HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 225 



Description. Body elongated ; anterior portion of the body much the more promi- 

 nent ; abdomen pendulous. The entire surface of the body is perfectly smooth, 

 except the portion below the pectoral fins, posterior to the throat, and anterior to 

 the anus, which is armed with an immense number of small stellated spines. 



Several well-marked series of mucous pores are distributed over the surface, which 

 have caused it to receive its common names, in the works of ichthyologists, of line- 

 ated and mathematical. One of these commences about half an inch back of the 

 angle of the jaws; this passes backwards to the posterior extremity of the eye, being 

 a short distance beneath the eye, then ascends obliquely to a point upon the back two 

 inches above the middle of the pectoral fin, then curves downwards to the middle 

 of the side of the fish, to a point about an inch back of the dorsal fin, whence 

 it proceeds in a straight course to the caudal rays. This line from its origin also 

 passes upward and backwards, just exterior to the nostrils, and, curving high up 

 over the eyes, passes back of them and downward to meet the former line about 

 half an inch back of the eyes, thus forming a ring around them. Directly above 

 the base of the pectoral fins, a transverse line crosses from the lateral line on one 

 side to that on the other. From this transverse line, an undulating line passes to 

 the ring around the eyes. 



Its greatest depth is less than one sixth its length. Its greatest width is across 

 the base of the pectorals. 



Tu" length of the head is equal to about one quarter its entire length. The 

 eyes are oblcr^. The nostrils are situated a short distance in front of, and rather 

 above, the anterior angle of the eyes. The jaws are very strong. The lips are fleshy 

 and lax. 



The trapezoidal dorsal fin is situated upon the posterior half of the body. 



The pectoral fins are short and subquadrangular. 



The anal fin, of the same form and size of the dorsal, is directly opposite that fin. 



The caudal fin is deeply forked. 



The fin rays are as follows:— D. 13. P. 16. A. 12. C. 11. 



Length, one to two feet. 



Remarks. The only individual of this species I have seen was taken several years 

 since at Nantucket, and was described by me, from the preserved specimen, in the 

 Boston Journal of Natural History, 1843-4. 



Massachusetts, Storer. New York, Mitchill, Dekay. South Carolina, Linn. 

 Gulf of Mexico, Parra. 



