Fishes of the IVestern North Atlantic 321 



Second dorsal fin: vertical height 2.6, 1.8; length of base 4.3, 4.6. 



Pelvics: anterior margin 13.5, 12.5. 



Distance: from tip of snout to center of cloaca 41.7, 42.7; from center of cloaca 



to 1st dorsal 44.8, 43.2; to tip of tail 58.3, 57.3; from rear end of 2nd 



dorsal base to tip of caudal 4.0, 4.0. 

 Interspace between: ist and 2nd dorsals i.i, 1.2. 



Disc about 1.2-1.3 times as broad as long, angular in front, tip of snout only 

 a little blunted; maximum anterior angle in front of spiracles about 100° in females 

 and about 85° in males; anterior margins weakly concave close behind tip of snout 

 and again at level of spiracles; outer corners narrowly rounded but posterior corners 

 broadly so; posterior margins weakly convex; inner margins nearly straight. Axis of 

 greatest breadth about 65-70 "/o of distance back from snout toward axils of pec- 

 torals. Tail with lateral folds extending from about midway between tips of pelvics 

 and origin of first dorsal nearly to tip of tail, widest opposite dorsals; distance from 

 center of cloaca to first dorsal about as great as distance from center of cloaca to tip 

 of snout, about 1.1-1.2 times as great to second dorsal, and 1.3-1.4 times as great to 

 tip of tail. 



Upper surface of disc of adults prickly only along mid-dorsal ridge posterior to 

 pectoral girdle and narrowly along anterior margins from level of eyes rearward; 1-3 

 large thorns and a few smaller ones on anterior part of rostral ridge; 7-8 in malar 

 regions between orbits and outer margins in females but up to 20 or more there on 

 males; 7-8 thorns around inner margin of orbit, the series usually interrupted mid- 

 way, with 1-2 inward from spiracles; likewise a median row of about 7-9 from about 

 halfway between pectoral and pelvic girdles to level of axils of pectorals; tail with 4-5 

 irregular rows along anterior part, about four rows along posterior part to first dorsal, 

 the thorns spaced progressively wider rearward, no one row exactly in the midline; 

 interspace between first and second dorsals with two pairs of thorns, the members of 

 each pair side by side; the dorsals prickly; caudal membrane and pelvics smooth. Alar 

 thorns of mature males covering a triangular area, broadest anteriorly, based a little 

 in advance of outer corners of pectorals. Young specimens with fewer orbital thorns, 

 only about three rows on tail and none outward from orbits. Lower surface smooth 

 both on disc and on tail. 



Snout in front of orbits about 2.3 times as long as orbit, its length in front of 

 mouth 2.1-2.2 times as great as breadth between exposed nostrils. Orbit about 1.6 

 times as long as distance between orbits and 1.8 times as long as spiracle. Distance 

 between first gill openings i. 8-2.1 times as long as distance between exposed nostrils, 

 0.9-1.2 times between fifth gill openings; first gill openings 1.3-1.4 times as long as 

 fifth and about V5 as long as breadth of mouth. Nasal curtain more or less conspicuously 

 fringed with short rounded lobelets;^^ posterior (outer) margin of nostrils smooth. 

 Mouth nearly straight. 



23. On one specimen the nasal curtain is fringed on one side and smooth on the other. 



