142 New Family Type of Fishes related to the Blennioids. 



Preoperculum produced backwards and rounded, operculum narrow 

 oblong ; interoperculum narrow, mostly concealed under the preoper- 

 culum ; suboperculum of nearly uniform width curved, and chiefly 

 behind the operculum. The opercular elements are situated high up, 

 and leave exposed to view the branchiostegal membrane and its rays, 

 which are continued upwards and curved inwards towards the scapular 

 region ; when appressed to the sides, a foramen is formed iu front. 



Mouth large, with the cleft nearly horizontal linear, continued 

 behind the eyes. Jaws not protractile, the lower slightly projecting. 

 Intermaxillaries almost united by their posterior processes, and with 

 their lateral continued to the eye ; supramaxillaries narrow membrana- 

 ceous. Lips obsolete. 



Teeth, on the intermaxillaries and lower jaw, subcylindrical and 

 blunt, and in a uniform row, behind which, in front, there is a broad 

 band of villiform ones on the palatine bones, uniserial and obtusely sub- 

 cylindrical like those of the jaws ; the palatine rows are parallel ; vomer 

 edentulous. 



Branchial membrane enlarged, conspicuous externally, confluent and 

 emarginated behind beneath, and free from the throat. 



Branchiostegal rays seven, very slender, elongated, and curved up- 

 wards and inwards behind the opercular apparatus. 



Dorsal continuous from the nape, above the posterior margin of the 

 preoperculum to the caudal, to which it is united ; elevated in front ; with 

 its anterior rays inarticulated, and its posterior articulated, but undivided. 



Anal fin opposite, and similar to the articulated portion of the dorsal, 

 with its two anterior rays inarticulated. 



Caudal fin small, convex behind, with the dorsal and anal parts 

 attached to it. 



Pectoral fins entirely lateral, rather narrow, with rays slender and 

 simply articulated, and the lower ones rapidly graduated. 



Ventrals inserted slightly in advance of the pectorals, with two or 

 three articulated rays. 



This genus forms the type of a distinct family of fishes, dis- 

 tinguished by the form of the head, the development of the 

 post-ocular region, the exposure and development of the bran- 

 chiostegal membrane and rays, and the composition of the 



