330 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
143. Genus ASTROSCOPUS Brevoort. Electric stargazers 
Body robust; upper surface of head not entirely covered with bone, the occipital plate ceasing 
far behind eyes; a bony Y-shaped process on head, the forks of the Y reaching forward to inter- 
orbital, the vertical limb extending backward to occipital plate; the area between the forks of the 
Y and extending forward to upper lip covered by naked skin; a somewhat quadrangular naked 
area on each side of the Y covering the electric organs; head smoother in the adult, in young 
individuals largely covered with bone and with spines; anterior nostril round, situated in front of 
eye, fringed; posterior nostril represented externally as a crescent-shaped groove, terminating 
behind eye, fringed; lips fringed; back and sides covered with close-set scales in adult; first dorsal 
with four or five short, pungent spines. 
184. Astroscopus guttatus (Abbott). Electric toad; Stargazer. 
Uranoscopus guttatus Abbott, Proc., Ac. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1860 (1861), p. 365, PI. VII; Cape May, N. J. 
Astroscopus anoplus Uhler and Lugger, 1876, ed. I, p. 99; ed. II, p. 83. 
Astroscopus guttatus Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2310; Evermann and Hildebrand, 1910, p. 163. 
Head 2.4 to 2.7; depth 2.7 to 3.55; D. IV or V-13 or 14; A. I, 12. Body robust, anteriorly 
quite as wide as deep, posteriorly compressed; head broad, flat above; snout very broad and short, 
4.5 to 5.3 in head; eye superior, very small, 5.75 to 13; interorbital very broad, 3 to 3.95; mouth 
broad, vertical; lower jaw forming anterior margin of head; both lips provided with fringes; nos- 
trils provided with shorter fringes; an elliptical area between and behind eyes with a double row 
of fringes; maxillary broad posteriorly, reaching under or beyond the eye, 1.95 to 2.15 in head; 
teeth small, in bands on jaws, also present on vomer and palatines; scales very small, not evident 
on head, chest, and abdomen; upper part of head largely rough and bony, this sculpture forming 
a Y on anterior part of head, the limbs of this Y a little longer than the straight part, the straight 
portion of the Y very wide, as broad as eye; total length of the Y shorter than interorbital, 4.73 to 
5.2 in head; a somewhat quadrate naked area present on each side of the Y, these areas being the 
seat of electric organs; two very short, blunt spines on edge of snout in front of eye; dorsal fins 
separate, the first composed of short, sharp spines; second dorsal much higher; caudal fin with 
somewhat convex margin; anal fin more or less enveloped in skin, especially in the adult; ventral 
fins inserted at the throat, under the anterior part of gill opening, some of the rays distally more 
or less free; pectoral fins large, the lower rays short, the longest ones 1.05 to 1.3 in head. 
Color of a fresh specimen, 280 millimeters in length, largely dusky above; dirty white under- 
neath; upper half with many small, irregular, white spots, increasing somewhat in size posteriorly, 
extending backward on upper part of side to end of second dorsal (in most specimens at hand the 
spots do not extend as far back on body as the end of second dorsal). Upper part of caudal peduncle 
with five irregular whitish blotches; caudal peduncle laterally with an irregular, dark, longitudinal 
band; lower half of sides with obscure dark blotches; each side of chin with a large black blotch; 
membranes of spinous dorsal black, with a few pale stripes; second dorsal anteriorly at base with 
pale spots similar to those on body, the fin with alternating black and white bars; caudal with 
similar alternating bars; anal fin pale, with a single black bar; ventral fins mostly pale, with dusky 
points on distal parts; pectorals brownish, base of upper rays with white spots like body, distal 
parts black. The color varies considerably as to shade among specimens, but the general pattern 
in adults is about as described. The smallest specimen (60 millimeters) at hand bears no pale 
spots, and in spirits the upper parts are uniform brownish. 
The stargazer is represented by 29 specimens, ranging in length from 60 to 310 millimeters 
( 2 % to 12J4 inches). They evidently are all of one species, regardless of the fact that much varia- 
tion in color exists among individuals of even size, and more pronounced differences among those 
of uneven size. The specimens here described have been compared with others from Beaufort, 
N. C., and we find a distinct difference in the shape of the Y on the head. In the Chesapeake 
specimens it is notably shorter and broader than in Beaufort specimens, and the straight part is 
slightly shorter than one of the limbs, while the reverse is true in the Beaufort specimens. The 
total length of the Y in Chesapeake specimens is shorter than the width of the interorbital space. 
In Beaufort fish the total length of the Y is equal to or slightly greater than the width of the inter- 
orbital space. The following table of measurements illustrates some of these differences. Three 
specimens from each locality were measured. 
