200 BLENNIID.E. 



Fam. 24. BLENNIIDiE. 



Gobioidei, part., Cuv. Rhpie Atifm. 

 Blennioidei, Mii/l. Betl. Abhamll. 1844, p. 201. 

 Blenniidoe, Owen, Led. on Comp. Anat. Vert. i. p. 49. 



Body elongate, low, more or loss cylindrical, naked, or covered with 

 scales, which are generally small. The infraorbital ring does not arti- 

 culate with the prajoperculum. One, two, or three dorsal fins, occu- 

 pying nearly the whole of the back, — the spinous portion, if distinct, 

 being as much developed as the soft, or more ; sometimes the whole 

 fin composed of spines ; anal fin long ; ventrals jugular*, composed 

 of a few rays, and sometimes rudimentary or entirely absent. Air- 

 bladder generally absent; pyloric appendages none. Pseudobranchiai 

 present t. 



Carnivorous fishes, living at the bottom of the shores of aU regions ; 

 several inhabiting fresh waters. 



Miiller has dii'ected the attention of ichthyologists to the presence 

 or absence of pseudobranchite as an excellent character by which the 

 position of these fishes may be determined, in which otherwise it is not 

 evident whether they belong to the Blenniidae or to the Anacanthini. 

 This character, however, appears not to be sufficient, Dactyloscojnis 

 and Patcpcus forming exceptions, although the structure of their dorsal 

 fin proves that their natm-al place is with, or near, the Blennioids. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 

 A. Ventrals jzigular, if presetit. 



1. Molar teeth. 



Caudal separate 1 . Anarriiiciias, p. 208. 



Caudal not separate 2. Anarriiichtiiys, p. 21 1 . 



2. Molar teeth none. Caudal distinct. 

 a. The spinous and soft portions of the dorsal fin of nearly equal extent. 



Body naked. Jaws with a single series of immoveable 

 teeth, and sometimes with a small posterior canine 

 tooth. Gill-opening wide 3. Blennius, p. 211. 



Body naked. Jaws with a single series of immoveable 

 teeth, and sometimes with a small posterior canine 

 tooth. Gill-opening reduced to a small opening 

 above the pectoral 4. Ciiasmodes, p. 228. 



Body naked. Jaws with a single series of immoveable 

 teeth and with a long posterior canine tooth. Gill- 

 opening reduced to a small opening above the pec- 

 toral 6. Petkoscirtes, p. 229. 



* Thoracic in Pseiidohlennius. 



t Except in Dacti/loscopus and Patacus. 



