320 ANACANTHINI. 



Genus VII Raniceps, Cuvier. 



JjatraclioiJ.es, Lacep. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseu&obranchice absent. Head large and depressed, body 

 of moderate length, compressed, and somewhat tapering posteriorly. Cardiform teeth 

 in the jaws mixed with some larger ones, also cardiform ones on the vomer, but none 

 on the palatines. Tioo dorsal fins, the first of which is rudimentary : anal similar to 

 second dorsal : caudal distinct. Ventral with six rays. Minute scales on the body. 

 Air-bladder present. Pyloric appendages rudimentary. 



Geographical distribution. Coasts of northern Europe, extending to the south 

 of Great Britain and Atlantic shores of France. 



1. Raniceps raninus, Plate XC, fig. 1. 



Barbus minor, Ray, p. 164, f. 8 ; Couch, Linn. Trans, xiv, p. 75. Least hake, 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool. (1776) iii, p. 195 (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 261, and Trifurcated hake, 

 (1776) iii, p. 196, pi. xxxii, Trifurcated tadpole fish (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 272, pi. xxxviii. 

 Le trident, Bonn. Atl. Ich. p. 51, pi. Ixxxvi, f. 361. 



Blennius raninus, Linn. Syst. Nat. (Ed. 10) p. 258 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1183. 



Blennius raninus etfuscus, Midler, Prod. p. 43. 



Blennius trifurcatus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 174; Turton, p. 93. 



Gadus raninus, Mull. Zool. Dan. t. xlv ; Briinn. Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Skr. xii, 

 p. 291. 



Gadus fuliyinosus, Walk in Schrift. Ges. Nat. Freund. Berl. v, 1784, p. 107. 



Gadus trifurcus and minimus, Walb. Art. iii, pp. 139, 143. 



J'liycis fusca and ranina, Bl. Schn. p. 57. 



Blennius Jiaii, Bl. Schn. p. 171. 



Batrachoides blennioides, Lacep. ii, pp. 451, 456. 



Blennius tridactylus, Lacep. ii, p. 484. 



Baniceps trifurcatus, Flem. p. 194; Jenyns, p. 453 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) 

 ii, p. 204, c. fig". (Ed. 2) ii, p. 292 (Ed. 3) i, p. 598 ; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 359, 

 t. xxxvi, and Fishes Firth of Forth, p. 199, pi. xxxvi ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. 

 Ireland, iv, p. 188 ; Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 367 ; Mcintosh, Fish. St. Andrew's, 

 p. 179 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. 275. 



Baniceps jag o, Fleming, p. 194. 



Jumieeps niger, Nilss. Prod. p. 50, and Skand. Fauna Fisk. p. 594 ; Fries and 

 Ekstr. Skand. Fisk. p. 92, pi. xxi. 



Batrachocephalas blennioides, Holb. Goth. Vet. Sccllsk. N. Handl. iii, p. 39, 

 c. fi\ 



Baniceps fuscus, Kroyer, Dan. Fiske, ii, p. 231, c. fig. : "White, Catal. Brit. 

 Fish. p. 96. 



Jianiceps raninus, Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 125 ; Winther, Ich. Dan. Mar. 

 p. 34. 



Lesser fork-bear J, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 122, pi. clii. 



B. vii, D. 3/65-67, P. 20-23, V. 6, A. 57-60, C. 35. 



Length of head 4, of caudal fin 8, height of body 4j in the total length. Bye 

 diameters 5y in the length of the head, 1 diameter from the end of the snout, 

 and If apart. The general appearance of the fish is well conveyed by its trivial 

 name of " tadpole fish," its body anteriorly being broad and depressed, while 

 posteriorly it is strongly compressed. Upper surface of the head slightly convex 

 or almost flat : cheeks inflated : snout somewhat overlapping the upper jaw, which 

 is slightly longer than the lower : the posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches 

 to about 1/2 a diameter of the eye posterior to the orbit. Teeth cardiform in 

 both jaws, those forming the outer row being enlarged and placed some distance 

 asunder: in a transverse patch on the vomer : none on the palatines or tongue. 



