35 



26) : "They can be readily distinguished at first glance. The Cali- 

 fornia species has the flexure (of the lateral line) very abrupt and 

 oblique, and the pectoral fin equal to the length of the head before 

 the preoperculum." This fish is only sent occasionally to our market, 

 usually from Monterey, but when it is present it is in greater abun- 

 dance than any of the other Scomheroids. Occasionally it visits the 

 Bay of San Francisco, for the single specimen (seventeen inches long) 

 on which Dr. Ayres founded his species, was taken there, and the deal- 

 ers assure me of its opcasional occurrence. Those sent from Monterey 

 are seldom as large as Ayres' specimen. It is not valued so highly 

 as either of the previous species. From all the other fishes brought 

 to this market it may be readily known by the series of keeled scales 

 along the center line of the hinder part of the body. 



BLENNIID.E. 



This family, as originally composed, consisted of a heterogeneous assemblage of fishes with 

 little in common except a greater or less tedency to an elongate form, with more or less elongate 

 dorsal and anal fins; and ventrals which are either jugular (in advance of the pectorals) and 

 composed of fewer rays than usual, or are absent aftogether. They are, by Professor Gill, 

 divided into several families, among which are the Ana7-7^hichadida; or -wolf-fishes; large, rav- 

 enous fishes with strong teeth and no ventral fins; Blenniidoe or true Blennies, with ventrals 

 and a long, dorsal fin, formed partly of spines, and partly of soft rays; Stichceidcc or Snake 

 Blennies, with a dorsal composed of spines only, and a compressed, thin body; Xi2Mdiontidce. 

 or Gunnels, which differ from the last, among other things, in the absence of a lateral line, and 

 the presence of one ray only, in the ventrals; and Cryptacanthidce, which have the cleft of 

 the mouth nearly vertical, no ventrals, and the dorsal rays all spinous. 



To the first of these belongs Anarrhichtliys felis, Girard, a long 

 snake-like fish, with a large, heavy head — so heavy that if it hang 

 on one side of the hand while the body is on the other, it will draw 

 the body after it — and very strong teeth. It is sometimes brought to 

 market, and attains a length of four to eight feet. The contents of 

 the stomach of a large specimen brought to market, June 10th, con- 

 sisted entirely of the tests of our common cake-urchin. Another 

 Blennoid, occasional!}^ seen in the markets, and reaching a length of 

 more than two feet, is Cebidichthys cristagalli, Ayres, a browaiish olive 

 fish, with two or three purplish violet bands upon the cheeks, and a 

 crest upon the head {Cebidichthyidse, Gill). The other Blemdidx 

 brought occasionally to market, are quite small fishes, but Apodich- 

 thys flavidus, Girard, would make up for its small size by its abund- 

 ance, if it were at all sought for as an article of food. It attains a 

 length of about a foot, and is freciuently found under stones above 

 low-water mark. 



A species of the Batracliidse, or toad-fishes, Porichthys porosissimus, 

 the only one found on the coast, is common in the bay and at vari- 

 ous points up the coast, and is sometimes brought to market in the 

 summer, at which season it resorts to the tide-pools under the rocks, to 

 deposit its ova. It attains a length of about sixteen inches, and may 

 be recognized by the lines of silvery pores on the under side of the 

 the body, and the absence of scales. 



_ All the above fishes are used as food by the Chinese of San Fran- 

 cisco. 



