700 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Melanogmmmus aeglcfinus GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 280, 1862; GOODE 

 & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 8, 1879; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, 

 U. S. Nat. Mus. 803, 1883; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichth. 354, 1896; 

 BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 372, 1897; JORDAN & EVERMANN, 

 Bull. 47, U. S. Nat Mus. Ill, 2542, 1898; IV, pi. OCCLXI, fig. 892, 892a, 

 1900. 



The length of the body is four and one half times its depth 

 and three and three fourths times the length of the head. Snout 

 long and narrow, overlapping the small mouth; maxillary barely 

 reaching front of orbit; teeth subequal, large, in a cardiform 

 band in upper jaw; in a single series on lower jaw and on 

 vomer; occiput carinated; a ridge extending backward from each 

 orbit; eye very large, two thirds length of snout, four in head. 

 Anterior rays of first dorsal elevated, three fourths length of 

 head, the fin pointed, higher than second and third dorsals; 

 caudal lunate; vent below front of second dorsaL The skull in 

 this species much more depressed than inGadus c a 1 1 a r i a s, 

 broader, and thinner in texture; occipital crest exceedingly high, 

 much higher than in G a d u s , the winglike projections at its 

 base anteriorly spreading widely, raised above the surface of the 

 skull. D. 15-24-21; A. 23-21. 



Dark gray above, whitish below; lateral line black; a large 

 dark blotch above the pectorals; dorsals and caudal dusky. 



Mitchill described the haddock under the name G a d u s 

 aeglefinus. De Kay also describes the fish and gives a 

 figure of it in his New York Fauna. He states that it is nearly as 

 common in the New York markets as the cod, and during the 

 summer it is even more abundant than the cod. 



The haddock inhabits the north Atlantic on both coasts, rang- 

 ing south to France and to North Carolina. Off Cape Hatteras 

 it occurs in the deeper water. It is an important food fish, 

 and reaches a moderately large size, attaining to a length of 

 nearly 3 feet. 



At Woods Hole Mass, it was reported by Prof. Baird in 1871. 

 Dr Smith, however, says it is not found in Vineyard sound or 

 Buzzards bay, but is common 6 or 7 miles off Gay head, and the 

 ocean side of Marthas Vineyard. In Massachusetts bay it is 

 a common resident species. 



