FISHES OF NEW YORK TIL 



black; pectorals and ventrals pale; sides of head somewliat 

 silvery; cavity of mouth dark bluish. 



The four-bearded rockling is found in the north Atlantic on 

 both coasts, ranging south in deep water to the Gulf Stream. 

 It is common in Massachusetts bay. This fish is also described 

 in Oceanic Ichihifology, p. 384, fig. 328. At Woods Hole Mass., 

 according to Dr Smith, it is a rare visitor, found only in winter. 

 It was once taken in a fyke net in Great harbor. In 1900, 

 according to Sherwood and Edwards, young rockling were taken 

 in the surface to wings at the tish commission wharf. Woods Hole 

 Mass. from June 27 to July H. They formed into schools in the 

 eddies, around the wharves and were mixed with young stickle- 

 backs. An example measuring 10 inches in length was speared 

 in the Eel pond Jan. 5, 1880. A second example was caught in 

 Little harbor also in the winter. 



Storer described and figured this fish under the name 



M t e 1 1 a c a u d a c u t a . It is a resident of the deep waters 



of Massachusetts bay, where it occurs in considerable abundance. 



The young swim at the surface and have often been erroneously 



identified with the mackerel midge. The species grows to the 



length of 1 foot. 



Genus brosme (Cuvier) Oken 



Body moderately elongate, covered with very small scales; 



mouth rather large, with teeth in the jaws, vomer and palatines, 



some of those on the vomer and palatines enlarged; chin with a 



barbel; branchiostegals seven; dorsal fin single, continuous, not 



elevated, not notched; anal' fin similar, but shorter; caudal fin 



rounded; ventral fin several-rayed. Northern seas. 



356 Brosme brosme iMiiller) 



Cusk 



Gadiis hvosme Muller, Prodr. Zool. Dan. 41, 1776, Denmark. 



Brosiiiiiis niUjaris/ De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 289, pi 44, fig. 143, 1842. 



Brosmius flmescens Gunthee, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. IV, 369, 1862; Storer, 



Hist. Fish. Mass. 190, pi. XXIX, fig. 2, 1867. 

 Bws'miHS brosme. Guntuek, op. cit. IV. 369, 1862; Goode & Bean, Bull. 



Essex Inst. XI, 9. 1879; Jorda>^ & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 



802, 1883; Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichth. 38.J. fig. 329, 1896; H. M, 



SiiiTH, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 107, 1898. 

 Brosme brosme Jordan & FiVEEMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. III. 2561, 



1898. 



