208 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Genus IV. Centronotus, Block, Schneider. 



Gunnellus, Fleming; Ophisomus, Swainson. 



Branchiostegals five : pseudobranchim present. Body elongated and compressed. 

 Gill-openings of moderate width, and the membranes of the tivo sides connected with 

 each other. A row of small, conical teeth in the jaws, and occasionally on the palate. 

 Dorsal fin long and entirely formed of spines. Ventrals, if present, irregular and 

 rudimentary : caudal distinct. 'Scales very small, covering the body. Lateral-line 

 not developed. Air-bladder and pyloric appendages absent. 



Fleming united Centronotus and Zoarces with the genns Gunnellus. 



Hughes, Zool. 1874, p. 3896, observes of Centronotus gunnellus, that although 

 allied to the blennies, it has none of the tameness and familiarity which characterizes 

 the latter genus, neither is it so fond of raising itself on a rock above water mark as 

 they are. He also thought that it might be nocturnal in its habits, for during 

 the day it remains partially coiled up round a weed or stone, but in the evening 

 glides about with a graceful snake-like motion taking its food, which it strikes at 

 as a viper wounds its enemy. 



Geographical distribution. From the northern seas to the coasts of Great Britain 

 and France in Europe ; in America extending at least as far south as New York. 

 It has also been found in Decastris Bay and the mouth of the Amoor in the North 

 Pacific to Japan and California. 



1. Centronotus gunnellus, Plate LXI, fig. 1. 



Gunnellus cornubiensis, or Butter-fish, Willugh. p. 115, c. 9, t. G 8, fig. 3 ; Ray, 

 p. 144 ; Petiver, Gazoph. t. li, f . 4 ; Seba, iii, p. 91, t. xxx, f . 6. Blennius, sp. 

 Artedi, Genera, p. 27, No. 5. Tang-Brosme, 3, Strom, i, p. 315 and Norsk. Vid. 

 Selsk. Skr. Nya Saml. i, p. 148. Pholis, sp. Gronov. Zooph. No. 267, and Mus. 

 Ich. i, No. 77, p. 33. Spotted blenny, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1) iii, p. 210, 

 pi. xxxv (Ed. 2) iii, p. 282, pi. xxxix ; Low, Nat. Hist. Orkney, p. 202. Pu,rple 

 blenny, Lowe, 1. c. p. 203 ; Parn. Wern. Mem. vii, p. 235 (variety ?). 



Blennius gunnellus, Linn. Faun. Suec. p. 114, No. 318, and Syst. Nat. 

 p. 1181 ; Bonn. Ency. Ich. p. 55, pi. xxxii, f. 119 ; Bl. Fische Deut. ii, p. 186, 

 t. lxxi, f. 1 ; Lacep. ii, p. 503 ; Donovan, Brit. Fishes, ii, p. 27 ; Shaw, Brit. Zool. 

 v, p. 179, pi. xxiv ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 93; Jenyns, Manual, p. 383; Mull. 

 Prod. Zool. Dan. p. 43; Faber, Fische Isl. p. 76; Pall. Zoogr. iii, p. 173; 

 Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. Fishes, p. 91 ; Retz. Faun. Suec. p. 324 (not Fabr.) ; 

 Johnston, Berwick. Nat. Club, 1838, i, p. 171. 



Gunnellus Europeus, Olafs, Reise, i, p. 81, and Beskr. over Skagen, p. 165, 

 t. iii, f. 1. 



Blennius maculis X, Olafs, Reise, 680, t. x, f. 12, 13. 



Blennius murainoides, Sujef, Act. Petrop. 1779, ii, p. 195, t. vi, f. 1 ; Gmel. 

 Linn. p. 1184 {young). 



Centronotus gunnellus, Bl. Schn. p. 167 ; Fries och Ekstr. Skand. Fisk. p. 105, 

 t. xxv. f . 1 ; White, Catal. p. 48 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 285 ; Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. 

 Sc. Phil. 1864, p. 200 ; Mcintosh, Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 176; Winther, Ich. Dan. 

 Mar. 1879, p. 23. 



Gunnellus vulgaris, Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 207 ; Cuv. and Val. xi, p. 419 ; Bonap. 

 Pesc. Eur. 69 ; Nilss. Skand. Fauna, Fisk. p. 200 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. (2; 

 1837, i, p. 409 ; Schlegel, Dieren Neder. p. 6 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, ii, p. 153. 



Murcenoides guttata, Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) i, p. 239, c. fig. (Ed. 2) i, 

 p. 269 (Ed. 3) ii, p. 376 ; Parnell, Fishes Firth of Forth, p. 75 and Wern. Mem. 

 vii, p. 2o5 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 110. 



