114. BLENNIID.®. 
753 
inhabiting the tropical seas. This group or family is most nearly re- 
lated to the Uranoscopidce, but some of the species show Blennioid 
traits. 
{Leptoscopoidoe Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1862, 503-506.) 
a. Veutral rays I, 3; pectoral rays simple. (Dactyloscopinw.) 
b. Pseudobranchi® none; bead cirboid; dorsal commencing at tbe nape. 
Dactyloscopus, 400. 
400.— DACTYLrOSCOPIJS Gill. 
(Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1859, 132: type Dactyloscopus tridUjitatus Gill.) 
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 
emargiuate 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. {da/.zuloi;^ finger; 
(rxoTtog, short for Uranoscopus.) 
1151. 1>. Gill. 
Whitish; head 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. XIl, 28; A. II, 32; P. 13; Y. I, 
3; scales 11 -f 4 + 30 = 45. West Indies, north to Key West. (Gill.) 
(Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1859, 132, 1861, 264, and 1862,505; Giiutber, iii,279.) 
Family CXIV.— BLENNIIDtE.^ 
{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 dipbycercal; air- 
bladder usually wanting; pseudobranchim 13 resent ; gills 4, a slit behind 
the fourth ; vertebrje numerous. Genera about 50 ; species nearly 300. 
As here understood, a large and varied family, cbieflj" of small carniv- 
orous fishes, inhabiting rock-pools and sea bottoms near tbe shore. 
Some of them are found in the fresh- water lakes of Italy. Many of 
' * Including families 112 Blennidw and ll'S Anarrhickadidee o£ tbe key on pages 80 
and 81. 
Bull. Kat. Mus. Ko. 16 48 
