. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. Fisheries -- United States; Fish-culture -- United States. 384 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES abits.—Little is known of its habits except that it is a ground fish, usually living in moderately deep water, and car- nivorous, for worms, crustaceans, and small fish have been found in the stomachs of European specimens. In its turn it falls a prey to larger fishes and frequently to Greenland THE CUSK EELS. FAMILY OPHIDIID^ 148. disk eel (Lepophidium cervinum Goode and Bean) Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2484. Description.—The cu
. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. Fisheries -- United States; Fish-culture -- United States. 384 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES abits.—Little is known of its habits except that it is a ground fish, usually living in moderately deep water, and car- nivorous, for worms, crustaceans, and small fish have been found in the stomachs of European specimens. In its turn it falls a prey to larger fishes and frequently to Greenland THE CUSK EELS. FAMILY OPHIDIID^ 148. disk eel (Lepophidium cervinum Goode and Bean) Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2484. Description.—The cusk eel is eel-like in form, all its fins are soft and, eel-like, there is no separation between the dorsal, caudal, and anal, but the three form one continuous fin running backward along the back, around the tip of the tail, and for- ward on the lower surface. It is separated from all the true eels, however, by the presence of ventral fins, which are situated on the throat far in front of the pectorals and are reduced to forked barbel-like structures. The structure of the ventral fins and the uninterrupted dorsal fin separate it from the eelpout, its nearest relative among local fishes, and the presence of a short sharp spine on the top of the snout pointing forward and down- ward, and easily felt if not seen (for it is nearly concealed in the skin), likewise differentiates it from such other Gulf of Maine species as it resembles in general appearance. The shape of the snout is likewise diagnostic, as are its large scales, for the other genera of its family have naked heads with the scales on the body very small. Color.—Described as brownish yellow, the upper sides and back marked with roundish white spots, the dorsal and anal fins with narrow black margins. General range and occurrence in the Gulf of Maine.—This fish has been taken at various localities along the outer part of the continental shelf from off Florida to abreast of Nantucket in depths of 52 to 102 fathoms
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