9. LEPTOPTERYGIUS. 515 



fins and by its comparatively short snout. The length of the he^M 

 is one-fourth of the total, and its greatest width is nearly two-thirds 

 of its length ; it is flat' superiorly, and the width of the interorbital 

 space is nearly twice the diameter of the eye : in immature speci- 

 mens, however, the eye is comparatively larger. The snout, if 

 viewed from above, is triangular, and rather broader than long. The 

 cleft of the mouth extends to below the anterior margin of the eye. 

 The disk between the coracoids is subcircular, and the coracoids 

 themselves are low, extending upwards co the middle of the base of 

 the pectoral. The dorsal and anal fins are opposite each other, and 

 commence at some distance behind the vent. The distance of the 

 origin of the former from the caudal is about one-third of its distance 

 from the snout. The caudal is of moderate length and rounded. 

 Light carmine-red ; sometimes with a round dark-purplish white- 

 edged spot on each side of the belly behind the pectoral. 



This species attains to a length of two inches. 



It appears to vary in coloration as much as L. gouanxi, and Brisout 

 de Barneville considers the three fishes described by Guichenot 

 as mere varieties of L. himacidatus. L. maculatus is represented 

 as brownish, with three large reddish spots on the back ; L. pnnc- 

 tatus is green, with reddish dots, and with three brown longitudinal 

 stripes on the snout ; L. lineatus is green, with a pearl-coloured lon- 

 gitudinal band from the eye to the caudal, emitting five cross-bars 

 towards the back. 



9. LEPTOPTERYGIUS. 



Leptopterygius, Trosch. in Wiegm. Arch. 1860, p. 205. 



Anterior part of the body rather depressed ; snout obtuse, rounded, 

 depressed. Posterior portion of the adhesive disk suspended at j;ho 

 coracoid bones, and with the anterior margin free. Dorsal and anal 

 fins reduced to a narrow fold, in which the rays are either rudi- 

 mentary or entirely absent. Jaws with cardiform teeth. Gills three 

 and a half ; branchiostegals four ; gill-membranes attached to the 

 isthmus. 



Mediterranean. 



1. Leptopterygius piger. 



Lepadogaster piger, Nardo in Isk, xx. pp. 478, 483 ; Bris. de Burner. 



Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 282. 

 Gouania piger, Bonap. 

 Leptopterygius coccoi, Trosch. I. c. p. 207. taf. 7. 



Dorsal and anal fins rudimentary, very low, contiguous with the 

 caudal. Snout short, veiy obtuse ; nasal tentacles short, the anterior 

 longer than the posterior. Posterior ventral disk of moderate size, 

 subovate, scarcely narrower than the body. Eyes small. Yellowish 

 or brownish (in spirits), sometimes with cross-bands formed of 

 brown dots. 



Coasts of Nice, Genoa, and Messina, 



2l 2 



