254 ACANTHEROPTYGII. FAMILY OF GOBIES. 



BLENNID7E. 



The name Blennius occurs in Pliny, and was in- 

 troduced as a generic term by Artedi. It is derived 

 from the Greek, pX'swa.mucus, and, by extension, sig- 

 nifies soft and indolent ; hence an abundant mucous 

 secretion from their skin is a distinguishing charac- 

 teristic; their body, moreover, is elongated, and 

 clad with a soft skin without scales ; their gill-rays 

 amount to six, and the ventrals are attached beneath 

 the throat and are apparently composed of two 

 rays, the internal being often divided into two 

 under the skin. Those which are analogous to tlie 

 spines of other osseous fishes, differ but little in the 

 consistence of the articulated rays, and the others are 

 composed almost entirely of jointless and flexible 

 rays. The dorsal fin is single, and extends along the 

 whole back ; the parts about the eye, and occasion- 

 ally, of the nose and neck, are ornamented with 

 tenfcaculous filaments of different forms ; the mouth 

 is small, opening at the extremity of the muzzle ; 

 the teeth are strong, simple, and arranged in lines, 

 each of which is terminated by a long canine. The 

 males are always easily recognized by tufts of pa- 

 pillas which exist near the external orifice of the 

 oviducts, and often by crests more or less elevated : 

 the milts of all are small, and communicate exter- 

 nally by means of a long canal : the females are 

 destitute of these external marks, the opening of 

 the oviduct being behind the vent and before the 

 opening of the bladder : there is no appearance of 



