THE MARINE POLTZOA OF CAN SO, NOVA SCOTIA 



89 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 22a 



largest being about 1 mm. in diameter ; tbey are imbedded in skin, the spaces between 

 them being about two diameters. The dorsal and anal fin are scaly to the free margin 

 behind, but the distal part is naked anteriorly. The head, part of the nape, sides of 

 body for 2 cm. behind the pectorals, the abdomen, pectoral and pelvic fins are scale- 

 less. The ground colour is a greenish-yellow except on the chin, throat and pectoral 

 fins, which are whitish, the latter becoming dusky toward the tips. The sides and top 

 of the head are reticulated with black, passing just in front of the top of the gill-slit; 

 over the top of the head from side to side is a light, conspicuous band of the ground 

 colour bounded at the edges by a wavy, black line; about nine wide, black, tran^sverse 

 bands pass across the sides, and are extended into the dorsal fin, where they are lost; 

 these black bands become less distinct posteriorly, and do not extend to the ventral sur- 

 face ; each band consists of a reticulation of black on a green back-ground. It is quit© 

 unlike the reticulations of L. reticulatus, as the black is not in narrow lines but in 

 bands of 5 to 10 mm. in width. The dorsal fin is edged with darker, the anal fin has 

 scattered shades of dusky most marked posteriorly. There are indications of the 

 median lateral line on the last 150 mm. of the tail. 



family: GADIDiE. 



39. Pollachi/us virens (Linnaeus). — This is one of the most abundant food-fishes at 

 Canso, 500,000 pounds being the annual catch. It is captured usually with hook and 

 line in the surface waters from June to December. A few, however, are brought up on 

 the hooks of cod-trawls from 30 to 50 fathoms. On being brought to the wharf, the 

 head is removed and the backbone excised. They are then salted and shipped to the 

 West Indies. The fishermen receive from one-half to one cent per pound for their 

 pollack. 



40. Urophycis tenuis (Mitchill). — This species of hake, commonly called ' Squirrel 

 hake ' by the fishermen, is captured occasionally on the cod-trawl hooks on muddy bot- 

 toms. One specimen carefully examined by me- varied considerably from the descrip- 

 tion of Drs. Jordan and Evermann, and I therefore detail the measurements : Length, 

 865 mm. ; depth, 216 mm. ; orbit, 36 mm. ; snout, 63 mm. ; inter-orbital space, 58 mm. ; 

 length of pectoral fin, 144 mm.; head, 235 mm.; length of filamentous dorsal ray fila- 

 ment, 85 mm. ; rays of dorsal fin numbered 11, 54, the rays of the anal fin 50, of the 

 pectoral fin 15, of the ventral fin 4. Twelve rows of scales occurred between the lateral 

 line and the anterior dorsal fin; the number of scales along the lateral line is 

 130. The head as shown by the examination of several other specimens was found to 

 be contained less than four times in the length, and the depth to be contained less than 

 five times in the length. I may add that the term ' Squirrel hake ' may be applied to 

 any small hake. 



41. Enchelyopus cimlri/us (Linnaeus). — Two specimens were secured by the beam- 

 trawl in 30 fathoms of water in Chedabucto Bay. 



42. Gadus callarias (Linnaeus). — The cod is of course a supremely important fish of 

 Canada. The fiishing season extends throughout the year, ^and about 3,566,000 pounds 

 of this fine food-fish, for which the fishermen receive from | to 2 cents per pound, are 

 taken annually. 1,000,000 pounds are salted and dried, 1,000,000 are salted, 1,000,000 

 pounds are shipped fresh packed in ice, and 500,000 pounds are shipped fresh frozen. 

 The fresh fish supplies the market for Canada, and the salted is disposed of in Canada 

 and the West Indies. 



43. Melanogrammus ceglefinus (L: nnseus). — About 3,000,000 pounds of this fish are 

 taken annually at Canso. 400,000 pounds are smoked and 25,000 pounds are salted; 

 25,000 pounds are salted and dried, 2,000,000 pounds are shipped fresh packed in ice, 

 and 550,000 pounds are shipped fresh frozen. The fresh and smoked are consumed in 

 Canada, the salted in Canada and the West Indies and the dried in the West Indies. 



