Jordan and Ever mann. — Fishes of North America, 1941 



backward toward the nape,, the occipital ridges sharp behind; upper pre- 

 opercular spine very long, rough, nearly \ as long as head, with strong- 

 recurved hooks or serrations on the upper edge; lower preopereular spines 

 strong; opercle with a longitudinal rib and no distinct spine; lateral line 

 with a row of rough bony scutella, each with a minute central sjiiue; 

 skin above more or less villous or prickly, elsewhere smooth. Isthmus 

 wide; a slit behind last gill; vomer with teeth. Bering 8ea, rather com- 

 mon from Alaska to Kamchatka and Saghalin. Here described from a 

 specimen in the British Museum, about 6 inches long. 



Dr. Gilbert has this note on several adults taken with seine at Heren- 

 deen Bay, Alaska Peninsula: 



There are 6 or 7 strong barbs inclined forward on upper surftice of pre- 

 opereular spine, which is very long, slender, and straight, reaching to below 

 middle of spinous dorsal. Filaments arranged as in Enophrys claviger, 

 but those on posterior part of body much more numerous. Anal papilla 

 very large, 0.27 mm. in a specimen 195 mm. long. There seems to be no 

 prickles on region above lateral line, or on abdomen. Stomachs filled with 

 molluscan shells, mainly limpets. D. VIII. 13 or 14; A. 10 to 12. 



Oue specimen from Eobben Island, collected by Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, 

 and 3 young specimens from Petropaulski, show the following characters: 

 The depth of the occipital depression, the height of the dift'erent ridges 

 and spines, and the amount of the irregularity in the cusps of the pre- 

 opereular spine is subject to great individual variation. We find no 

 important differences between this specimen and those from the Alaskan 

 Peninsula reported on by Gilbert (Report Commissioner of Fish and Fish- 

 eries, 1896, 426). The occipital depression is less and the cross ridge behind 

 it much lower in the adult from Eobben Island, the occiput comparatively 

 flat and without cross ridge in the young. We do not venture to base any 

 distinctions on these differences which may be due in part to age and in 

 part to individual variation. {8ii, two; xepaoi, horned.) 



Cottus diceraus, Pallas, Nov. Act. Petropol. 1783, 354, pi. 10, fig. 7, Petropaulski, Kam- 

 chatka (Coll. Steller); CuviEE & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 189, 1829;. 

 GuNTHER, Cat., u, 189. 



Synauceia cervus, TiLESius, Mem. Ac.Pertersb., in, 1811, 278, pi. 13, Petropaulski. (Coll. 

 Steller.) 



Cottus gtelleri, Bloch & Schneideb, Syst. Ichth., 63, 1801 ; after Steller. 



Ceratocottus diceraus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 1C5, and 1861, 167. 



Enophrys diceraus, Jordan &. Gilbert, Synopsis, 711, 1883; Gilbert, Kept. U. S. Fish 

 Comm. 1893 (1896), 426. 



729. COTTUS (Artedi) Linn;eus. 



(Miller's Thumbs.) 



Cottus, Aetedi, Genera Pisciiun, 49, 1738. 

 Cottus, Linn^us, Sy.st. Nat., x, 264, 1758 (170610 *). 

 Pegedictis, Kafinesque, Ichth. Ohiensis, 85, 1820 (ictalops). 



* Cottus gobio, the common Miller's Thumb of Europe, belongs to the same group as 

 Cottus pollicaris, philonips, etc., having no palatine teeth, the skin smooth, and the ventral 

 rays 1,4. The rays are D. VI to VIII, 16 or 17; A. 12. The name Cottus is restricted to 

 this type by Cuvier it Valenciennes, who remark, " Ce genre (Cottus) avait pour type 

 primitive, tin petit acanthopterygien de nos rivieres a tete large," etc. 



