New Family Type of Fishes related to the JBlennioids. 141 



head forms rather more than an eleventh of the length, and is twice as 

 long as high. The length of the snout to the diameter of the eye is 

 about equal, and exceeds a fourth of the head's length. The length of 

 the pectoral fin exceeds a seventh of the length. The well developed 

 caudal has a lunate emargination, and its inner rays exceed a twelfth of 

 the length, while the largest external ones exceed a sixth. 



The color is purplish, uniform on the body, while the dorsal is darker 

 and furnished with several rows of blackish dots ; the caudal has two 

 dark dots near the base, from the upper of which a streak advances 

 forwards ; the pectoral, externally, has a single dark dot near the base 

 of the upper rays. 



A single specimen, five inches and a half long, was found in 

 the Chinese seas by Dr. William Stimpson, during the voyage 

 of the North Pacific Exploring Expedition. 



XV. — On a New Family Type of Fishes related to the 



Blennioids. 



By Tbeodore Gill. 

 Read April 3, 1865. 



Fam. CH^ENOPSIDvE. 

 Genus Cliaenopsis, Poey, 



Body naked, compressed, almost anguilliform, with the back and 

 abdomen obtuse ; very gradually decreasing in height to the caudal fin. 

 Anus, submedian. 



Lateral line, a simple furrow running nearly along the middle of the 

 side. 



Head much elongated, quadrate behind at the opercular region, conic 

 in front, with the profile rectilinear and the snout acute. 



Eyes moderate, circular, partly in the anterior third of the head. 

 Suborbital chain well developed, perfectly ossified ; preorbital tiiangu- 

 lar, pointed in front; portion under the eye narrow ; behind, especially 

 at the lower angle, enlarged. 



