712 NEiVV YORK STATE MUSEUM 



'Body cylindric, poisteriorly compressed, its depth contained 

 five and one fourth times in total length without caudal; head 

 flattened above, its length contained four and one fourth times 

 in total; mouth large, oblique, maxillary reaching beyond orbit; 

 lower jaw included; several rows of sharp teeth on jaws, vomer 

 and palate; barbel about one fifth as long as the head; inter- 

 orbital width greater than diameter of eye; origin of dorsal 

 above anterior half of pectoral; pectoral round, two fifths as long 

 as head; caudal rounded behind. D. 98; A. 71; P. 24; V. 5. 



Color brownish above, the sides yellowish, sometimes mottled 

 with brown; young uniform dark slate, or with transverse yellow 

 bands; vertical fins bordered with blackish, and with a white 

 edge. 



The cusk is described and figured by De Kay, but he did not 



see the fish and copied his information from Storer and others. 



Storer mentions a specimen weighing 20 pounds, but the fish 



grows even larger. It inhabits the North Atlantic, ranging" 



southward to New Jersey and Denmark. It is an important food 



fish. According to Dr Smith, it was formerly not uncommon in 



Vineyard sound, and was caught with cod in April and May. It 



has been very rare for more than 20 years, though a few are 



still taken in April. The average weight of individuals in those 



waters is 5 pounds, and the maximum weight from 12 to 13 



pounds. It is known also as ling. In Massachusetts bay and 



vicinity the cusk is a common resident on the inshore fishing 



grounds, where it occurs in great abundance, lurking among the 



stones, but it is soon caught up by the fishermen after the dis- 



covery of a new bank. 



Family ^^aci^xjfiit:)j^e. 



Grenadiers 

 Genus coelorhynchus Giorna 



This genus agrees with M a c r u r u s in all essential 

 respects, except that the small mouth is wholly below the long- 

 pointed, sturgeonlike snout. Dorsal spine smooth in typical 

 species, those with serrate spine having been lately sepa- 

 rated under the generic name Coelocephalus. Species 

 numerous. 



