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FISHES OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 



BUTTERFISH 



sionally common in summer, the Butterfish abundant, occurring in 

 summer and especially in fall when it may be found swimming along 

 sandy beaches in the surf, frequently partially stranded by a breaking 

 wave. It sometimes may be captured by following the receding breakers 

 and scooping it from the sand with a crab net before the next wave en- 

 ables it to make its escape. This fish attains an average size of seven to 

 eight inches, and is taken in very large numbers by net and trap fisher- 

 men. 



XII. THE BLACKFISH, ANGELFISH, "BLOWFISH" AND OTHERS 

 (Perciformes to Plectognathi) 



In this chapter we start with fishes of somewhat perch-like form and 

 end with a very un-perch-like series, through round, sluggish fishes to 

 the great grotesque Mola or Headfish, one of the strangest forms of sea 

 life. 



The Bergall is a small, perch-like, marine fish with a special liking 

 for rocky shores, and although its range extends southward as far as 

 New York, it is probably for this reason not as common here as on the 

 coast of New England. Its mouth is rather small and its anterior teeth 

 peculiar and canine-like. This will serve to identify it taken in connec- 

 tion with the numerous (about eighteen) spines in the back fin, which 

 are about equally high with the short connected soft-rayed fin which 

 follows them. The tail is rounded, the pectoral fins rather broad and 



