HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 105 



GENUS III. BATRACHUS, Schneider. 



Head depressed, broader than body. Ventrals jugular, with three rays; the first 

 elongated. First dorsal small ; second low and long. Base of the pectorals elongated. 

 Branchial aperture small, with six rays. Subopercle as large as the opercle, and both 

 spinous. No suborbital. Teeth on the jaws, front of the vomer and palatines. 



Batrachus tau, Lin. 

 The Common Toad-fish. 



(Plate XIX. Fig. 1, 2, young and adult fish.) 



Gadus tau, Lin., Syst. Nat. (twelfth edition), p. 440. 



" " Bloch, II. p. 150, pi. 67, fig. 2 and 3. 



" " Toad Gadus, Shaw, Gen. ZooL, iv. p. 159. 

 Lophius bufo, Toad-Jish, Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y, i. p. 463. 

 Batrachoides variegatus, var. a. b., Lesueur, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc., in. pp. 399, 401. 

 Batrachus variegatus, Toad-Jish, Storeb, Report, p. 74. 

 Le Batrachotde tau, Batrachus tau, Cuv. et Val., xii. p. 478. 

 Batrachus tau, Common Toad-fish, Dekat, Report, p. 168, pi. 28, fig. 86. 

 " " Storer, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, n. p. 384. 



" " « Synopsis, p. 132. 



Color. Yellowish, the entire surface of the head, sides, and abdomen marbled with 

 black spots, which are confluent upon the sides, presenting the appearance of irregular 

 bands. All the fins also barred with black. The dorsal bands oblique, those of 

 pectorals and caudal concentric, five or six in number. 



Description. Shape of fish broad anteriorly, laterally compressed posteriorly; its 

 width gradually diminishing to extremity of caudal fin. Length of head one third 

 that of entire fish; its breadth equal to its length. Greatest depth equal to one 

 fourth its length. Body entirely covered by a copious viscid secretion, which flows 

 from numerous mucous pores distributed over its surface, those on the head being 

 much the largest. Head large, compressed above, rounded anteriorly. Mouth very 

 large. Lower jaw the longer. Jaws covered with strong, conical, and distinct 

 teeth, disposed in several rows in front and in a single row behind in each jaw. Teeth 

 also, but smaller and crowded, on intermaxillaries and vomer ; none on palatine bones. 

 Tongue scarcely perceptible. Lips large and fleshy. Nostrils double. Four small and 

 blunted cirrhi on chin ; on each side of these, along the margin of the lower jaw, a 

 series of five or more larger ones sometimes palmated at tips. Also a very large 

 cirrhus over each eye, preceded by a much smaller one. Eyes moderate, slightly 

 oblique, guarded by a thick, gelatinous membrane. Preoperculum armed with three 

 distinct concealed spines, the middle the smallest. Branchial aperture of same width 



