PISCES 



149 



The Gobies (Gobiidce) are surface-dwelling fishes characterized 

 by elaborate fin structures and brilliant colors, reminding one of 

 some of the brilliant birds. They might be designated the "humming- 

 birds" among fishes. The Gobies are excessively numerous in tropi- 

 cal waters. The East Indian Goby has large muscular pectoral fins, 

 which it uses like feet; its habit is to hop about over the mud-flats at 

 low tide, feeding upon stranded crustaceans. 



The Shark-suckers (Remoras) are especially noteworthy on 

 account of the peculiar modifications of the anterior dorsal fin into a 

 lamellated sucker (Figs. 88 and 89), by means of which they adhere to 

 the body of a shark or some other smooth-bodied fish. By means of 

 this sucking disk they obtain free transportation without exertion, 



FIG. 90. Type of teleost with over-specialized fins. 

 (Redrawn after Jordan and Evermann.) 



Dendrochirus hudsoni. 



dropping off when they reach a desired destination and awaiting 

 another accommodating conveyance when they wish again to travel. 

 They appear to do no harm to the host fish, except in so far as they 

 somewhat impede its movements. 



The family Scorpcenidce (Mailed-Cheeked Fishes) are among the 

 most elaborately finned of the Spiny-Rayed fishes. A good type is 

 Dendrochirus (Fig. 90), in which the fins, both paired and median, 

 appear to have run riot like the plumage of some of the highly spe- 

 cialized birds. The color pattern is in striking accord with the back- 

 ground. 



