398 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



broken broad black cross-bars on head and body, in others 6 to 8 complete cross-bars, and in 

 others no bars but a series of well-separated black spots collected into bands; below creamy- 

 white, with pale yellow margin; fins obscurely but profusely mottled with black, (plagiusa, 

 oblique.) 



Ranges from Cape Hatteras to Pensacola, and is common on sandy shores. 

 In Beaufort Harbor it is abundant on shoals, and has been taken by all collectors, 

 beginning with Professor Gill in 1860, whose specimen is in the National Museum. 

 Yarrow's statement, that this species will take the hook freely but is generally 

 captured by spearing at night and is esteemed a valuable food fish, does not 

 apply and was doubtless intended for Paralichthys. The foregoing diagnosis is 

 based on specimens 5 inches long from the Beaufort region. 



Order PEDICULATI. The Pediculate Fishes. 



The position of these fishes is at the bottom of the class of fishes. A prom- 

 inent feature, on which the ordinal name is based, is the excessive development 

 of the carpal (wrist) bones, resulting in an elongation of the pectoral fins, which 

 are used to support the body when the fish is resting on the bottom; this is well 

 shown in the accompanying figures of the pediculate fishes. All the species are 

 marine, and frequent the bottom. Of the 4 American families 3 are represented 

 in North Carolina, each by a single species. 



Family LOPHIIDvE. The Anglers. 



In these fishes the depressed body is relatively small and abruptly diminishes 

 in size from the shoulders backward, while the head is greatly developed, very 

 wide, depressed, with an enormous mouth; jaws with bands of sharp teeth of 

 unequal size, similar teeth on vomer and palatines; gills 3, gill-opening large and 

 in the lower axil of the pectorals, gill-rakers absent; pseudobranchioe present; 

 air-bladder and pyloric cceca present; skin scaleless, head and sides with con- 

 spicuous flaps; dorsal fins 2, widely separated, the spinous part consisting of 3 

 separated tentacle-like spines on head and 3 smaller ones connected by a mem- 

 brane; soft rays connected to form a single ordinary fin; anal similar to second 

 dorsal; pectorals very large and fleshy; ventrals jugular, widely separated, the 



rays i,5. 



Genus LOPHIUS Linnaeus. Anglers. 



Size very large; mouth exceedingly wide and directed upward; lower jaw 

 projecting; upper jaw protractile; dorsal spines overhanging the mouth and 

 serving as lures for the prey; gill-openings below and behind the pectorals; verte- 

 brae 27 to 32. (Lophius, the ancient name for the fish in Europe.) 



345. LOPHIUS PISCATORIUS Linnaeus.* 

 "All-mouth"; Angler; Goose-fish. 



Lophius piscatorius Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. x, i, 236, 1758; seas of Europe. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 

 365; Cape Lookout. Jenldns, 1887,93; Cape Lookout. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2713, pi. ccclxxxviii, 

 fig. 952; "southward along the shore to Cape Hatteras". 



*A very interesting account of this fish has recently been published by Dr. Theodore Gill, under the title, 

 "The Life History of the Angler", in Smithsonian MisceKaneous Collections, vol. 47, 1905. 



