ON THE PROPER NAME OF THE GUNNELS OR BUTTER- 

 FISHES. 



I 



By Theodore Gill, LL. D. 



I 



I 



The fishes known by the book name of gunnels, and more gener- 

 ally designated by fishermen and shoremen as butter-fishes, have been 

 mostly accredited with the Latin names Murcenoicles, Centronotus and 

 Gunnellus. The object of the present communication is to show that 

 not one of these names is eligible, and that all have to be superseded 

 by a still older name, Pholis. 



I. 



In 1758, Ophidian was considered by Linnseus^ as a genus of Jugu- 

 lar es^ and diagnosed as follows : 



131. QpniDiON. Caput uudiusculum. Membr, branch, patula radia V. Corpus 

 eusiforme. Pinna dorsalis anique unita caudte. Finuis - venirales radiis duobus: 

 exteriore spinoso. 



barbatum. 1. ^^ Ophidium barbatum. 



imberbe. 2. = Pholis gunnellus. 



macrophthalmum. 3. = Cepola macrophtbalma. 



The description was evidently based on the gunnel. 

 In 1766 Ophidium was placed by Linnaeus^ as a genus in the order 

 Apodes, and redefined as follows : 



148. Ophidium. Caput uudiusculum. Dentes masillis, palato, faucibus. Membr. 

 branch, radiis VII, patula. Corpus eusiforme. 

 barbatum. 1, 

 imberbe. 2. 



The description is more applicable to Ophidium than to the gunnel, 

 if we take cognizance of the fact that Linnseus considered the chin 

 appendages as barbels ("cirris quatuor") and not anomalous ventrals. 

 Inasmuch as (1) the barhatum was the first species of the genus in both 

 cases, (2) the ancient name referred to it, (3) Linnaius himself consid- 

 ered it as the type of the genus, notwithstanding his diagnosis, and 

 (4) the name Ophidium has been used universally for it, it seems best 

 to retain the name with the usual acceptation. 



• Systema Natune, ed. x, I, p. 259. 

 ^ Systema Naturte, ed. xii, I, p. 431. 



Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Vol. XVIII— No. 1048. 



147 



