LZ TELEOSTEI CHAP. 
A well-known British fish of this family is the lttle Gunnel 
or Butter-Fish (Pholis gunnellus), remarkable for the manner in 
which the female protects her offspring, coiling herself round 
the eggs, which she rolls up into a ball about the size of a 
Brazil nut, in holes of the boring Molluse (Pholas). The male 
sometimes assists the female. 
Fam. 12. Zoarcidae.—Suborbitals not forming a subocular 
shelf; mouth feebly protractile. Praecaudal vertebrae with strong 
transverse processes bearing ribs and epipleurals. Gill-membranes 
usually more or less broadly united to isthmus; 5 to 8 branchi- 
ostegal rays; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; pseudobranchiae 
present or absent. Scapular arch as in Blenniidae. Ventral 
fins jugular or absent; if present, with 1 to 4 rays. Body more 
or less elongate, naked or with very small scales. Dorsal and 
anal fins elongate, all the rays articulated, or a few of the 
posterior dorsals spinous. Usually no distinct caudal fin. 
Fic. 430.—Typhlonus nasus x4. (After Giinther. ) 
These fishes have usually been placed, in part at least, near 
the Gadids, but they have more in common with the Blenniids, 
as pointed out by Jordan and Evermann, and may be regarded 
as degraded forms descended from the latter." The family is 
widely distributed in all seas, many of the forms being specially 
adapted to live at great depths. The species known number 
about 130. Principal genera: Seytalina, Zoarces, Lycodes, 
Gymnelis, Lycocara, Melanostigma, Derepodichthys, Bathyonus, 
Porogadus, Bythitis, Neobythitis, Cataetyx, Selachophidium, Acan- 
thonus, Typhlonus, Aphyonus, Tauredophidium, Rhodichthys, 
Brosmophycis, Brotula, Lucifuga, Lamprogrammus, Diplacantho- 
poma, Hephthocara. 
1 It is in fact, in some cases, difficult to decide whether a genus should be 
referred to the Gadidae or to the Zoarcidae. 
