FAMILY GADWM. — LOTA. 285 



Length, 18-0. 



Fin rays, D. 10 or 12, 70 or 74 ; P. 16 ; V. 6 ; A. 70 ; C. 45 to 50. 



This fish was first described by Lesueur, from Lake Erie. It is very voracious, feeding 

 on crayfish and the smaller fish. It is a poor article of food ; even the dogs in the arctic 

 regions refusing to touch it. The liver and roe are, however, considered great delicacies. 

 It is known under the various local names of La Loche, Alethi/, Dog-fish and Eel-pout. Ac- 

 cording to Richardson, it is common in every river and lake from the great lakes to the frozen 

 ocean. It occurs in several of the small lakes in the western district of this State. 



THE COMPRESSED BURBOT. 



Lota cOMPREssi. 



PLATE LSXVni. FIGS. 244 and 245. 



Gadus compressus. Lesueur, Joum. Acad. Nat. Sc. Vol. 1, p. 84. 

 Lota compressa, The Eel-poul, Storer, Massachusetts Report, p. 134. 



Characteristics. Body much compressed. Yellowish brown varied with darker spots ; a row 

 of dusky spots along the base of the second dorsal. Dorsal, anal and 

 caudal connected. Length si.x to eight inches. 



Description. Body much compressed, commencing at the tip of the pectorals, and becom- 

 ing more so until the caudal fin appears like a membranous continuation of the body. Surface 

 covered with minute scales, resembhng cup-shaped depressions. Lateral line obvious, straight. 

 Head compressed. Nostrils double. A minute barbel on the hinder margin of the anterior 

 nostril. A single barbel, 0'25 in length, attached to the chin. Upper jaw longest; both 

 armed with acute and minute teeth. The first dorsal placed the length of the head behind it ; 

 the second, arising • 25 behind it, is continued to the tail. Pectorals • 75 long. Ventrals 

 small and pointed. Anal equal in length to the second dorsal. Caudal rounded. 



Color. Yellowish brown varied with darker brown spots. Gill-covers and snout blackish 

 brown. Abdomen whitish. The first dorsal lighter than the body, and varied with black. A 

 row of dark colored spots along the base of the second dorsal, and its edges margined with 

 black. The anal and caudal are marked in a similar manner. 



Length, 6-0 -8-0. 



The only two specimens described, are from the Connecticut river and its tributaries. I 

 know it only through the descriptions of Lesueur and Storer. Cuvier, in 1838, had desig- 

 nated a group of the Gadidae under the name of Molva (afterwards suppressed), and it was 

 probably this circumstance which induced Lesueur to mark his plate Molva huntia. Brotula 

 has the dorsal, anal and caudal continuous, but the tail is pointed. Its history and description 

 is yet incomplete. 



