2758 



THE BONY FISHES AND GANOIDS 



THE GOBIES AND MUD SKIPPERS Family 



The gobies and their allies differ from the preceding family in that there are al- 

 ways distinct rays to the pelvic fins; although in some cases the two fins may be 

 joined in the middle line. Elongated in form, the body may be either scaled or 

 naked; and the teeth are generally small, but may have enlarged tusks among them. 

 The spinous portion of the dorsal (whether separate or continuous with the soft dor- 

 sal) is always composed of flexible spines, and shorter than the soft dorsal. The 

 .gill opening is more or less narrowed, and there is usually no air bladder. This very 



FRESH-WATER GOBY. 



(Natural size.) 







extensive family comprises littoral fishes of small size and carnivorous habits, a few 

 of which have accustomed themselves to a fresh-water life. It contains a large 

 number of genera, some of which are extremely numerous in species, as are the lat- 

 ter in individuals; and their range includes the coast regions of all the temperate 

 and tropical seas. Geologically, the group is comparatively ancient, true gobies 

 dating from the middle Eocene of Monte Bolca, while the extinct genus Chirothrix 

 occurs in the Chalk of the Lebanon. 



Familiar to all in the person of the common British species Gobius 

 niger, the gobies form a very large genus with a geographical distri- 

 bution as extensive as that of the family, but especially well represented in tropical 

 and subtropical seas, no less than forty different kinds being recorded from those of 



Cobies 



