FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 71 



L. piscatorius. Lin. The Angler. Frog Fish. Sea Devil. 

 Goose Fish. Wide Gab. 



Pennant's British Zoology, vol. iii. 105, et fig. 



Shaw's Zool. vol. ii. 379, et fig. 



Strack's Plates, x. 1. 



Trans. Lit. et Philosoph. Soc. N. Y. vol. i. 464. 



Me Murtrie's Cuv. vol.ii. 184. 



Yarrell's British Fishes, i. 269, et fig. 



Specimens of this species are yearly taken in Massachusetts 

 Bay by our cod fishers ; with whom, it is generally known as 

 the " Goose fish" although sometimes incorrectly called the 

 "Monk fish." 



A perfect specimen of this loathsome looking fish was 

 brought me by my old friend, Capt. Nathaniel Blanchard, 

 which he captured September 6th, 1837, in Boston Bay. It 

 measured forty-four inches in length, and thirty-five in 

 breadth, with the gape of the mouth nine inches in extent. 

 As, at that time, I did not think of minutely describing 

 each of our species, I was satisfied to compare it with several 

 descriptions, with which I found a perfect correspondence. 

 Since then, I have been unable to procure another specimen 

 for description, and therefore copy Yarrell's account, which is 

 concise and very clear. 



'The number of fin rays is D. 111-12 ; P. 20; Y. 5 ; A. 

 8 ; C. 8. 



The head is wide, depressed ; the mouth nearly as wide as 

 the head ; lower jaw the longer, bearded or fringed all round 

 the edge ; both jaws armed with numerous teeth of different 

 length, conical, sharp, and curving inwards ; teeth also on the 

 palatine bones and tongue ; three elongated, unconnected fila- 

 ments on the upper part of the head ; two near the upper lip, 

 one at the* nape, all three situated in a depression on the mid- 

 dle line ; eyes large, irides brown, pupils black ; pectoral fins 

 broad and founded at the edge, wide at the base ; branchial 

 pouches in part supported by the six branchiostegous rays. 



