FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 71 



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

 Goose Fish. Wide Gab. 



Pennant's British Zoology, vol. iii. ]05, 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. 



Mc 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. 2U ; 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 difierent 

 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 rounded at the edge, wide at the base ; branchial 

 pouches in part supported by the six branchiostegous rays. 



