FAMILY XXX— BLENNIID^. 325 



Family, XXX— BLENNIIDiE, MMer. 



Pseudobranchiae present. Gill-openings of varying extent. Body elongated, more or less cylindrical. 

 The infraorbital ring of bones does not articulate with the preopercle. Teeth may be fixed in the jaws, 

 or merely implanted in the gums : a posterior canine may be present, whilst some genera have molars. One, 

 two, or three dorsal flns, occupying nearly the entire length of the back, the spinous portion when distinct 

 being less, nearly equally, or more developed than the soft : in some the whole fin is composed of spines, whilst 

 in others none are perceptible. Ventrals, when present, jugular (except I'sewIohleiDiius): they are sometimes 

 rudimentary. Anal with a moderate or large number of rays. Caudal, when present, may be confluent with, 

 or distinct from, the vertical fins. Scales, when present, generally small. Air-vessel as a rule absent. 

 Pyloric appendages absent. 



OeograpMcal distrihution. — The fishes forming this family are found along the shores of most regions, 

 some extending their range into brackish or even, it is said, into fresh waters, (see note pp. 81 and 68, ante.). 

 It is curious to observe how these small fishes may be unwillingly forced to emigrate to distant places. Thus a 

 little Blenny was pumped up at sea (see page 326), it must have attached itself to the vessel before leaving 

 harbour, or have been sucked up on some piece of floating substance on which it Lad drifted out to sea. 



SYNOPSIS OP GENERA. 

 A. No molar teeth. Caudal fin distinct. 



1. Blennius. Gill-opening wide. A single row of fixed teeth in the jaws, and occasionally a small 

 posterior canine. Scaleless. 



2. Petroscirtes. Gill-opening small. A single row of fixed teeth in the jaws, with a large lateral 

 canine. Scaleless. 



3. Salarias. Gill-opening wide. A single row of moveable teeth in the jaws, sometimes a posterior 

 canine. Scaleless. 



4. Andamia. Gill-opening wide. A single row of moveable teeth in the jaws, a sucker beneath the 

 lower jaw. Scaleless. 



5. Tripterygium. A band of villifonn teeth in the jaws : palatine teeth. Three dorsal fins. Scaled. 



B. No molar teeth. Caudal continuous with vertical fins. 



6. Xiphasia. Fixed teeth in jaws, none on the palate. Body eel-shaped. Dorsal and anal many rayed. 



Genus, 1 — Blennius, Artedi. 



Pholis, Cuv. and Val. 



BrancMostegals six : pseudohrancliiw. Body somewhat elongated, with a short snout. Cleft of mouth narrow. 

 Generally a tentacle above the orbit. Teeth in a single row fixed in the jaws : a posterior curved tooth usually present 

 in one or both jaws. Dorsal fin single, the spinous portion being less or equally developed with the rayed : ventrals 

 jugular, consisting of one spine and two rays : caudal distinct. Scales absent. Air-vessel and pyloric appendages 

 absent. 



Geographical distribution. — These fishes are found on the coasts of Europe and Van Diemen's Land, also 

 the Red Sea, seas of India to the Sandwich Islands. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Blennius leopardus, D. 12 | 12, A. (2-(-)13. No crest on head. Brown, with black blotches and spots. 

 Ceylon and Sandwich Islands. 



2. Blennius Steindachneri, 11-12 | 15-16, A. (2+)16. No crest on head. Olive, with six vertical bands : 

 a large black, white-edged, ocellus between the first and second dorsal ray. Seas of India. 



1. Blennius leopardus, Plate LXVIII, fig. 6. 



Salarias leopardus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 518. 



B. vi, D. 12 I 12, P. 15, V. 4, A. (2-|-) 13, C. 11. 



Length of head 2/7, of pectoral 2/9, of caudal 2/9, height of body above 1/3 of the total length. 

 Ei/es— diameter 2/7 of length of head, H diameters from end of snout, and 1 apart. Snout obtuse, not 

 overhanging the mouth. No crest on the head. A transverse row of tentacles across the occiput : a fringed 

 supraorbital tentacle half the length of the eye : lips fringed, with two bifid tentacles on either side of the 

 symphysis of the lower jaw. The maxilla extends to below the anterior margin of the orbit. Fins — a deep 

 notch between the two portions of the dorsal fin : the second dorsal not continued quite to the caudal, which 



