THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[EIGHTH SERIES.] 

 No. 57. SEPTEMBER 1912. 



XXX.YI.— The Claasification of the Bhnnioid Fishes. 

 By C. Tate Hegan, M.A. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



The Blennioids n^ay be defined as Percomovphous Teleo.sts 

 with the pelvic fiii.s jugular or mental, each of a spine and 

 four soft rays or still further reduced, with the dorsal and 

 anal rays typically corresponding in number to the vertebrae, 

 each basal bone attached to its own neural or hajmal spine 

 (rays more numerous in Ophidiifornies), with well-developed 

 wings of the parasphenoid ascending in front of the prootics, 

 and with all or most of the ribs inserted on strong para- 

 po{)hyses. The limits aiid contents of the group are indicated 

 in the following scheme: — - 



Order PERCOMORPHI. 

 Suborder Blennioidea. 



1. Blenniiformes : Blenniidce, Anarrhichadid*, Congrogadid», 



Notograptidse. 



2. Climf amies : Clinidee, Dactyloscopidse, Xiphidioutidfe, 



Sticligeidae, Pliolididse, Lnmpenidse, Microdesmida*, 

 Ptilicbthyida;, Zoarcidai, Scytalinidae, Rhodichthyidse. 



3. Ophidiiforines : Brotulidse, Ophidiidfe, Fierasferidae. 

 Ann. dfc Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. x. ly 



