Jordan arid Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2741 



turns upward, and, seen from above, it is hardly long enough to cover the 

 tentacular niche. Evidently this type belongs to the shallower waters. 

 The localities noted carry its distribution from the Bahamas to the 

 Yucatan Banks, in depths of 40 fathoms and less." (Garman.) (aculeatus, 

 with needle-like spines. ) 



Lophius aculeatus, MITCHILL, Amer. Hon. Mag., n, 1818, 325, Straits of Bahama. 

 Halieutichthys reticulatus (PoEY MS.) GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863, 91, Cuba 



(Coll. Prof. Felipe Poey) ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 851, 1883. 

 Halieutichthys aculeatus, GOODE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 109 ; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic 



Ichthyology, 504, pi. 122, fig. 414a and b, 1896; GARMAN, Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist. Iowa 



Univ. 1896, 87, pi. 4, fig. 1. 



3124. HALIEUTICHTHYS CARIBBJEUS, Garman. 



D. 1-5; A. 4; V. 5; P. 17; C. 9. Color darker than H. aculeatus; the 

 reticulations are not present ; the outer half of the pectoral, except at the 

 margin, is black j and, excepting the narrow posterior margin, the hinder 

 fifth of the caudal fin is black ; the upper surface is clouded brownish 

 without traces of the network pattern common to H. aculeatus. On the 

 specimens described, the rostrum is acute, and the spine extends forward 

 to cover the cavity receiving the tentacle so that it is not visible when 

 viewed from above. West Indies. As now known, this species ranges 

 from Jamaica to Barbados in depths of 70 to 150 fathoms or more. 

 (Garman.) (caribbceus, from the Caribbean Sea.) 



Halieutichthys caribbceus, GARMAN, Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist. Iowa Univ. 1896, 87, pi. 4, fig. 2, 

 Jamaica to Barbados. 



1075. HALIEUT^A, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 

 Halieutcea, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xn,455, 1837 (stellatuf). 



Head very large, broad, depressed, its outline nearly circular ; cleft of 

 the mouth wide, horizontal; jaws with small cardiforin teeth; no teeth on 

 voiner or palatines. Skin everywhere covered with small, stellate spines. 

 Forehead with a transverse bony ridge, beneath which is a tentacle, 

 retractile into a cavity, the only rudiment of the spinous dorsal fin; soft 

 dorsal and anal very short, far back. Gills 2-J-, the anterior gill arch with- 

 out lamina?. Branchiostegals 5 ; vertebrae 17. Pacific Ocean. (aXievrrfS, 

 one who fishes.) 



3125. HALIEUT^A SPONGIOSA, Gilbert. 



D. 6; A. 4; C. 9; V. 4; P. 12 or 13. This species is remarkable for the 

 soft, spongy texture of the body, and the membranaceous or cartilaginous 

 character of its bones. Width of head 1 in its length ; tail long and slen- 

 der, the vent midway between base of caudal and articulation of mandible ; 

 width of base of tail 4 in its length; mouth little or not at all overpassed 

 by the snout, its width 2f to 3 in that of head, lower jaw usually not 

 included; gape of mouth oblique, almost wholly anterior. Teeth in wide 

 cardiform bands in the jaws, none of them enlarged; palate toothless. 

 Interorbital width slightly greater than length of snout, 5 in width of 



