Jordan and Evermann . Fishes of North A met ica . 2539 



side of a depressed sphenoidal groove, and has an ovate cardiform shape; 

 the paraoccipital or epiotic is not produced into an angle behind, but is 

 obtusely rounded, and its posterior or outwardly descending ridge blunt; 

 the opisthotic is well developed, oblong, and with its reenteriug angle 

 high up, and, on a line with it, the surface is divided into 2 parts a 

 narrow and a flattened one, and a lower expanded one, much swollen; the 

 alisphenoid or prootic is oblong, acutely emarginate in front, swollen from 

 the region of the high anterior sinus, and above a little produced forward; 

 the great frontal is a little longer than broad, with supraoccipital crest 

 continued forward on the bone, and near the front expanded upward, and 

 with the expanded portion behind dividing into narrow lateral wings ; the 

 lateral testiform ridges of the frontal are continued forward and curved 

 outward toward the antero-lateral angles; the anterior frontals are mostly 

 covered in front by the great frontal, and are much developed in the direc- 

 tion of the antero-lateral angles, the inferior expanded axillary portion 

 being very narrow ; the nasal has a rounded ridge in front, continued well 

 below, and its posterior crest is laminar and trenchant. 



Species American; valued as food, (juixpos, small; ya8o$, Gadus.} 



a. Second anal with 21 or 22 rays; snout rather long; body semitranslucent ; first anal 



and ventrals pale ; body scarcely blotched with blackish. PEOXIMUS, 2907. 



aa. Second anal with 16 to 20 rays ; snout shorter ; body opaque ; first anal and ventrals 



dusky ; body blotched above with blackish. TOMCOD, 2908. 



2907. MICROGADUS PROXIMUS (Girard). 



(CALIFORNIA TOMCOD.) 



HeadSMnbody; depth 5. D. 14-18-18 to 21; A. 21 or 22-21 or 22; V.6-7; 

 eye 5 in head ; maxillary 2| ; pectoral 2 ; highest dorsal spine 2 ; middle cau- 

 dal rays equal to snout. Head long, convex above, somewhat compressed, 

 with vertical sides ; eye moderate ; mouth rather large ; maxillary reaching 

 to below pupil; barbel small; teeth in each jaw in a band, the outer row 

 a little enlarged. Gill membranes a little connected, free from the isth- 

 mus. First dorsal highest, somewhat falcate ; first anal longer and higher 

 than second; pectorals moderate, reaching anal; ventrals filamentous, 

 scarcely reaching anal ; caudal slightly emarginate or subtruncate when 

 fin is spread. Lateral line very distinct, wavy, high anteriorly, slightly 

 interrupted posteriorly. Vent below first dorsal. Color olivaceous above, 

 pale, or slightly translucent white below ; dorsal fins dusky, paler at base; 

 first anal and ventrals uncolored; second anal dusted with dark points. 

 Monterey to Unalaska ; abundant ; a food-fish of considerable importance, 

 the flesh delicate but without much flavor. Here described from a speci- 

 men, 8 inches in length, from Alaska, Albatross Station 3213. It reaches 

 the length of about a foot, (proximus, near, to Microgadus tomcod.) 



Gadus proximus, GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 141, San Francisco; GIEARD, TJ. S. 



Pac. R. R. Surv., x, Fishes, 142, 1858; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 805, 1883. 

 Morrhua, calif ornica, AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sci. 1854, 9, San Francisco. 

 Gadus californicus, GUNTHER, Cat., iv, 332, 1862. 

 Microgadus proximus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1865, 69. 



