OADIDiE. 



223 



StTBRACIIUI. 

 MALACOFTEEYGK. 



OADIDJB!. 



THE AMERICAN HADDOCK, 



Morrhua JEglefnis; Cuvier 



The distinctive coloring of this fish is blackish brown above, -and 

 silvery gray bolow the lateral line, which is jet black. The back and 

 sides are varied by purplish and golden gleams ; there is a large dark 

 vertical patch posterior to the pectorals, crossing the lateral line. 



The fins are dusky blue. 



The body of the Haddock is stout, anteriorly, and tapering back- 

 ward. The head large and arehed. The eyes are large. The lower 

 jaw is the shortest ; the teeth small, in a single row on each jaw ; a 

 single small barbel on the chin. 



It has three dorsals, the first and third triangular, the second long- 

 est, respectively of fifteen, twenty-two and twenty rays The pecto- 

 rals have twenty-one, the ventrals sixteen, the two anals respectively 

 twenty-five and twenty-one, and the caudal thirty-four rays. 



The range of the Haddock is similar to that of the Cod ; it is very 

 abundant, and is about equal in estimation as an article of food vith 

 its congener?.- 



