Jordan and Evermatin. — Fishes of North America. 2279 



head, and about twice lengtli of labial appendages; distance between 

 posterior nostril and eye equal tirst anal spine, and \ distance from tip 

 of snout to anterior nostril. Caudal fin emarginate, middle rays 1^ in 

 outer rays; vent under interval between fourth and fifth dorsal rays. 

 Back bluish, with a green tinge, iridescent, changing through purplish 

 blue and bluish gray to rosy white below, and milky white toward median 

 line of belly; head rosy, iridescent, with red tints most abundant on fore- 

 head, blue under the eyes, cheeks fawn-colored; throat and under side 

 of head pearly white, with an occasional tint of lemon yellow, most pro- 

 nounced in front of ventrals and on anterior portion of ventral fins ; back 

 with numerous maculations of bright yellow or golden; anal purplish, 

 with blue and rose tints, iridescent; margin of anal rich purplish blue, 

 iridescent, like the most beautiful mother-of-pearl, this color pervading 

 more or less the whole fin, which has large yellow maculations, the 

 lower border rose-colored, like the belly, base of the fin also partaking 

 of this general hue; dashes of milk white on base of anal between the 

 rays; dorsal gray; in front of the seventh dorsal the upper third jjosterior 

 to the upper two-thirds dark brown; spots of yellow, large, elongate, 

 on or near the rays ; adipose fin whitish brown or yellow, a large group 

 of bright yellow confluent spots at the base; pectorals sepia-colored, 

 with rosy and purplish iridescence. (Goode & Bean.) Deep waters of 

 the western Atlantic, at times very abundant; now rare or almost extinct. 

 "The tilefish was first observed in 1879 by fishermen fishing for cod on 

 Nantucket Shoals. From its abundance it was thought to become of 

 some economic importance. In March and April, 1882, vessels arriving 

 at New York, Philadeliihia, and Boston reported having passed large num- 

 bers of dead and dying fish, the majority of Avhich were tilefish. Captain 

 Collins estimated the area covered by dead and dying fish to be from 

 5,000 to 7,500 square statute miles, the number of fish to be 1,000,000,000. 

 Several visits were made by the Fish Commission vessels to the grounds 

 whex'e these fishes were formerly abundant, but no specimen was obtained, 

 and it was thought to have become extinct. In 1892 several specimens 

 were taken by the Grampus in latitude 38° to 40*^ N., and longitude 71° 

 to 73*^ W. The wholesale destruction of the tilefish in 1882 is thought by 

 Colonel McDonald to be due to climatic causes." (Goode & Bean.) 

 {chamwleon, xoc^cxiXeoov; - ceps, head.) 



LopholatUus ehamceleonticeps, Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 205, Nan- 

 tucket Shoals; Jordan &. Gilbert, Synopsis, 624,1883; Collins, Eept. U. S. Fish 

 Comiii. (1882) 1884, 237; LucAS, Eept. V. S. Nat. Mus. (Stuithsonian Report) 1889, 

 647, with plate ; Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, 284, 1896. 



Family CXCI. OPISTHOGNATHID^. 



(The Jaw-Fishes.) 



Body oblong or elongate, low, moderately compressed, covered with 

 small cycloid scales; lateral line present, straight, running close to the 

 dorsal fin, not extending much behind middle of body. Head large, naked, 

 the anterior profile decurved, no ridges, spines, or crests above. Mouth 



