﻿HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 355 



MORRHUA iEGLEFIKUS, Lin. 



The Haddock, Cuv. 

 (Plate XXVIII. Fig. 1.) 



Gadus (xglefinus, Lix., Syst. Nat. (I2th edit.), p. 435. 

 " " Haddock, Bloch, ii. p. 125, pi. 62. 



" '' " Su.iw, Gen. Zoul, IV. p. 136. 



'■ •■ Pennant, Brit. Zoiil,, iii. p. 241. 



" " Jenyns, Brit. Vert., p. 441. 



" " Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 570. 



Jlonhua agle/inus, Haddock, Griffith's Ccv., s. p. 484. 



" " " Yarrell, Brit. Fish., 1st edit., ii. p. 153, fig. ; 2d edit., n. p. 233, tig. 



" " " Stoker, Report, p. 124. 



" " " Dekat, Report, p. 279, pi. 43, fig. 138. 



" " " Storer, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, ii. p. 467. 



" " " " Synopsis, p. 215. 



Color. This species is of a dark-gray color above the lateral line, and of a beautiful 

 silvery-gray beneath it, Avith a large circular or oblong blotch on each side, on a line 

 with the middle of the pectorals, and just above them, which at its upper portion gen- 

 erally extends above the lateral line, its larger part being beneath that line. The gill- 

 covers are much lighter-colored than the top of the head and snout, with a purplish 

 tinge after death. The dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins are bluish ; the anal fins are 

 of the color of the abdomen ; the ventrals are rather lighter than the anal. The lat- 

 eral line of a jet-black color. Pupils black, irides bluish. 



Description. Stout in front of the first anal fin, gradually diminishing in size posterior 

 to this. Length of the head less than one fourth the length of the body ; depth of the 

 body across from the anus less than the length of the head. Neck convex ; top of the 

 head between the eyes flattened ; snout prominent. The upper jaw projects beyond 

 the lower, and has several rows of sharp, pointed teeth ; a single row of teeth are ob- 

 served in the lower. A very minute barbule is suspended from the chin. The posterior 

 nostril is much larger than the anterior. The eyes are cu'cular ; the diameter of the 

 eye is rather more than one sixth the length of the head ; the distance between the 

 eyes is equal to about one fourth the length of the head. 



The lateral line commences just above the posterior angle of the operculum, and 

 assumes the curve of the body until on a line with about the middle of the second 

 dorsal fin, when it takes a straight course, and terminates at the base of the caudal 

 rays. 



All the fin rays are enveloped by a thick fleshy membrane. 



