Classijication of the Blennioid Fishes. 21 V 



paiietals separated by supraoccipital ; a basisplienoid ; paia- 

 splienoid meeting alisplienoids ; exoccipital condyles wide 

 apart. Post-temporal foiked ; 2 post-cleithra on each side; 

 4 flattened radials inserted on hypercoracoid and liypo- 

 coracoid, which are in contact and well-developed, the latter 

 continued forward below the base of the pectoral. Pelvic 

 bones erect laminaj that meet above and enclose a chamber 

 between them. Vertebra 34 to 57 (10-22 + 24-35) or more ; 

 pi scandals with parapophyses from the sixth or seventli to the 

 last. 



The principal genera are : Heteroslichus, Clinns, Gohio- 

 clinus, Sticharium, Emrno?i, NeocUuus, Einhlemaria^ Crisiiceps, 

 Exerpes, Auchenopterus, Tripterygium, Lepidublennius, from 

 tropical and temperate seas. , 



Family 2. DactyloscopidaB. 



Body scaly; a single lateral line. Dorsal with the spinous 

 portion less extended than the soft ; anal long, precedt-d by 

 2 spines ; caudal free, with 10 or 11 princi[)al rays ; pectorals 

 broad-based, somewhat piocurrent below ; pelvics jugular, 

 each of a small spine and 3 simple articulated rays. Mouth 

 protractile; jaws with bands of cardiform or villiform teeth ; 

 palate toothless. Operculum fringed ; gill-membranes not 

 united, free from the istlnuus. Head-skeleton as in the 

 Clinidaj, except that there is no basisphenoid ; parasphenoid 

 meeting frontals. Pectoral arch as in the Clinidte, except 

 that the hypercoraccid and h} pocoracoid are separated and 

 the two lower radials are inserted on the cleithrum (tig. 3, 1) ; 

 pelvic bones formed exactly as in the Cliuic'te. 



Four genera: Gillellus, Dacttjlo-copus^ Dactijlagnus^ and 

 Myxodagnus, from the coasts of tropical America. 



In Ducf.gloscopus tridigitalus I count 46 vertebras (12 + 34) ; 

 there are 10 pairs of ribs, the last 7 inserted on parapophyses. 



Family 3. Xiphidiontidae. 



Body covered with small scales; 3 or 4 lateral lines with 

 numerous vertical branches. Vertical fins confluent; dorsal 

 formed of spines only ; anal long ; caudal witli 15 branched 

 rays ; pectorals small ; pelvics absent. Mouth small, scarcely 

 protractile ; jaws with conical or villiform teeth and with 

 anterior canines ; palate toothless. Gill-membranes united, 

 free from the isthmus. Oead-^keleton as in the Clinidte, 

 except that there is no basisphenoid ; parasphenoid mejting 



