114. BLENNIHXE. 753 



inhabiting the tropical seas. This group or family is most nearly re- 

 lated to the UranoscopidcBj but some of the species show Blennioid 

 traits. 



(Leptoscopoldce Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 503-506.) 



a. Ventral rays I, 3 ; pectoral rays simple. (Dactyloscopina;.} 

 b. Pseudobranchise none; head cuboid; dorsal commencing at the nape. 



DACTYLOSCOPUS, 400. 



4OO. DACTYtOSCOPUS Gill. 



(Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 132: type Dactyloscopus tridigitatus Gilt.) 



Body moderately elongate, covered with rather large, cycloid scales; 

 head cuboid, oblong and nearly flat above; eyes small; interorbital 

 space broad; mouth nearly vertical; lower jaw not dilated beneath nor 

 ernargiiiate in front, without barbels; no intralabial filament; teeth 

 villiform, on jaws only; pseudobranchioe obsolete. Dorsal commencing 

 at the nape, with 10-12 spines; ventral rays I, 3. (daxruXoq, finger; 

 r, short for Uranoscopus.) 



1151. D. tridigitatus Gill. 



Whitish; Iread with coarse wavy darker lines; fins immaculate. 

 Body slender, much compressed posteriorly ; opercular fringe of 15 

 separate filaments. Distance from snout to dorsal 5 in total length of 

 body. Head 5 (in total); depth 7. D. XII, 28; A. II, 32; P. 13; V. I, 

 3; scales 11 + 4 + 30 = 45. West Indies, north to Key West. ( Oill.) 



(Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila, 1859, 132, 1861, 264, and 1862, 05; Giinther, iii, 279.) 



FAMILY CXIV. BLENNIDXE * 



(The Blennies.} 



Body oblong or variously elongate, usually compressed; naked, or 

 covered with usually cycloid scales; teeth usually well developed; sub- 

 orbital ring not articulated with the preopercle; dorsal fin long, contin- 

 uous, or divided into two or three fins, the anterior portion and some- 

 times the whole fin composed of spines, which are stiff or flexible; anal 

 fin long, usually with one or two small spines; ventrals jugular, few- 

 rayed, or wanting; caudal fin present, rounded; tail diphycercal ; air- 

 bladder usually wanting; pseudobranchire present; gills 4, a slit behind 

 the fourth; vertebrae numerous. Genera about 50; species nearly 300. 

 As here understood, a large and varied family, chiefly of small carniv- 

 orous fishes, inhabiting rock-pools and sea bottoms near the shore. 

 Some of them are found in the fresh-water lakes of Italy. Many of 



* Including families 112 Blennidas and 113 Anarrhichadidce of the key on pages 80 

 and 81. 



Bull. Nat. Mus. No. 16 - 48 



