FISHES. 259 



at low tide among the rock-pools of Eastport, Maine." The fishermen, therefore, have 

 to be very cautious in handling them, and take care to knock them on the head, and 

 disable them, before leaving them in their boats or releasing them. 



Withal, the wolf-fish has redeeming qualities — at least in death. Some consider 

 it a "very delicate " and even "delicious" fish, but there is quite a general prejudice, 

 on account of its repulsive appearance. "When " properly dressed, and disguised by 

 the head being cut off, it is considered equal to many of the marine fishes," is the 

 more qualified praise of another who has tried it. 



But it is not alone as a food fish that the wolf-fish is useful to man. " The skin 

 is converted into very durable bags and pockets." 



A distant relation of the wolf-fish — AnarrMchthys ocellatus — but more elongate, 

 and with the dorsal and anal confluent with the caudal, lives along the Pacific coast of 

 America, from Puget Sound to Monterey. " It reaches a length of eight feet, and a 

 weight of about thirty pounds," but the average is " five to six feet." It is chiefly 

 called eel, or wolf-eel. " As a food fish, it meets always with a ready sale." 



Numerous other fishes are related to those we have just noticed, and belong to 

 families named Pat^cid^, Nemophididje, ChjenopsidjE, Cebedichthyid^, Stich^i- 

 D^, XiPHiDioNTiD^, Cktptacanthodid^s!, AcANTHOCLiinD^, and GadopsidjE, but 

 these we must pass. It is possible that to this series also belongs a very curious 

 North Pacific fish, called Ptilichthys goodei by Dr. Bean, and referred by him to 

 the family Mastacembelidse, which properly only embraces East Indian fresh-water 

 fishes. It is certain that Ptilichthys does not belong with or near them, and (if 

 we can trust the description) that it is the representative of a peculiar family (Ptil- 

 icHTHYiD^), but we must await its re-examination by a skilful morphologist, to learn 

 what it really is. 



The Acanthopterygians would cease with the types last considered ; but there are 

 several families which have been referred to the " order Anacanthini " that are closely 

 related to the Blennioidea, and doubtless have a parentage in common with them. 



The ZoARCBiD^, or Lycodid^, have some resemblance to the wolf-fishes. They 

 are more or less elongated, with the tail tapering to the end, the head with a decurved 

 profile, conic teeth, and the dorsal and anal with soft rays (except some at an inter- 

 rupted interval in the dorsal behind) and confluent with the caudal ; the ventrals are 

 jugular and imperfect, or (rarely) altogether absent. The species are quite numerous 

 in the arctic or deep seas ; but a couple of species are found southward along the 

 European and American coasts. The southernmost shallow-water Zoarceids constitute 

 the genus Zoarces, which is distinguished by a break in the dorsal behind, and the 

 replacement of the rays there by short, stubby spines. The European (Z. viviparus) 

 is rather a small fish ; but the American (Z. anguillaris) is comparatively large. 



Mutton-fish, Congo or conger eel, eel-pout, and lamper-eel are names bestowed 

 on the Z. anguillaris. It reaches a length of some three feet, and weight of six or 

 seven pounds. Its range is claimed to be from Labrador to North Carolina. Crusta- 

 ceans and shell-fish constitute its chief food. As food itself, diversity of opinion exists, 

 largely influenced, doubtless, by its unprepossessing appearance. The best judges, 

 however, pronounce it tolerable, and one of its names (mutton-fish), by which it is 

 known at Cape Ann, involves a comparison with sheep's flesh. Prof. Goode testifies to 

 "the delicacy of its flavor." 



The European Zoarces (Z. viviparus) Fig. 142, is best known on account of its 

 viviparity. The female matures her eggs in her body, and living young come forth. 



