Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2383 



Color faded, apparently olivaceous, with about 6 dark cross bars, which 

 extend on the dorsal fin; anal and posterior \ of body with numerous 

 round, whitish, stellate spots, probably bluish in life; bluish streaks 

 from eye across the cheeks; anal edged with dusky; the other fins 

 vaguely marked. Length 2 to 4 inches. Tropical parts of the Atlantic, 

 among rocks, widely diffused and variable. The above description 

 iroiii the type of Blennius asterias, from Garden Key, Florida. We have 

 the following notes on numerous specimens from Abrolhos Islands, 

 off the Coast of Brazil (Coll. Albatross}: D. XII, 15. Nape with a 

 fringed crest of 10 to 18 filaments. A small trifid tentacle above eye; 

 posterior canines in lower jaw only, short and small; gill membranes 

 broadly united, nearly free from the isthmus. Dorsal slightly notched; 

 nasal tentacle present. Color excessively variable, mostly grayish, with 

 5 or 6 cross blotches on the back, extending to form quadrate blotches on 

 the side; body mottled; fins also mottled; the anal dark, with a pale 

 edge. Some specimens highly variegated, the caudal banded and with 

 black and white spots; pale streaks from the eye across the cheek; dark 

 bars on sides, extending on dorsal. Most specimens have the region above 

 anal with numerous round whitish spots and some dark ones. These 

 spots sometimes nearly obsolete, most evident on the paler specimens. 



The following notes are taken from a specimen, No. 4635, M. C. Z., from 

 Para, Brazil (Coll. Agassiz and Bourgeot): Head 4; depth 4-J. D. XII, 

 14 ; A. 1, 16. Maxillary to front of eye, about equal to eye. Gill membranes 

 free. Lower jaw with a very small canine, not twice the length of the 

 upper teeth. Orbital cirrus quite small; a row of cirri along the nape, 

 longer than the orbital cirrus. Head not very blunt, the anterior profile 

 forming an angle above eye, thence straight and steep. Dorsal spines rather 

 low and flexible, the fin scarcely notched. Color nearly lost ; dark marb- 

 lings on sides and on dorsal fin. This species is evidently the Blennius 

 crinitus of Giinther and the B. asterias of Goode & Bean, probably the nuchi- 

 filis of Cuvier and Valenciennes, and in all probability the cristatus of Lin- 

 naeus, also. These nominal species are from various localities in the Atlan- 

 tic. If our specimens are all alike, all these forms most likely belong to 1 

 species. For this cristatus is the oldest name. The very small canines 

 show considerable divergence from the type of Blennius, approaching 

 Scartella. (Eu.) (cristaius, crested.) 



Blennius crista selacea longitudinale inter oculos, GEONOW, Museum, I, No. 75 ; D. 26 ; A. 



16 ; locality unknown. (Coll. Vosmaer.) 

 Blennius cristatus, LINN^US, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, I, 258, 1758, Indies, after GEONOW; GUN- 



THEB, Cat. Fish., HI, 223, 1861; JOBDAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1890, 329. 

 Blenniut crinitus, CUVIEE & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xi, 237, 1836, La Rochelle, 



France (Coll. D'Orbigny) ; GUNTHEB, Cat., in, 224, 1861. 

 Blennius nuchifilis, CUVIEE & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xi, 253, 1836, Isle of 



Ascension. (Coll. Quoy & Gaimard.) 

 Blennius asteriat, GOODE & BEAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 416, Garden Key, Florida 



(Type, No. 2620. Coll. G. Wiirdemann) ; Garden Key, Florida (Type, No. 2625. Coll. 



Dr. Whitehurst) ; Tortugas (Type, No. 6596. Coll. Dr. J. B. Holder) ; J OBDAN & GIL- 

 BEET, Synopsis, 961, 1883. 

 Adonis cristatus, GEONOW, Cat. Fish., Ed. Gray, 95, 1854. 



