Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2529 



Family CCXIII. MERLTJCCIID^. 

 (THE HAKES.) 



Body moderately elongate, covered with small, smooth, deciduous scales ; 

 posterior part of body coniform and with the caudal rays procurreut 

 forward; vent submedian. Head elongate, depressed, pike-like; suborbi- 

 tal bones moderate ; mouth terminal, with strong teeth ; no barbels ; ven- 

 trals subjugular; dorsal tins 2, a short anterior and long posterior one, 

 a long anal corresponding to the second dorsal; ribs wide, approximated, 

 and channeled below or with inflected sides; frontal bones paired, exca- 

 vated, with divergent crests continuous from the forked occipital crest. 

 A single genus, with about 4 species; large cod-like fishes, of voracious 

 habit, inhabiting moderate depths, and distinguished from the Gadidce 

 mainly by the structure of the frontal bones and the ribs. (Merlucciidce, 

 Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1884, 772.) 



975. MERLUCCIUS, Rafinesque. 

 (HAKES.) 



Merluccius, RAFINESQUE, Caratteri di Alcuni Nuovi Generi, etc., 26, 1810 (merluccius). 

 Onus, RAFINESQUE, Indice d'lttiol. Sicil., 12, 1810 (riali = merluccius); substitute for Mer- 

 luccius. 



Herlangus, RAFINESQUE, Indice d'lttiol. Sicil., 30, 1810 (riali) ; substitute for Onut. 

 Merlus, GUICHENOT, in Gay, Hist. Nat. Chili, Zool., n, 328, 1847 (gayi). 

 Stomodon, MITCHILL, Rept. Fish. N. Y. 1814. 7 (bilinearis). 

 Homalopomus, GIRA.RD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila, 1856,132 (trowbridgei) . 

 Epicopus, GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., II, 248, 1860 (gayi). 



Body elongate, covered with small, deciduous scales. Head slender, 

 conical, the snout long, depressed; a well-defined, oblong, triangular 

 excavation at the forehead, bounded by the ridges on the separated frontal 

 bones, these ridges converging backward into the low occipital crest; eye 

 rather large; edge of preopercle free; preopercle with a channel behind 

 its crest, crossed by short radiating ridges ; mouth large, oblique ; maxil- 

 lary extending to opposite the eye; lower jaw longer; no barbels; 

 jaws with slender teeth, of various sizes, in about 2 series, those of the 

 inner row longer and movable ; vomer with similar teeth ; palatines tooth- 

 lass. Branchiostegals 7. Gill rakers long; gill membranes not united. 

 Dorsal fins 2, well separated, the first short, the second long, with a deep 

 emargination ; anal emarginate, similar to second dorsal ; ventral fins 

 well developed, with about 7 rays ; vertebra peculiarly modified, the neu- 

 ral spines well developed and wedged into one another; frontal bone 

 double and the skull otherwise peculiar in several respects. Species sev- 

 eral, very similar in appearance; ill-favored fishes of soft flesh and fragile 

 fins, inhabiting water of some depth. Large voracious fishes, little valued 

 as food. (Merluccius, the ancient name, meaning sea pike.) 



a. Scales moderate, about 110 in lateral line; teeth very strong. D. 10-36; A. 36. 



MERLUCCIUS, 2899. 



aa. Scales small, 135 to 150 in lateral line ; teeth moderate. D. 11 to 13-41 ; A. 41. 



b. Ventrals long, about If in head. BILINEARIS, 2900. 



bb. Ventrals short, about 2 in head. PRODUCTUS, 2901. 



