ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 



421 



Taken at Makuslain Bay, Uualask.i Harbor, and near mouth of Unalaska River; 

 at Shaw Bay, Unimak Island; at Herendeen Bay, and at the following stations in 

 Bristol Bay: 3229, 3231, 3232, 3233, 3291, 3296, 3303; depth, 7i to 33 fathoms. 



62. Acanthocottus humilis (Bean). 



This species has a very slender body and an extremely wide, flat head, the latter 

 strikingly triangular when viewed from above, due to the regular way in which it 

 tapers toward the snout. The species is further distinguished by possessing but 9 

 dorsal spines and by the presence of an irregular series of circular spinous plates 

 above the lateral line. These plates are not present in very young individuals. 

 They are beginning to make their appearance in a specimen 6 inches long, and are 

 invariably present in all our larger specimens. In adults the region below the 

 lateral line contains strong spinous prickles, mostly concealed in the skin and 

 directed backward. Some of the anterior ones may be broader and may have more 

 than one point, but none are circular with a rosette of short spinous points, as is 

 the case with the dorsal series. 



Occipital crests long, gently converging behind, suddenly diverging near their 

 posterior ends. Distance from supraorbital to occipital tubercle 1^ times the dis- 

 tance between the two sujiraorbital tubercles (the two measurements about equal in 

 A. polyacanthocephahis). A sharp ethmoidal ridge extends backward from the level 

 of the nasal spines to above front of pupil. Preopercular spines varying in length 

 as in other species, the ujjper spine in older specimens usually not equaling diameter 

 of eye. Pore behind last gill-arch always present. Spinous dorsal low, an unusu- 

 ally long interval between the two dorsals. Below are the fin rays in 23 specimens: 



The type of A. humilis has dorsal x-16; anal 13. According to Mr. Barton A. 

 Bean, two specimens in the United States National Museum, collected by L. M. Tur- 

 ner, at St. Michaels, have dorsal ix-l5, anal 14, and dorsal x-15, anal 14. 



In the young, the dark dorsal bands are less sharply defined than in A. polyacan- 

 thocephalus, and in adult specimens they entirely disappear, breaking up into sharply 

 marked black spots and vermiculating blotches and lines, which closely cover the 

 upper parts. 



Specimens were taken in the seine at the mouth of the Nushagak River, and one 

 with a hand line at station 3290, Bristol Bay, 16 fathoms. All others were dredged 

 in Bristol Bay, at depths of 3^ to 21 fathoms, stations 3228, 3229, 3230, 3233, 3242, 3243, 

 3244, 3245, 3248, and 3250. 



A. humilis closely resembles the description of A. jaok, with which it may well be 

 identical. We do not venture to make this identification, as A. jaok is said to have 

 but 7 dorsal spines, a number we have not found in A. humilis. 



63. Acanthocottus verrucosus (Bean). 



Heretofore known only from the type (3i inches long) collected by Dr. Bean at Plover 

 Bay, Siberia. The Albatross collected numerous specimens, the largest 16 inches 

 (405 mm.) long. Adults possess the same combination of characters assigned to the 

 immature type, having the top of the head strongly verrucose, the preopercular 

 spine short, supraorbital and occipital filaments present, and the rays of dorsal and 

 anal tins numerous. In addition they exhibit spinous plates along the sides, 

 extremely high vertical fins, and very large supraorbital and occipital tubercles, 

 from the summits of which the filaments arise. 



