to level of 

 origin of second dorsal ; disc also with two large thorns (sometimes worn flat) on each 

 shoulder in small specimens, three in larger, these increasing in relative size with growth; 

 3—5 smaller thorns inward from posterior part of spiracle, 1—2 larger ones close in front 

 of orbit, one large one just behind orbit and 2—3 around its inner edge; rostral ridge 

 with an irregular band of small thorns, but tip of snout bare; outer anterior margins of 

 pectorals more or less prickly along a narrow band; regions opposite eyes (sparsely 

 prickly on partly-grown specimens) with a patch of thorns, large to small, in adults of 

 both sexes; pelvics smooth, but upper portions of dorsals prickly. Alar spines of mature 

 males in 2—3 rows. Lower surface smooth in young, in mature males and in some adult 

 females, but other mature females are described as having a patch of 2-3 medium-sized 

 thorns a little back from tip of snout. *^ 



Snout anterior to orbits about 2.8—4.0 times as long as distance between orbits, its 

 length in front of mouth about two times as great as distance between exposed nostrils. 

 Orbit about 80 "/o as long as distance between orbits and about 1.5 times as long as 

 spiracle. Distance between first gill openings 1.6— 1.8 times, between fifth gill openings 

 i.o— I.I times, as long as distance between exposed nostrils; first gill openings 1.3— 1.4 

 times as long as fifth and about 1 2 "/g as long as breadth of mouth. Nasal curtain con- 

 spicuously fringed, but expanded posterior (outer) margin of nostrils smooth. Mouth 

 only weakly arched centrally, even in adult male. 



Teeth ^g (in two specimens), rather widely spaced in transverse series, with conical 

 cusp, only a little longer and sharper in adult males than in females; the bases ovoid 

 transversely. 



First and second dorsals either confluent at base or separated by a short interspace 

 without thorns; second dorsal extending nearly to tip of tail in specimens seen, with 

 only faint indication of separate caudal membrane. Pelvics rather strongly scalloped 

 around the concavity; anterior margin 51 "/, as long as distance from its own origin to 

 rear tip of pelvic on one female, 43 "/o on a male; anterior lobe broadly subtriangular; 

 posterior lobe weakly convex and only faintly scalloped; rear tip narrowly rounded in 

 both sexes. 



Anterior rays of pectorals extending about 55—60 "/o of distance from level of fronts 

 of orbits toward tip of snout. 



Color. Described as having upper surface plain fawn color, slate-gray or clay-gray 

 when fresh (changing to chocolate brown in formalin). Lower surface uniformly white 

 in some,** but others with a gray longitudinal band along tail and a gray blotch on either 

 side of cloaca, or with outer posterior parts of pectorals and posterior lobes of pelvics 



63. Clark, Rep. Fish. Bd. Scot. (1926), i, 1926: 46. 



64. So described bv Clark (Rep. Fish. Bd. Scot. [1926], i, 1926: 46) on specimens from between Denmark and southern 

 Norway. 



