8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. Ill 



Family GADIDAE: Codfishes 



Body generally quite elongate, tapering toward the tail; mouth 

 large, terminal or more usually inferior; chin with a barbel; gill 

 openings wide ; gill membranes separate or somewhat united, generally 

 free from the isthmus ; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth ; vent generally 

 more or less median in position ; air bladder rarely missing in adults ; 

 scales small, cycloid ; fins without spines ; dorsal fin generally occupy- 

 ing nearly the full length of back, single or divided into 2 or 3 

 sections ; caudal fin separate or united with the dorsal and anal ; anal 

 fin long, single or divided into 2 parts; ventral fins jugular, each 

 consisting of i to 8 rays. 



This is a large family, which includes many important food fishes. 

 In tropical regions it is represented by species inhabiting deep water. 



Genus PHYSICULUS Kaup, 1858 



Body elongate, robust anteriorly, tapering sharply posteriorly ; head 

 large, generally more or less depressed ; mouth broad, more or less 

 inferior ; snout broad ; chin with a short barbel ; teeth in jaws in 

 villif orm bands, none on vomer or palatines ; scales small, extending 

 forward on snout and on chin ; dorsal fins 2, the first one small ; 

 caudal fin round, free from dorsal and anal ; anal fin single ; ventral 

 with 5 to 7 rays, the outer ones more or less filamentous. 



About seven species are known from off the American coasts, 

 generally living in rather deep water. 



PHYSICULUS TALARAE, new species 

 Figure 3 



Head 3.85 ; depth 4.6 ; D. 10-60 ; A. 63 ; P. 26 and 27 ; scales partly 

 lost, about no. 



Body robust anteriorly, tapering sharply and becoming rather 

 strongly compressed posteriorly, its depth at base of pectorals scarcely 

 an eye's diameter greater that its width at the same place; caudal 

 peduncle very slender, strongly compressed, its depth 11. 5 in head; 

 head rather large, a little broader than deep at margin of preopercle, 

 its depth at this point 5.5 in standard length; snout low and broad, 

 4.1 in head; eye moderate, 4.4; interorbital flat, 4.75; mouth rather 

 large, its gape about as broad as long; lower jaw definitely shorter 

 than the upper one, included ; maxillary almost reaching vertical from 

 posterior margin of eye, 1.9 in head ; teeth in jaws in villif orm bands, 



