COTTOIDE^E. 49 



teeth, and by the body being cased in large keeled, angular scales, and acquiring 

 thence the form of a slender, many-sided pyramid. The latter character gives the 

 Aspidophori a totally different aspect from the Cotti. The only species that has 

 been discovered in the European seas, is well known to naturalists as the Cottu.s 

 cataphractus of Linnseus. It is very abundant on both sides of the English 

 Channel, particularly on the Lincolnshire coast, and ranges northward to the Cat- 

 tegat and Baltic, and westward to Iceland and Greenland. Its occurrence on the 

 Davis' Straits' side of the latter country entitles it, according to the plan of our 

 Fauna, to be mentioned here. 



This species varies in length from three to six inches. The anus is far forwards, and the 

 body,, between it and the hinder part of the anal and second dorsal, is octagonal ; the slender 

 tail and the forepart of the body are hexagonal ; the mouth opens transversely under the 

 muzzle, and there are small barbels, or fleshy points, covering the whole surface of the bran- 

 chiostegous membrane, the corners of the mouth, and border of the interoperculum ; there are 

 two at the extremity of the snout, and a minute one before each orbit. 



Fins.— Br. 6; D.5 — 7; A. 7 ; C. 11; P. 15; V. 1/2. (Some specimens have only 

 six rays in the second dorsal and anal.) Hist, des Poiss. 



[21.] 2. Cottus (Aspidophorus) acipenserinus. (Cuvier.) Sturionk 



Aspidophore. 



L'Aspidophore esturgeon. Cuv. et Val., iv., p. 207. 



This species is common at the Island of Oonalaschka, and on the coast of Kamt- 

 schatka. It passes under the name of liaitza, or the " fox," among the Russians, 

 and of koschadanguisch. among the Aleutians. It is distinguished from the pre- 

 ceding by many characters, the most striking of which are the want of barbels on 

 the branchiostegous membrane, and the numerous polygonal plates, marked with 

 stelliform streaks, which cover the breast before the ventrals ; while in the Euro- 

 pean species that part is covered by four plates only, arranged in a square form. 



Fins— Br. 6 ; D. 9/— 8; 4.8; C. 11 ; P. 17; V. 1/2. (Hist, des Poiss.) 



H 



