Fishes. 93 



class. — Scorpsena has poisonous rays in its dorsal fin , but it is not 

 such a dang-erous animal as the Sting'-flsh. A large species , of red 

 colour and with curious eyes , Seorpaena serofa , will be seen in tank 

 Nr. 6. 



Allied in habit to the Sea-scorpion is the Goby , Gobius (Fig. 68) , 

 a small , dark , ground-loving fish always to be seen at the bottom of 

 tanks 12 and 26, generally hidden in a crevice of the rock or in a bunch of 

 algfe, but more fond of movement tlian Scorpsena. They lav tlieir eggs 

 in all possible situations (plants , empty snail-shells , broken pottery, 

 glass-tubes, sea-squirts), each species, however, making use of only one 

 kind of object for this purpose. The male protects the eggs unntil they 

 hatch and defends them boldly against every enemy. 



The numerous species of the Blennies, Blennius , are small, very 

 agile , predatory fishes which live in large troops in those parts of the 

 coasts , which are covered with sea-weeds. Their mobile bodies are 

 continuously darting about and, should dang-er threaten, they disappear 

 at once into some hiding place. Their curiosity and « cheek » is extra- 

 ordinary, and causes them to snap at everything, and to annoy whatever 

 cannot protect itself. They nibble oft" the gills of the tubicolous worms, 

 they make dashes for the eyes of crabs and fishes , and they worry the 

 ascidians till the latter die. So they go on with all helpless animals. 

 The finest and largest species is the Butterfly-fish, Blennius oeellapis ' 

 (Fig. 158) , which possesses a large black eye-like spot on eacli side of 

 its dorsal fin. 



Hidden away similarly among the rocks we find the Kockling , Mo- 

 tella (Fig. 151) , which belongs to the family of the Cods. 



The transition from these fishes , tied more or less to the bed of 

 the sea, to the freely swimming fishes is formed by some good swimmers, 

 which, nevertheless, have a preference for the bottom or the coasts and 

 at times remain stationary like the previous kinds, at other times swim- 

 ming* for considerable distances. To this group belong* several species 

 of Gurnards, Trigla (Fig. 75). The Gurnards are remarkable on ac- 

 count of the peculiar grunting sound they emit when taken out of the 

 water. It is said not to be a real vocal sound , but only a frictional 

 noise produced by the rubbing of certain hard plates of the gill-cover 

 against underlying: parts. They have also a peculiar way of « walking » 

 about on the sand b\'- means of the free rays of their pectoral fins 

 (which are destitute of membrane), the so-called « fingers ». The hinder 

 part of the pectoral fins is very larg-e and usually brilliantly coloured 

 and enables the fish to leap out of the water. They are predatory fish, 

 with a widely opening mouth , which will gulp down tremendous 

 morsels. 



A near ally is the Flying-gurnard, Daetylopterus (Fig. 76), wliiclu 

 however , in spite of its name does not appear to use its large pectoral 

 fins for flying through the air. The Flying Gurnards live in shoals 

 at the bottom of the sea.. Their flesh is tough and tasteless. They 

 grunt like Trigla when caught. They are only occasionally seen in the 

 Aquarium. 



Like the gurnards tlie Red Mullet , Mullus ( Fig. 70 ) , lives in 



