76 Catalogue of the Fishes of Connecticut.* 



# L48. Al u teres cuspicauda, Mitchill, Long-tailed Filefish, Long 

 Island Sound ? 



Family Ostracionidce. 



■ 



# 149. OstracionYalei, Storer, Yale's Trunkfish, Massachusetts. 



Sub-Class II. Cartilaginous Fishes. 



Order I. Eleutheropomi. 

 Family Sturionidce. 



*150. Acipenser oxyrhincus, Mitchill, Sharp-nosed Sturgeon, 

 common, 



*151. Acipenser , ? Long Island Sound. 



Order II. Plagiostomi. 

 Family Squalidce. 



152. Carcharias vulpes, Cuv., Thresher, or Fox Shark, Ston- 

 ington ? 



*153. Carcharias obscurus, Le Sueur, Dusky Shark, Stratford. 

 154. Carcharias griseus, Ayres, Brook Haven, Long Island, 

 opposite Stratford. 



155. Lamna punctata, Mitchill, Oyster River and Stratford. 





•148. The long-tailed file-fish being found very common at New York, and isalso 

 obtained in Massachusetts, can hardly fail of being numbered among the fishes of 

 Long Island Sound, although I have not had the pleasure of thus obtaining it. 



*149. The trunk-fish obtained by Dr. Yale, at Martha's Vineyard, will probably 

 be found in our waters. I have a fine specimen of the Ostracion cornutus of Jar- 

 dine ; said to have been taken in the Atlantic, by the sailor of whom I procured it. 

 Length 6£ inches, width 2£, has two horns over the eyes 4 tenths of an inch long, 

 anal spine 3 tenths. Sailors gave it the name of sea rat, on account of its imagined 

 likeness to the common rat. Whether this is the species noticed by Pennant, on 

 the coast of New England, I have not the means to determine. Jardine gives itt 

 habitat the south of France. My impression is, the sailor said he caught it when 

 coming on to our coast, but of the fact I am not sure. 



*150. This species of sturgeon is taken in great numbers by our fishermen, who 

 make Ha profitable occupation, to harpoon them and the drum-fish, which are not 

 unfrequently found together. At the mouth of the Housatonic they are often ta- 

 ken very large, are soon cut up, and sold under the popular name of " Albany 

 beef" as well as sturgeon. 



M51. Our fishermen are sure we have two kinds of sturgeon here, and that one 

 has a much sharper nose than the other. Not remembering to have seen it, I can- 

 not determine upon the species. Dr. Dekay mentions the brevirostris, as found in 

 the Hudson, and this may be the species alluded to as taken here. 



"153. I have seen several specimens of the dusky shark and sent the skin of a 

 male specimen to Dr. Storer, taken in this town in a seine for white-fish, in Oct., 

 1841 ; length 3 feet 11 inches. LeSueur's description of this fish is very imperfect. 



