ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Classifica- '<""*'' "o' always scaly in the lower part ; resembling Pemphthal- 

 mus in tlieir double lips and lower eyelids. Ten species. 



Gf.nos IX. Eleotris, Cuv. Separate ventrals, but in general 

 structure GMi, resembling them in the other fins, intestines, and 

 genital papilla. Branchiostegals six. Colours for the most part 

 dull. Twenty-three species. 



Genus X. Philypnus, Valenc. JEteotWiie.!, with card-like teeth 

 on the chevron of the vomer, in addition to the larger ones on the 

 jaws. One species. 



Genus XI. Notothenia, Rich. General form of Eleotris, with 

 tumid reflexed lips. Premaxillaries but little protractile. Scales 

 pretty large. Lateral line interrupted under the end of the second 

 dorsal. Head unarmed, porous. Branchiostegals six. Teeth on 

 the jaws acute, crowded, unequal. Tongue and palate toothless. 

 Ventrals jugular, of a spine and five articulated rays; dorsals two; 

 the first sustained by a few flexible rays ; second long, near the 

 first, even ; anal like the second dorsal ; the rays of both these fins 

 divided at the tips as in Trachinus, with a notch in the membrane 

 behind each. Pancreatic cseca five ; no air-bladder ; stomach ca:cal. 

 Eleven species. 



Genus XII. Asterropteryx, Riipp. Scaly fishes with a com- 

 pressed head and body, having considerable resemblance to Eleotris. 

 Scales ciliated. Medium-sized mouth ; teeth curved, conical, uni- 

 serial ; vomer and tongue smooth. Gill-openings not approaching 

 near each other. Branchiostegals three. Two dorsals, the rays of 

 the first sim|de, but articulated. Ventrals not united, of six rays, 

 all articulated. No visible lateral line. No genital papilla. No 

 stomachal or csecal dilatation of the intestine ; no pancreatic caeca ; 

 no air-bladder observed. One species. 



In this fiimily lliiller places the Discoboli of Cuvier, or Gohieso- 

 cida of later ichthyologists. 



TABLE OP THE DISCOBOLF. 



Form elongated, depressed, or subcylindrical. 

 Ventral disk single. 



Vertical fins united Liparis 20. 



Caudal separated. 



Gills four GOBIESOX 15. 



Gills three. ...CotYI^is 16, SlOYASES 17, Sicyogaster 18. 



Ventral disks, two Lepadogaster 13. 



Form lumpish, thinner on the back; disk single.CYCLOPTEUUS 19. 



Genus XIII. Lepadogaster, Gouan. Ample pectorals, which 

 descend to the throat where their rays are stronger, and where the 

 two fins are united by a transverse membrane extending forwards 

 and proceeding from the union of the two ventrals. Body smooth' 

 scaleless. Head large and depressed. Mouth projecting, protrac- 

 tile. Gill-openings not wide. Branchiostegals four or five. One 

 dorsal only, consisting of soft rays opposite to an anal fin of like 

 form. Intestines short, straight; no pancreatic cajca; no air- 

 bladder. 



In the typical species (Porte-Ecuelle, " Regne Animal") there 

 is a circular concave disk under the pubic bones formed by the 

 otherwise little developed ventrals ; and a second disk before it 

 less complete, formed under the coracoid by the pectorals. Eight 

 or ten species. 



Genus XIV. Traohelochismus, Barn. In this genus, as in 

 Lepadogaster, there are two ventral disks, by which they are dis- 

 tinguished from the allied genera in which there is only one lateral, 

 single-notched disk. The gill-openings join, but in Lepadogas- 

 ter they are separated. Tr. Oouani, Oandolii, bimaculatus, piger. 



Genus XV. Gobiesox, Lacep. Have not the double disks of 

 Lepadogaster ; but the pectorals and ventrals form a single large 

 disk split on each side, and prolonged there by membranes ; dorsal 

 and anal short, and separated from the caudal. Gill-openings 

 larger. G. dentex. 



Genus XVI. Cotylis, Miill. and Trosch. (Cliori.whismus. Barn.) 

 Teeth o( Gobiesox ; a row of conical teeth on the jaws; behind the 

 fore bigger ones a mass of smaller ones. They differ from Go- 

 biesox in having only three gills ; and by the branchiostegal mem- 

 brane of both sides being attached to the isthmus, withoutcovering 

 it by an overhanging cuticular mantle or free border of skin. One 

 species. C. nudus. 



Genus XVII. Sicyases, Miill. and Trosch. (Tomieodon, Barn.) 

 Resembles Cotylis in having only th-ee gills, and in the insertion of 

 the branchiostegal membrane, but it has only a solitary row of teeth 

 in the jaws, the middle and bigger ones being incisorial, the late- 

 ral ones conical. One species. S. sanguineus. 



Genus XVIII. Sicyogaster, Barn. Distinguished from Sicy- 

 ases by the cutting mandibular teeth ; the other teeth are conical. 

 iS". marmoratus. 



Genus XIX. Cyclopteros, Linn. Ventrals encircling the pu- 

 bic bones united into one by membrane and forming an oval con- 



cave di<k, which is used as a sucker by the fish to attach itself to a 

 rock, llouth large. Teeth on the jaws and pharyngeals small, 

 pointed. Opercula small. Gill-openings closed below. Branchio- 

 stegals six. Pectorals very large, and uniting nearly under the 

 throat to embrace the ventral disk. Skeleton but slightly osseous. 

 Skin viscous, scaleless, but containing small hard grains. A pretty 

 large stomach; many pancreatic cicca ; a long intestine; a mo- 

 derate sized air-bladder. In the typical species the first dorsal is 

 more or less visible, though very low, and is composed of simple 

 rays ; the second dorsal, having branching rays, is opposite to the 

 anal. Body short and thick as well as high. 



Genus XX. Lipakis, Art. Differ from Cyelopterus in having 

 an elongated body, compressed posteriorly, and a single pretty long 

 dorsal with a corresponding anal. Skin smooth. 



The eight preceding genera form the Discoholi of the Regne Ani- 

 mal. The following genera are said, in the Histoire des Po'issons, to 

 be manifestly related to the Oohiidae, but to have characters which 

 point to their being types of peculiar families. 



Genus XXI. Calhonymus, Linn. Gill-openings reduced to a 

 small hole on each side of the nape. Ventrals widely separated, 

 larger than the pectirals, and attached to the ventral surface of the 

 throat. Head oblong and depressed. Mouth very protractile. A 

 process more or less elongated issuing from the inferior angle of 

 the preoperculum, and terminated by diverging points. Villiform 

 teeth on the jaws, none on the palate. First dorsal elevated, its 

 rays flexible and setaceous ; second dorsal and anal long. Skin 

 generally smooth. Stomach not coecal ; no air-bladder. A geni- 

 tal papilla. Twenty-five species. 



Genus XXII. Harpagifer, Kich. A Gobioid, with the ven- 

 trals ot Eleotris, differing from Callionymus in having a pretty large 

 gill-opening, which does not however descend to beneath the throat. 

 Operculum and suboperculuni bearing strong spines, none on the 

 preoperculum or interoperculum. Two dorsals, the first sustained 

 by four flexible rays. Teeth on the jaws slender, minute ; none on 

 the palate or tongue. Branchiostegals six. Stomach ca!cal ; pan- 

 creatic caeca three ; no air-bladder. Lateral line crossing the 

 nape to join its fellow, ending under the middle of the second 

 dorsal. 



Genus XXIII. TaicnONOTUS, Bloch, Schncid. Agrees with Cal- 

 lionymus in the form of the ventrals, and in the simple intestinal 

 canal, without pancreatic ca-ca. Body elongated, almost cylindri- 

 cal, terminated by a large pointed caudal. Eyes almost touching 

 on the dorsal aspect of the slightly depressed head. Villiform 

 teeth on the jaws, palatines, and front of the vomer. Gill-openings 

 very large, coming forward to beneath the eyes. Branchiostegals 

 seven. Dorsal single, extending to near the caudal, its front rays 

 simple, some of them elevated ; anal also long, with simple rays in 

 front. Scales. Lateral line straight, continuous. Stomach a long 

 narrow sac, with the pylorus near its bottom ; no pancreatic ca!ca ; 

 no air-bladder. One species. 



GenusXXIV. Platypterus, Kuhland Van Has. Two dorsals 

 separated to some distance. A triangular horizontal head. Mouth 

 under the end of the snout. Narrow bands of villiform teeth on 

 the jaws, none on the palate. Large ventrals attached to the under 

 surface of a flat breast, further back than the pectorals. Branchi- 

 ostegals six. Some denticulations at the angle of the preopercu- 

 lum. A genital papilla. Scales. Intestinal canal a simple tube, 

 without dilatations ; no pyloric caeca ; no air-bladder. One species. 

 Genus XXV. Comephoeus. Lacep. Elongated, scaleless, taper- 

 ing fish, with a short depressed head, and large terminal horizon- 

 tal mouth. Very wide gill-openings. Seven branchiostegals. Very 

 long pectorals, and no ventrals. Teeth extremely short, in bands 

 on the jaws, chevron of the vomer, and palatines. Mandible slightly 

 longer than the premaxillaries. Branchiostegals six. Eight flex- 

 ible rays on the low first dorsal ; second dorsal higher, long, like 

 the anal, and terminating with it not far from the forked caudal, 

 leaving a very slender naked part of the tail between the three ver- 

 tical fins. Stomach small, pointed, caecal ; no pancreatic caeca ; no 

 air-bladder. One species. 



Genus XXVI. ChjENICIItiiys, Rich. Head large, depressed 

 (but with flat vertical cheeks), wider than the elongated body, which 

 tapers gradually in all directions to the caudal. Snout produced, 

 flat, and wide. A large mouth, bordered above wholly by the pre- 

 maxillary, the maxillary, which is articulated to the nasal, lyin" 

 behind ; the angles of the mouth are laterally protractile, giving a 

 great extent to the gape. Teeth small, curved in crowded bands 

 on the jaws; few on the pharyngeals; vomer and palatines smooth ; 

 preorbitar rough, radiated, of moderate size, the other suborbitars 

 small. Cheeks naked. Ventrals situated before the pectorals, 

 composed of a spine and five soft rays, the first three of which are 

 enveloped in soft skin, and are very thick, the oiher two branched 

 as usual. Eye large, lateral. Gill-opening ample, extending for- 

 ward between the limbs of the mandible. Branchiostegals six. 

 No scales. Lateral line running straight to near the caudal, where 



