LAWYER. 995 



Genus 86. LOTA. Cnvier. 



Lota, CuviER, Begne Animal, ii, 1817. 

 Type, Gadus lota, L.: Lota maculosa, var. vulgaris. Bean. 

 Etymology, Latin, Uta, the ancient name of the Burbot. 



Body long and low, depressed anteriorly, subterete medially, strongly compressed 

 behind ; head large, broad and flattened above, the interorbital space wide and flattened ; 

 eyes moderate, lateral, anterior; head above and behind eyes scaly; anterior nostrils 

 each with a small barbel ; middle of lower jaw with a long one; month large, some- 

 what oblique,. the upper jaw ihe longer; premaxillaries and lower jaw each with a 

 band of slender, recurved, f qual, cardiform teeth; vomer with a broad band of similar 

 teeth, which extends backwards laterally; no canine teeth; palatines toothless; gill- 

 membranes somewhat connected, free from the isthmus ; branchiostegals 7 or 8 ; gill- 

 rakers very short, dentate; scales very sinall, cycloid, imbedded in the skin; lateral 

 line present ; vertical fins scaly ; dorsal fins two, separate, the first short, of 10 to 13 

 well developed rays; second dorsal very long, similar to anal; caudal fin distinct, 

 rounded; ventral s slender, long, of about six rays; pectorals moderate, broad, A sin- 

 gle species known, found in the fresh waters of Europe and North America. 



163. LoTA MACULOSA (LeSueur) Richardson. 



liawyer; Ling; Burbot; AlcUy Trout; Mother of Eels; Cusk ; 



Eel-pout. 



Var. maculosa (American variety). 



Gadus maculosa, LeSueur, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., i, 1817, 83. , 



Molva maculosa, LeSubk, Mem. du Mus., 1819, 159. 



Lota maculosa, Richardson, Fauna Bor.-Amer., 1836, 248.— Kirtland, Bost. Journ. Nat. 



Hist., iv, 1843, 24,— DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 1842, 284.— Bean, Science 



News, 1878, 42, and of most American writere. 

 Gadus compressus, LeSueur, Journ, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila,, i, 1817, 84. 

 Lota compressus, Storbr, Synopsis, 1846, 471. 



Gadus lacustris, Mitchill, Amer. Month, Mag,, ii, 1817, 244 (not of Walbaum). 

 Molva huntia, LeSijbur, Mem. du Mus., v, 1819, 161. 

 Gadus lota, Richardson, Franklin's Journal, 1824, 74. 

 Lota irosmiana, Storer, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist, iv, 1839, 58. 

 Ijota inornata, DkKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 1842, 283. 

 Lota lacustris, Gill, Canadian Naturalist, 1865,— Jordan, Man, Vert., Ist Ed., and of 



several late writers (based on Gadus lacustris, Walbaum ; a worthless description of 



some fish, more likely an Amiurus). 



Description— Color dark-olive above, usually thickly marbled with blackish, some- 

 times nearly plain brownish; belly yellowish or dusky; upper jaw longest; head 

 broad, depressed ; D, XIII, 76 ; A. 63 ; V. 6 or 7. Length 1 to 2 feet. 



Habitat, Great Lake Region, and northward to Arctic Sea, Connecticut River, Hudson 

 River, lakes of New York, Maine, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Upper Mississippi, 

 Missouri, etc, ; occasional in Ohio River. 



