Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2347 



fins thoracic or subjugular, usually, not much, if any, before the pecto- 

 rals, composed of 2 soft rays each, the spine rudimentary ; caudal well 

 developed, the dorsal and anal usually more or less joined to it at base. 

 OPHIOBLENNIIN^E : 



c'. Jaws each with 4 strong hooked canines in front; a hooked posterior 

 canine below ; a cirrus above eye and 1 above nostril ; body scale- 

 less; caudal fin forked; dorsal flu notched; body not eel-shaped; 

 dorsal and anal free from caudal ; ventrals small. 



OPHIOBLENNIUS, 894. 



cc'. Jaws with numerous teeth, not as above ; caudal fin not forked. 

 EMBLEMARIIN^E: 



d'. Body not eel-shaped; dorsal and anal not joined to caudal; no 

 scales; no cirri; no lateral line; ventrals before pectorals; 

 teeth on palatines; caudal fin rounded. 



e'. Dorsal fin very high, not notched, the spines passing grad- 

 ually into the soft rays ; jaws long, sharp at tip. 



EMBLEMARIA, 895. 

 dd'. Body elongate or eel-shaped; the dorsal and anal low, joined to 



base of caudal. 

 OHJENOPSINJ5: 

 /'. Ventrals subjugular, more or less before pectorals; pala 



tines with teeth; jaws long and sharp. 

 g 1 . Jaws with strong teeth, not as above described; dor- 

 sal fin with its anterior half of flexible spines, the 

 posterior half of soft rays, the former gradually 

 passing into the latter; jaws long, pike-like; 

 ventrals inserted slightly before pectorals; anal 

 with 2 spines ; a villiform band of teeth in each 

 jaw behind anterior teeth. 



h 1 . Vomer toothless. Dorsal rays about XVIII, 38 ; 



anal II, 38. UHJENOPSIS, 896. 



hh'. Vomer with a few teeth. Dorsal rays XVIII, 



32; anal II, 30. LUCIOBLENNIUS, 897. 



PHOLIDICHTHYIN.E : 



ff'. Ventrals subthoracic, inserted below pectorals; teeth in 



jaws uniserial; anal fin without spines. 

 f. Dorsal fin continuous, its spines indistinguishable 

 from the soft rays. PHOLIDICHTHYS, 898. 



ii 1 . Dorsal divided into 2 fins, the anterior portion of 3 

 flexible spines behind the nape. 



PSEDNOBLENNIUS, 899. 



II. Blennies arctic or subartic; the vertebrae in large number, usually 50 or more; lat- 

 eral line various, usually median; dorsal fin usually without soft rays; scales small, 

 cycloid, rarely wanting. 



j'. Gill openings not continued forward below, the membranes broadly united, some- 

 times joined to the isthmus ; ventral fins small or obsolete ; scales small, cycloid. 

 k'. Pectoral fins short or wanting, never pointed, and never more than J head; 



pyloric caeca asually, but not always, obsolete. 



l>. Body not covered with crosswise tubes at right angles to the lateral line, 

 m'. Dorsal fin composed of spines only. 

 STATHMONOTIN^E : 



n'. Body scaleless; ventrals moderately developed; anal spines 2; 

 no lateral line; no pseudobranchiae. STATHMONOTUS, 900. 

 nn'. Body covered with small smooth scales. 

 CHIROLOPHINJE : 



o'. Ventral fins well developed, of 1 spine and 3 rays; no 

 anal spines; top of head with many cirri; a row of 

 large pores above base of pectorals ; gill membranes 

 free from isthmus ; no pyloric cseca. 



