394 SPINY-FINNED GROUP. 



The blennies of the typical genus Blennius, of which there are some forty 

 species, are found in the northern seas, the Tropical Atlantic, the coasts of Tasmania, 

 and the Red Sea. They are characterised by the moderate elongation of the naked 

 body, the short snout, the single continuous dorsal fin, and the presence of one 

 spine and two rays in the pel vies. The cleft of the mouth is narrow, the jaws 

 contain a single series of fixed teeth, behind which there is generally one larger 

 curved tooth, at least in the lower jaw. Above each eye is the longer or shorter 

 tentacle, and the gill-opening is relatively wide. Among British species we have 

 the eyed blenny (B. ocellatus), distinguished by the dark spot on the elevated 

 spinous portion of the dorsal, the smooth blenny or shanny B. pholis, and the large 

 B. gattorugine, which may grow to a foot in length; while as an example of 

 .a species living in inland lakes we may cite the fresh-water blenny (B. vulgaris) of 

 Southern Europe. Most can be readily accustomed to a fresh- water life, and many 

 of the marine species attach themselves to floating objects, while some are found 

 far out at sea among the patches of drifted seaweed. In the Indian seas the 

 blennies are represented by seven more or less closely allied genera, in one of which 

 {Xiphasia) the body is band-like, and the caudal fin continuous with the dorsal 

 and anal. 



viviparous The fish (Zoarces viviparus) of which two examples are repre- 



Biennies. sented in the lower part of the illustration on p. 387, is one of two 

 species of a genus remarkable for producing living young. With an elongate body, 

 rudimental scales, and conical teeth in the jaws, these fish have an extremely 

 elongated dorsal fin, separated from the caudal merely by a depression formed by 

 a series of spines much shorter than the rays ; these spines being the only ones 

 throughout the fins. The pelvic fins are composed of three or four rays ; and the 

 long anal fin is continuous posteriorly with the caudal. The gill-openings are wide. 

 While the figured European species, which is not uncommon on the British coasts, 

 does not exceed a foot in length, its Transatlantic cousin (Z. anguillaris) may 

 measure two or three times as much. The fry, which at birth are perfectly 

 transparent, and form beautiful objects for the microscope, are so fully developed 

 as to be able at once to swim freely on leaving the body of the female parent. 

 Before their birth the female becomes so distended, that at the slightest pressure 

 the young are extruded; these frequently being from two to three hundred in 

 number, and always making their appearance in the world head first. The general 

 colour of the adult fish is pale brow T n, with the dorsal fin and upper-parts mottled 

 and barred with darker brown. 



Easily recognised by the powerful tuberculated and molar-like 

 teeth with which their mouths are armed, the wolf -fishes (Anarrhi- 

 chas) may be regarded merely as gigantic and somewhat specialised blennies. In 

 this genus, which is represented by a small number of species from the northern 

 seas of both the Eastern arid Western Hemispheres, the elongate body is covered 

 with rudimental scales ; the muzzle is rather short and the cleft of the mouth wide ; 

 and the jaws are armed with strong conical teeth, those of the lateral series carry- 

 ing several pointed cusps, while a double row of large molar-like teeth runs down 

 the middle of the palate. The long dorsal fin has flexible spines, and there is a 

 distinct caudal, but the pelvic pair are quite wanting. The gill-opening is wide. 



