8. LEPADOQASTER. 511 



Cyclopterua ocellatus, Donov. Brit. Fishes, iv. pi, 76. 



lepadogaster, Walb. Artedi, vii, p. 490. 



comubicus, Shaw, Zool, v. p. 397. 



Lepadogaster ciliatus, Risso, Journ. Phys. xci. p. 248. 



balbis, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p, 73. pi. 4. fig. 9, and Eur. Merid, iii. 



p. 274 (D. 22, A. 11) ; Cuv. Rhgne Anim. 

 biciliatus, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 272 ; Nordm. in Demid, Voy, 



Russ. Merid. iii. p. 537. pi. 15. figs. 4-6. 

 comubiensis, Flem. Brit. Ani?n. p. 189 ; Yarr. Brit. Fishes, 2nd 



edit. ii. p. 359, 3rd edit. ii. p. 335. 



zebrinus, Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. vii. 1839, p. 88. 



■webbianus, Valenc. in Webb Sc Berthel. lies Canar. Poiss. p. 86. 



Skeleton: — Rosenth, Ichthyot. Taf. tab. 20. fig. 11 (Lepadogaster 



balbis). 



B. 5. D. 17-18. A. 9-11. V. 1/4. Yert. 14/20. 



Vertical fins continuoiis. Anterior nostril with a tentacle ; head 

 broad and convex behind the eyes ; snout depressed, produced like 

 the bill of a duck. 



Mediterranean. Black Sea. Northwards to the British coasts. 



a. Adult. South Devonshire. Museum Leach. 



h-d, e. Adult. Falmouth. Presented by W. C. Cocks, Esq. 



/. Adult. Polperro. Presented by J. Couch, Esq. 



g-k, I, m. Adult. British specimens. 



n-q. Adult. Lundy Island. Presented by S. P. "Woodward, Esq. 



r. Many specimens. Madeira. 



s. Adult. Mediterranean. Presented by the Rev. W. Hannah. 



t. Adult. South Europe. Presented by P. B. "Webb, Esq. 



The body is broad and depressed anteriorly, compressed posteriorly, 

 covered with a tough naked skin ; there are several vertical folds on 

 the side of the body. The head is large, its length being contained 

 twice and a half in the total ; its breadth on its posterior portion 

 is considerable, being nearly two-thirds of its length; its- upper 

 surface is flat, gently sloping downwards to the snout ; it suddenly 

 becomes narrower before the eyes and is produced into a long and 

 depressed snout, the length of which is one-third of that of the head. 

 The least width ©f the interorbital space is somewhat more than the 

 horizontal diameter of the eye, which is one-eighth of the length of 

 the head. The cleft of the mouth is straight and extends to below 

 the centre of the eye ; its posterior angle is situated on the lower 

 side of the head ; the upper jaw projects a Kttle beyond the lower ; 

 both jaws ar'> prmed with a series of teeth, which widens to a small 

 patch of very small teeth anteriorly ; the tongue is long, narrow, 

 and free. The nostrils are close together, situated opposite the 

 upper angle of the orbit ; the anterior is provided with a tentacle, 

 which is sometimes as long as the eye. The gtU-opening is narrow, 

 situated before the pectoral fin, the gill-membranes being attachea 

 to the side of the neck and to the isthmus. The branchiostegals, 

 five in number, are very thin ; three gills and a half ; the pseudo- 

 branchiae are rudimentary, composed of two or three laminae only. 



The pectorals are of moderate length and rounded ; there is a small 



