396 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



the sjiines of cat-fish. Naked area iu front of pectorals large. Pelvic 

 bone lanceolate. Ventral spine with a basal cusp. Spines all seriate, 

 those of anal and soft dorsal small. Head 3^; depth 4 J. D. II-I, 13; 

 A. I, 9. Lateral plates 33. L. 4 inches. North Atlantic; very abund- 

 ant on both coasts. 



(Liun. Syst. Nut. Giiutlier, i, 4: Gasierosteus nonehoraccnsis Cnv. «fe Val. iv, 502: Gas- 

 terosteus hiacideatus Stoi-er, Hist. Fisli. Mass. 40; Gas1erosteiishiacideatu.fi et nocebnracensis 

 DeKay, New York Fauna, Fish. ()5, G3: Gasierosteus nvjer Cnv. & Val. iv, 504; Gas- 

 ierosteus trachurus Cnv. & Val. iv, 481 : Gasierosteus bisp'uiosas Walbauiu, Artedi Piso. 

 1792, 450, the oldest Ameiieau name.) 



Snbsp. catap2sB*actMS (Pallas) J. & G. — Salmon-Tciller ; Sticlclehack. 



Extremely similar, but more robust, the body and head a little shorter 



and deeper. Caudal keel very strong. San Francisco to Alaska and 



Kamtschatka; very abundant northward. 



(Gasieracanthus caiapliractus Pallas, M6iu. Acad. Petersb. iii, 325, 1811: Gasierosteus 

 obolarius Cnv. «& Val. iv, 500: Gasierosteus serraius Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 1855, 47: Gubicrosteus hitirmeduis Giiard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 185G, 135: Gasier- 

 osteus inscuJptus Rich. Last Arctic Voyage.) 



194.— APELTES DeKay. 



(DeKay, New York Fanua, Fish. 1842, 67, nomen nudum: type Gasierosteus quadracus 

 Mitch.) 



Body moderately elongate, somewhat compressed, the back elevated 

 at the beginning of the soft dorsal fin, thence declining in nearly a 

 straight line to the tij) of the snout. Tail very slender, not keeled. 

 No bony dermal plates ; the skin naked. Innominate bones not joined 

 on the median line but separated, forming a bony ridge on each side of 

 the abdomen, below which the strong ventral spines are depressible. 

 Chest mostly bony; bare area in front of pectorals small, but distinct 

 Gill-rakers rather short. Gill-membranes attached to the isthmus, 

 without free edge. Free dorsal spines 3, strong, the first the longest, 

 directed to one side ; the next two directed toward the other side at 

 different angles; attached spine of dorsal and anal well developed; a 

 bony ridge on each side of the spinous dorsal, (a, privative; -^/rij, 

 shield.) 

 632. A. qcsadraciBS (Mitch.) Brovoort. 



Brownish olive above, mottled with darker; silvery below; male 



almost black; ventrals with the membrane red in spring. Head 4 in 



length; depth 4. Caudal peduncle very long and slender, about 5 iu 



length. 1). HI— I, 11; A. I, 8. L. 1* to 2^ inches. Atlantic coii-st of 



the United States; ver^^ abundant northward. 



{Gasierosteus quadracus Mitch. Trans. Lit. and Phil. Snc. i, 430, 1815: Gasierosteus 

 ascites Cuv. & Val. iv, 505; Gastcrosleus quadj'acus Giiuther, i, 7.) 



