BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 
767 
Family Malacanthid^E. 
Lopholatilus chamedeonticeps Goode & Bean. a 
Tilefish. 
Collins, 1884; Goode, 1884a, p. 360; Bean, 1884; 
Goode and Bean, 1895, p. 284; Jordan and 
Evermann, 1898, p. 2278; Bumpus, 1899; Lin- 
ton, 1901, p. 471. 
Southeast of No Mans Land on border of Gulf 
Stream, where it was originally discovered in 
1879. Common at depths of 80 to 250 fath- 
oms. — Goode. Abundant before 1882, in the 
March and April of which year over a billion, 
according to estimate, died as a result of unu- 
sual temperature conditions. Not taken again 
until 1892, after which time they apparently 
began to be more abundant. Taken on trawl 
lines. 
Spawns in July. 
Food: Preeminently a crab-eater, the intestines 
being sometimes filled with these; also found 
to have eaten squid, spiny dogfish ( Squalus 
acanthias), menhaden, and other fish, Salpse, 
mollusks, annelids, holothurians, actinians. — 
Linton. 
Parasites (Linton); Acanthocephala — Ecliino- 
rhynchus sp. Immature nematodes. Ces- 
todes — Scolex polymorphus (larvae), Tetra- 
rhynchus bisulcatus (cysts). Trematodes — Dis- 
tomum fcecundum, D. ocreatum. 
A fair food fish, though no market for it has thus 
far been developed. 
Family Batrachoidid^. 
Opsanus tau (Linnaeus). Toadfish. 
Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 516 ( Batrachus tau)] 
Baird, 1873 ( Batrachus tau)] Bean, 1884 ( Ba- 
trachus tau); Rider, 1886, p. 77 ( Batrachus tau)] 
Clapp, 1891, p. 494 ( Batrachus tau)] H. M. 
Smith, 1898, p. 105; Jordan and Evermann, 
1898, p. 2315; Linton, 1901, p. 468; Kendall, 
1908, p. 132. 
Common everywhere in shallow waters, under 
stones and among weeds; a resident fish, taken 
throughout the year. Ordinarily obtained with 
the seine. 
Spawns in June. Reported to be spawning as 
early as June 3, by Bumpus; as late as the mid- 
dle of July by Ryder. In 1906 the spawning 
period, so far as observed by Dr. J. T. Pat- 
terson, extended from June 12 to June 25; the 
young fish were found to break the capsule on 
the 26th day after fertilization, and to become 
a 
interest. 
Opsanus tau — Continued. 
entirely free on the 42d day. One or both 
parents guard the eggs until hatched. Two 
females were taken by Mr. Edwards in Decem- 
ber having their ovaries filled with large, seem- 
ingly mature eggs. We know of no other 
evidence, however, that this fish spawns in 
winter. 
Food: One specimen taken locally in July con- 
tained Cancer irroratus. — Verrill and Smith, 
Mollusks ( Littorina , Ilyanassa, Tritia, Urosal- 
pinx, Crepidula, Pecten) Crustacea ( Cancer , 
Palcemonetes , Pagurus)] bones and fragments 
of fish, including other toadfish, found in 
stomach. — Linton. In order of frequency: 
Pagurus longicarpus in Littorina shells, Cancer 
irroratus, Panopeus depressus, Ovalipes, Pal- 
cemonetes, Crepidula, small fish ( Fundulus , 
Tautogolabrus, Menidia), teleost eggs. — I. A. 
Field. 
Parasites (Linton): Acanthocephala — Echino- 
rhynchus acus, E. clavceceps, E. fusiformis. 
Nematodes — Ascaris habena. Cestodes — Rhyn- 
chobothrium tumidulum (scolices), Scolex poly- 
morphus (larvae). Trematodes — Distomum 
tenue, D. tornatum, D. valdeinflatum, D. sp., 
Monostomum vinal-edwardsii. 
Family Phoudid.E. 
Pholis gunnellus (Linnaeus). Gunnel, rock eel. 
[Chart 206.] 
Storer, 1867 ( Gunnelus mucronatus)] Baird, 1873 
( Murcenoides mucronatus)] Bean, 1884 ( Murce - 
noides gunnellus)] H. M Smith, 1898, p. 106; 
Jordan and Evermann, 1898, p. 2419; Kendall, 
1908, p. 132. 
Abundant along shores in early spring, when it 
1 may be seined; at other times found only in 
deeper water. Dredged by the Survey during 
July and August in waters of 3 to 13 fathoms, 
at scattered stations in Vineyard Sound; only 
twice in Buzzards Bay. Young taken in tow 
from April to July, chiefly in April. — Towing 
records of V. N. Edwards. 
Fish Hawk stations: 7524 bis (1), 7525 bis (1), 
7553 (1). 7555 ( 2 )> 755 6 (several), 7564 (3), 7573 
(few), 7760 (1 medium), 7762 (2), 7764 (1). 
Phalarope and Blue Wing stations: 21 (1), 24 (2), 
93 - I2 3 (*)■ 
Parasites: Acanthocephala (Linton) — Echino- 
rhynchus acus. Copepods (C. B. Wilson) — A r- 
gulus laticauda. (Wilson lists this parasite for 
“a blenny.” Pholis is the only blenny taken 
at all frequently in this region.) 
This fish does not properly belong to the Woods Hole fauna, but has been included here on account of its biological 
For history of our knowledge of the tilefish see Collins, 1884, and Bumpus, 1899. 
16269° — Bull. 31, pt 2 — 13 15 
