FISHES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 
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202. Ogcocephalus vespertilio (Linnaeus). Batfishes. 
Lophius vespertilio Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. X, 1758, p. 236; American seas. 
Malthe vespertilio Uhler and Lugger, 1876, ed. I, p. 92; ed. II, p. 77. 
Ogcocephalus vespertilio Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2737, PI. CCCXCII, figs. 958, 958a, 958b. 
“Head to gill opening 1.93; depth 5; D. 4; A. 4. 
“Body rather robust, tapering backward, the caudal peduncle broader than deep; head broad, 
depressed, triangular, the greatest width equal to distance from tip of rostral process to inner angle 
of wrist of pectoral; snout acute, with long pointed process, 5.7 in head, 11 in body; eye wholly 
lateral, 7.4 in head; interorbital 9.15; mouth rather broad, mostly transverse; maxillary 6.7 in 
head; teeth small, villiform, in bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines; gill opening small, situated 
at inner angle of base of pectoral; skin with bony protuberances, varying in size, smallest on belly 
where the skin is shagreenlike, largest on back of tail, ventral surface of tail with bony plates; a 
large depression, longer than broad, under rostrum; this depression provided with a dermal ten- 
tacle, which has a stocklike base and a more or less definite triangular expansion at tip; dorsal 
fin small, its origin at vertical from posterior margin of wrist of pectoral; caudal fin round; anal 
fin small, its origin about equidistant from vertical of origin of dorsal and base of caudal; ventral 
fins rather long and narrow, inserted about midway between mouth and vent; pectoral fins with 
distinct wrist, inserted on posterior margin of the disklike head, the fin without wrist, 2.2 in head. 
“Color very dark brown above, somewhat lighter brown below. There is a black area on 
snout below rostral process and two black areas over disk at shoulders; the distal part of the spiny 
processes on body paler than the ground color; a series of short dermal flaps on upper jaw and 
on lower margin of disk pale. Dorsal, caudal, anal, and pectorals very dark brown to nearly 
black, the caudal with greenish-yellow crossbar on middle of fin; ventral fins greenish.” (Meek 
and Hildebrand, 1923-1927, p. 1018.) 
This fish was not seen or taken during the present investigation. It is included in the present 
work on the general record of Uhler and Lugger (1876), who state that it is “rare in the southern 
part of Chesapeake Bay.” The batfish is very readily recognized by its broad body, which has 
broad, winglike expansions anteriorly, to which the pectoral fins are attached. These winglike 
expansions give it an appearance somewhat resembling a bat, and this similarity gives origin to 
the name “batfish.” Other peculiarities of this fish are the long-pointed snout and the rough skin 
beset with bony protuberances of various sizes. 
Little is known of the habits of this fish. Its shape, of course, suggests very strongly that it 
lives and feeds on the bottom. Among the Florida Keys we have observed it rather frequently 
lying on the bottom, usually among marine growths, in very shallow water along the immediate 
shores. It swims sluggishly and frequently can be pursued and captured with a dip net. 
The maximum size attained by the batfish is given in current works as 12 inches. The species 
is nowhere of commercial value. 
Habitat. — Shallow waters of the Atlantic coast of tropical America, ranging from North Caro- 
lina (probably to Chesapeake Bay) to Brazil; rare northward of the Florida Keys. 
Chesapeake localities. — (a) Previous record: “Rare in the southern part of Chesapeake Bay” 
(Uhler and Lugger, 1876). (6) Specimens in collection: None; not known north of Beaufort, 
N. C., except from the record of Uhler and Lugger. 
Abdomen. — The belly; the cavity containing the digestive and reproductive organs. 
Adipose jin. — A peculiar fleshy fin, without rays but occasionally with a spine, occurring on the 
back behind the dorsal fin of most catfishes, salmons, etc. 
Air bladder. — A sac filled with gas, lying beneath the backbone and in or behind the abdominal 
cavity; also known as swim bladder. 
Anal.—- Pertaining to the anus or vent. 
Anal jin. — The fin on the median line behind the vent. 
Antrorse. — Turned forward. 
Anus. — The external opening of the intestine; the vent. 
Articulate. — Jointed; said of soft fin rays. 
GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS 
