352 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



304. CHILOMYOTERUS ANTILLARUM Jordan & Rutter. 



Chilomycterus anlillarum Jordan & Rutter, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1897, 131; 

 Jamaica. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1749. 



Diagnosis. — Form similar to spinosris; a transverse row of short cirri on chin; cirri on 

 nearly all the spines along margin of beUy, no cirri above eyes; a spine below and in front of each 

 eye. Color: brown above, yellow below, entire body marked with small hexagonal areas formed 

 by black lines, the lines on abdomen wider; black spots as in spinosus, together with black 

 blotches on chin in front of and at each end of the row of cirri, {antillarum, of the Antilles.) 



A straggler from the West Indies to the east coast of the United States, 

 where it has been observed only at Woods Hole, Mass., and Beaufort, N, C. 

 From the former place the writer recorded 1 specimen in 1898; at Beaufort 1 

 was taken in a trawl net in the harbor in the summer of 1902, according to Dr. 

 R. E. Coker, and another was caught in the summer of 1904, according to Dr. 

 E. W. Gudger. 



Family MOLID^. The Head-fishes. 



Large fishes of remarkable appearance, with feeble swimming powers, 



inhabiting the open sea but frequently seen along the coasts or stranded on the 



shores. The compressed ovate body is covered with a very thick leathery skin ; the 



posterior part of the body is truncate; the small terminal mouth is armed with 



a single bony plate in each jaw; the single high dorsal fin is placed far back, and 



the anal fin is similar to it in shape and position, the caudal fin extending between 



their posterior margins; the pectoral fins are small and are placed immediately 



posterior to the very short branchial opening; ventral fins are lacking; and the 



air-bladder is absent. The young differ much from the adults in form, and have 



frequently been described under other names. There are several genera and 



half a dozen known species, but only 1 is recorded from the coasts of the United 



States. 



Genus MOLA Cuvier. Ocean Sun-fishes. 



Very large fishes with ovate body and compressed sides; tough, leathery 

 skin without scales; a projecting nose; dorsal and anal fins high, with short 

 base; pectorals short. {Mola, a millstone.) 



305. MOLA MOLA (Linnaeus). 

 Sun-fish; Head-fish; Moon-fish; Mola. 



Tetrodon mola Linnseus, Systema Naturae, ed. x, 334, 1758; Mediterranean. 

 Mola mola, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1753, pi. cclxviii, fig. 651. 



Diagnosis. — Head in adult about .25 total length , depth more than .5 length, the body 

 becoming longer in older examples; eye small, about .16 head; gill-opening about diameter of 

 eye; dorsal and anal fins more than .5 length of body, the rays 16 or 17 in each; caudal fin short 

 and wavy. Color: dark gray or slaty, sides and belly lighter; a more or less distinct dark band 

 extending along bases of posterior fins. 



The ocean sunfish is a lazy, clumsy species, with limited swimming powers, 

 and seems content to be borne about listlessly by currents and tides. It occurs 



