Jordan and Evermann . Fishes of North A ni erica . 1979 



Coitus humilis, BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., iv, 1881, 149, Chamisso Island, Bering 

 Straits (Coll. T. H. Bean); D. X, 16; A. 13; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 705, 1883. 



Coitus polyacanthocephalus, KNER, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, LVIII, 18G8, 21, taf. 4, tig. 11, 

 Decastris Bay ; not of PALLAS. 



Coitus tceniopterus, BEAN & BEAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1896, 384; not of KNER. 



2353. MYOXOCEPHALUS VEURUCOSUS (Bean). 



D. X or XI, 15 to 19; A. 12 to 17 (usually D. X, 16; A. 13). Top of head 

 strongly veiTiicose, the preopercular spine short; supraorbital and occip- 

 ital filaments present. The adults have spiuous plates along the sides, 

 extremely high vertical fins, and very large supraorbital and occipital 

 tubercles, from the summits of which the tubercles arise. Spinous plates 

 above the lateral line similar to those found in M.jook, the anterior ones at 

 least being circular with a depressed center, and having the margin pro- 

 .vided with a series of short, strong spines, sometimes interrupted for a 

 short distance anteriorly. Under the soft dorsal and on the caudal pedun- 

 cle the plates are smaller and less regular, being often reduced to very 

 small plates bearing 2 or 3 prickles directed backward from the margin. 

 Below the lateral line are plates similar to those above, but fewer. The 

 cephalic tubercles are undeveloped in the young, but become very conspic- 

 uous in half-grown and adults. One above posterior margin of orbit and 

 1 at hinder edge of occiput are the largest and bear short filaments. These 

 rise very abruptly without evident connection with ridges. Behind the 

 supraorbital tubercle is a smaller one, sometimes accompanied by 1 or 2 still 

 smaller elevations, recalling in their arrangement the digitate postocular 

 ridges of M.jaok and M. polyacanthocepkalut. A smaller tubercle is pres- 

 ent also immediately in advance of the principal occipital one. Lower 

 jaw included. Preopercular spine short, the upper one not exceeding, 

 sometimes much less than, longitudinal diameter of orbit. A well-devel- 

 oped pore behind last gill. Dorsals very high, without appreciable inter- 

 space, the longest spine sometimes equaling length of snout and eye, 2 in 

 head, equaling the longest rays of soft dorsal. The largest specimen seen 

 by us is nearly uniform in the coloration of the upper parts, showing but 

 faint traces of the dark bars usually found in this group. In all other 

 specimens these are distinctly marked, though more irregular and less 

 sharply defined than in M. sdlaris and M. polyacantliocephahis. As usual, 

 there is a broad bar under spinous dorsal, 2 narrower ones under soft dor- 



U8 from Tetropanlski and from Stations 3646 and 3648, off Kobben Island, in 18 and 20 

 fat horns. All of these have the supraocular and occipital crests higher and sharper than 

 in those from the eastern portion of Bering Sea, and the preopercular spines are longer, 

 usually reaching in young examples to or beyond opercular margin. These are, however, 

 characters subject to much variation within this group, in which it will always be unsafe 

 to recognize subspecies, unless based on very extensive collections. Our 21 specimens 

 show the following tin formula : 



