FISHES COLLECTED IN JAPAN. 17 
30. CLINUS POLYACTOCEPHALUS, Pallas. 
BLENNIUS POLYACTOcEPHALUS, Pallas, Zoog. Ross. Asiat. III, 179. 
GUNELLUS ee C. and V. 11, 448. 
PLATE VII, fig. 4. Reduced. 
Norrs.—From Hakodadi, (12 inches,) D. 61, A. 46, P. 13, C. 13, (Gashinagi. ) 
From the drawing, it would be difficult to pronounce this positively a Gunellus; but Mons. 
Valenciennes, in the Hist. des Poissons, places it in this genus, though only from the descrip- 
tion of Pallas, which is as follows : 
“¢ Swecies anomala,—BLENNIUS POLYACTOCEPHALUS. 
‘* B. pedunculis quatuor supraciliaribus wniramosis majoribus, verticis octonis simplicibus. 
“« Specimen anomali huyjus piscis, inter alia curiosa e Camtschatca transmissum, siccatum, sine 
ulteriore adnotatione accepi, et sic descripsi : 
‘‘ Duscr. Longitudo pedalis, forma Bl. vivipari et corpus aeque molle ac flucum, squamulis 
minutis, mollibus tectum. Caput retusum, brevissimum, subtetragono-convecum, maxilla inferiore 
longiore, utraque plane edentula. F'rons inter orbitas approximatas, majusculas, depressa, spinulis 
2. cartilagineis, minutis in medio, una pone alteram ; in utroque supercilio pedunculi duo cartila- 
ginet, cathetoplatei, postico margine acutiores, uniramosi, quorum posteriores paulo majores, cras- 
storesque. Vertex pone orbitas subexcavatus, quasi muricatus cirrhis cartilagineis erectis, in 
duplict serie octonis, quorum postici, tidem et exterius positi, uniramosi. Praeterea apophyses 
aliquot molles per operculorum discum sparsae: Opercula subtriangula, postice acuta ; flabella 
radiis sex osseis, teretibus, arcuatis, quorum proximus sub operculo adnatus. Corpus compressum. 
Pinna dorsi non longe a nucha incipiens, fere ad caudam continua, radiorum 60. P. ani bipolli- 
cart fere intervallo ab ano, ad ipsam caudam continuata, postice in laciniam productiuscula. 
Candae pinna subaequalis, radiorum 13.”’ 
The drawing seems to have less tentacles on the head; but some of these have, no doubt, 
been overlooked by the draughtsman. In its size, form, and number of rays, it corresponds 
exactly with the species noticed by Pallas. The fin rays seem to have been carefully counted, 
and are D. 60, A. 46, P. 13, C. 13, V.? It has distinct ventrals, though they were not noticed 
by Pallas. 
The fish seems high for a Gunellus, and may, perhaps, belong to a new genus. The Bl. 
alectorolophus of Pallas (p. 174) is either a young of this species or one belonging to the same 
genus. - 
Cotors. Head and body olive brown, mottled or clouded in irregular darker bands on sides, 
with three still darker bands across middle of body, over anterior part of anal, reaching from 
dorsal to anal. Irides pale dull yellow. Back dark, abdomen leaden grey. Body along base 
of anal mottled for half its length, and tinged towards tail with brick-red. Head brownish, 
tinged with red, and less mottled than body. Pectorals dusky blue, tinged with brick-red 
around margin. Dorsal very dark dusky olive, of rather uniform tint. Anal dull leaden grey, 
paler along the base. Caudal brick-red, with very broad, dark, dusky, irregular bands across 
the middle, and margined irregularly with same. 
