Jordan and Evcrmann.— Fishes of North America. 



1975 



sli-xriv nasal spines sliarp; suprascapular spiue ratlier strong, shortish. 

 Sides of body above lateral line with a series of embedded prickly plates, 

 below which are numerous scattered spines and prickles. Dorsal and anal 

 tins hi-h; spinous and soft dorsals about eaual in height, their height 

 more than \ length of body ; ventrals long ; pectorals about reaching vent. 

 T..u-k brown above, with broad darker bars; below yellowish, the belly m 

 tlie male with large pale spots ; back and top of head with grayish blotches ; 

 fins brown and yellow, all of them spotted and barred. Sexual dif- 

 ferences large, the males more brightly colored; the round white spots 

 strongly marked, the females with rough crests on the head. Length 25 

 inches New York to Greenland, common; one of the largest sculpms. 

 Here described from specimens from Cape Cod. Very close to Mijoxo- 

 ceuhalus scorplus, which it replaces on our coast and of which Dr. Lutken 

 regards it as a variety. Lilljiborg regards the 2 as identical, a view not 

 unlikely correct. According to Ensign H. G. Dresel, M. grocniandims 

 differs from M. scorpim (1) in its larger size ; (2) in the greater interorbital 

 width which in M. scorpius seldom exceeds f of the longest diameter of 

 the eye- and (3) in the higher spinous dorsal, the longest dorsal spine in 

 M grmilamUcns being contained 5 to 6 times in the total length of the 

 caudal base, while in M. scorpius it is contained as much as 7 to 8 times m 

 the same length. ,, ,, , , 



Accordm"- to Fabricius this species is abundant "m all the bays and 

 inlets of Greenland, but prefers a stony coast clothed with seaweed. It 

 approaches the shore in spring and departs in winter. It is very voracious, 

 preyino- on everything that comes in its way, and pursuing incessantly 

 the smaller fish, not sparing the young of its own species, and devouring 

 Crustacea and worms. It is very active and bold, but does not come to the 

 surface unless it be led thither in pursuit of other fish. It spawns in 

 December and January, and deposits its red-colored roe on the seaweed. 

 It is easily taken with a bait, and constitutes the daily food ot the Green- 

 landers, who are very fond of it. They eat the roe raw." 



Accordiuo- to Liitken, the Greenland Sculpin {(iranlandkus) is not sepa- 

 rated from scorpius bv any character trenchant or constant. In Greenland 

 it inhabits slight depths up to 12 fathoms ; the young in 40 to 100 iathoms. 

 There is -reat variati.m. especially in fin rays. In counting extreme cases 

 both forms have the following range : D. IX to XI, 14 to 19 ; P. 15 to 19 ; A. 

 11 to 15 Normallv, however, the range is D. X, 16 or 17 ; P. 17 ; A. 13 or 14. 

 Vertebra, usually 14-1-25:= 39, in a rare case 13-f23=.36. Pyloric ca^ca 8, 

 rarely 10 or 11. 



Cottus scorpius, Fabricius, Fauna Gwnlaudica, 156, 1780, Greenland. 

 S":; , Jaa«ci^o.., CoviKK^ VALK.ciEN«KS, Hist. ^-at.Pois. 



cius ■ GtJNTHER, Cat. Fish.. II, 161, 1860 ; GooDE & Bean, Bull. Easex lust., xi, 13, 1879. 

 Cottus scorpius grmnlandicus, J.VTKK^,Ti&. Medd. Kjob.. 12, 1876; Jordan & Gilbert, 



Synopsis, 703 ; Dresel, Proc. TT. S. iN at. Mus. 1884, 252. 

 Cottus porosis, CuviER .t Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., viii, 498 , 1831, Baffins Bay. 



(Coll. Gu6don and Ducrost.) 

 J.ca»t/wco<tMsm«co«M*, AYRES,Proc.Cal.Ac.Nat.Sci.l854 12. 



Ananthocottus variabilis, Girard, Boston Journ. Nat. Hist., vi, 1850, 24b; D. H. Storer, 

 Hist. Fish. Mass., 26. 



