524 



The Blennies : Blenniidas 



Brotulids, called Fez Ciego in Cuba, are found in different caves 

 in the county of San Antonio, where they reach a length of 

 about five inches. As in other blindfishes, the body is translu- 



FIG. 47S. Brotula barbata Schneider. Cuba. 



cent and colorless. These species are known as Lucifuga sub- 

 terranea and Stygicola dentata. They are descended from allies 

 of the genera called Brotula and Dinematichthys. Brotula bar- 

 bata is a cusk-like fish, occasionally found in the markets of 



FIG. 479. Blind Brotula. Lucifuga subterranea (Poey), showing viviparous habit. 

 Joignan Cave, Pinar del Rio, Cuba. (Photograph by Dr. Eigenmann.) 



Havana. Similar species, Brotula multibarbata and Sirembo 

 inermis, are common in Japan, and Brosmophycis marginatus, 

 beautifully red in color, is occasionally seen on the coast of 

 California. Many other genera and species abound in the 

 depths of the sea and in crevices of coral reefs, showing much 

 variety in form and structure. 



The Bregmacerotidce are small fishes, closely related to the 

 Brotulids, having the hypercoracoid perforate, but with sev- 

 eral minor peculiarities, the first ray of the dorsal being free 

 and much elongate. They live near the surface in the open 

 sea. Bregmaceros macclellandi is widely diffused in the Pacific. 



