THE GREENLINGS 



Family LXVIII. HexagrammidcB 



Body elongate, covered with small ctenoid or cycloid scales; 

 head conical, scaly, the cranium without spinous ndges above; 

 preopercle more or less armed, sometimes with entire edges; 

 third suborbital developed as a bony stay articulating with the 

 preopercle; mouth large, with acute teeth m jaws, and usually 

 on vomer and palatines; nostril single on each side, the posterior 

 opening reduced to a minute pore; pseudobranchiae well developed 

 dorsal fin continuous or divided, the anterior ha f of many slendei 

 spines; anal fin long, with or without spines; lateral hne present, 

 sometimes several series of pores developed. 



Carnivorous fishes, mostly of large size, living in kelp and 

 about rocks in the North Pacific; some of them highly valued 



as food. . 



Of the 5 genera found in American waters, only 3 contain 



food-fishes of any importance. 



The most interesting species of the family is the Atka mack- 

 erel or Atka-fish, Pleurogrammiis monopteiygiiis. 



This interesting fish is the most important species of the 

 family. It occurs in the North Pacific, chiefly '''"^^"g /he A leu. 

 tian Islands. It is not common about Unalaska or the Pnbilofs, 

 but about Atka and Attn it is abundant. It is somewhat erratic 



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