1970 Bulletin ^y, United States National Museum, 



731. MYOXOCEPHALUS (Steller) Tilesius. 

 (Great Sculpins.) 



Myoxocephalus, Stellee MS. 1741. 



Myoxoccphahis, Tilesius, Mem. Acad. Sci. Petersb., IV, 1811, 273 (stelleri). 

 Acanthocottus, Gieard, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., in, 1849, 185 (groenlandicug). 

 Gottus, Putnam, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., I, No. 1, 3, 1863 (seorjnuR). 

 Boreoeottus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 166 (axillaris) . 



Body slender or robust, subfusiform, covered with thick skiu, in which 

 are sometimes embedded prickly plates; deciduous, granular, or stellate 

 tubercles also sometimes present, but no true scales. Head large. Mouth 

 terminal, large, the lower jaw always included, the uppermost the longer; 

 villiform teeth on the jaws and vomer, none on the palatines; suborbital 

 stay strong; preopercle with 2 strong straight sjiines above directed back- 

 ward, and 1 below directed downward and forward; opercle, nasal bones, 

 orbital rim, and shoulder girdle more or less armed; gill membranes form- 

 ing a fold across the rather narrow isthmus ; slit behind last gill small or 

 wanting, if present, reduced to a mere pore; vertebrae about 28. Bran- 

 chiostegals mostly 6. Dorsal fins 2, separate, the first short, its spines 

 rather slender; ventral rays I, 3; caudal fin moderate, fan-shaped; pec- 

 toral tin broad, its lower rays procurrent. Lateral line well developed, its 

 tubes sometimes provided with bony or cartilaginous plates, never chain- 

 like nor reduced to separated pores. Species numerous, in the seas of 

 northern regions; coarse fislies, little valued as food, (/^uo^o? the dor- 

 mouse; K£0aA?), head; the allusion not evident). 



Acanthocottus {axavOa, spine ; kottos, Coitus) -. 

 a. Top of head covered with thin, smooth skin, having a very few warty prominences 

 or none, and not hiding the bony occipital ridges ; lateral line continuous, with 

 concealed cartilaginous plates; Atlantic species. 

 b. Lateral line with regularly arranged, small bony-keeled plates, most distinct 

 anteriorly; no stellate tubercles; a small cirrus above eye. D. VIII, 12; 

 A. 9. BUBALIS, 2345. 



bb. Lateral line unarmed or with concealed cartilaginous plates or with prickles 

 which are not keeled or are not regularly arranged. 

 c. Anal tin very short, of 10 or 11 rays only ; dor.sal rays IX, 13 or 14 ; upper 

 preopercular spine short, sharp, nearly twice the length of the next; 

 third spine directed downward ; no slit behind last gill, jeneus, 2346. 

 cc. Anal fin of 12 to 14 rays. 



d. Upper preopercular spine moderate, about as long as eye, and about 

 twice length of next spine. 

 c Last gill arch without slit or pore. D. X, 17; A. 12. 



SCOEPIOIDES, 2347. 

 ee. Last gill arch with a small slit or pore behind it. D. X, 17; 

 A. 14. 

 /. Interorbital space narrow, If in eye in adult; spinous dor- 

 sal low, the longest spine 8 in body. scorpius. 2348. 

 Jf'. Interorbital space broader, as wide as eye; spinous dorsal 

 higher, the longest spine 6 to 7 in body. 



GRCENLANDICUS, 2349. 



dd. T'pper preopercular spine very long, longer than eye, reaching tip 

 lit opercular spine, 4 times length of the spine below it; a 

 sharp postocular spine, and a similar occipital spine; no slit 

 behind last gill. D. IX, 15; A. 14. octodecimspinosus, 2350. 



