GOBIES. 489 



the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic. Others have even penetrated 

 into the inland-waters of the African continent. 



Trtpauchen. — Body elongate, covered with minute scales ; 

 head compressed, with a deep cavity on each side, above the 

 operculum. Teeth small, in a band. One dorsal, the spinous 

 portion composed of six spines ; dorsal and anal fins continuous 

 with the caudal, ventral fins united. 



Small fishes of singular aspect, from the East Indian 

 coasts. Three species, of which T. vagina is common. 



Callionymus. — Head and anterior part of the body depressed, 

 the rest cylindrical, naked. Snout pointed, with the cleft of the 

 mouth narrow, horizontal, and with the upper jaw very pro- 

 tractile. Eyes rather large, more or less directed upwards. 

 Teeth very small, palate smooth. A strong spine at the angle 

 of the prseoperculum. Two dorsal fins, the anterior with three 

 or four flexible spines ; ventrals five-rayed, widely apart from 

 each other. Gill-openings very narrow, generally reduced to a 

 foramen on the upper side of the operculum. 



The "Dragonets" are small, and generally beautifully 

 coloured marine fishes, inhabitants of the coasts of the 

 temperate zone of the Old World; the minority of species 

 live in tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific ; and these seem to 

 descend to somewhat greater depths than the littoral species 

 of the northern hemisphere. Secondary sexual characters 

 are developed in almost all the species, the mature males 

 having the fin-rays prolonged into filaments, and the fin- 

 membranes brightly ornamented. On the British coast one 

 species (61 draco) is very common, and locally called 

 " Skulpin." About thirty species are known, many of which 

 have the prteopercular spine armed with processes or barbs. 

 Vulsus is allied to Callionyimis. 



Other genera belonging to this family are — Bcnthophilus 

 from the Caspian Sea ; AmUyoims, Orthostomus, Platyptera, 

 Luciotjoljius, Oxymdopon, and, perhaps, Oxudcrccs. 



