Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1971 



MYOXOCEPHALUS : 

 aa. Top of head covered with small warty prominences. 



g. Supraocular spine with 2 or 3 diverging digitate ridges behind it; skin of top 

 of head thin, not concealing the bony occipital ridges : lateral line contin- 

 uous; upper preopercular spine long; no stellate plates on sides below 

 lateral line; nasal spines sharp; no cirri on head. 



f>. Distance from supraorbital to occipital tubercle about equal to space 



between supraorbital tubercles; anal rays usually 12; membrane of 



maxillary more or less mot tied. POLYACANTHOCEPHALUS, 2351. 



hh. Distance from supraorhital to occipital tubercle 1 times the distance 



between supraorbital tubercles; head very long and flat; dorsals 



well separated ; anal rays usually 14 ; adult with round rough plates 



above; throat white; membrane of maxillary unspotted. 



JAOK. 2352. 

 gg. Supraocular spine without digitate spines behind it; preopercular spines 



short. 

 i. Warts on top of head not ending in cirri ; nasal spines and occipital ridges 



not wholly concealed in the thick skin. 

 j. Skin of sides of back in adult covered with round stellate tubercles; 



spines of preopercle short, more or less hidden in the skin. 

 k. Supraocular spine blunt, with a blunt tubercle behind it, the 

 cirri small or obsolete ; crests moderate ; soft dorsal very 

 long, of 15 to 19 rays. VERRUCOSUS, 2353. 



kk. Supraocular spine small, blunt, without tubercle behind it; 

 Supraocular and occipital spines each with a small flat cir- 

 rus; occipital crests very low; soft dorsal of 15 or 16 rays. 



AXILLARIS, 2354. 



jj. Skin of back and sides perfectly smooth (except in very old indi- 

 viduals which may have hidden rough plates below the lateral 

 line). 



I. Occipital crests very low, almost concealed by the thick warty 



skin; body robust, the depth 4 in length; membrane of 

 upper jaw with sharply defined black spots; throat always 

 spotted ; suprascapular spine sharp ; humeral spine obscure. 

 m. A pale bar at base of caudal and 1 behind anal. 



STELLERI, 2355. 



mm. No pale bar at base of caudal and none behind anal. 



MEDNIUS, 2356. 



II. Occipital crests strong, the space between them concave, the 



skin thin and with rather few warts; body rather slender, 

 the depth 4J in length. 



n. Sides with round white spots. NIVOSUS, 2357. 



ii. Warts on top of head numerous, each ending in a small cirrus; occipital 

 crests obsolete, hidden in the thick skin ; nasal spines also hidden in 

 the thick skin ; preopercular spines small, almost concealed, the sec- 

 ond tubercle-like; spines on shoulder girdle obsolete; head broad, 

 mouth large; skin entirely smooth, color very dark. NIGER, 2358. 



Subgenus ACANTHOCOTTUS, Girard. 

 2345. MYOXOCEPHALUS BUBALIS (Euphrasen). 



(FATHER-LASHER: LUCKY PROACH.) 



Head2f; depth 3f. D. VIII, 12; A. 9; vertebra? 12+17. Head broad, 

 depressed, covered with soft skiri, in which are many mucous pores; max- 

 illary reaching past middle of orbit; upper preopercular spine straight, 



