93 NATURAL HISTORY. 



hinder part of the pectorals into an oval disc, which, however, is not attached to the body of the 

 fish, and hence does not form a sucking organ. The species are all small, and vary both in shapo 

 and colour. The Black Goby (Gobius niyer) reaches a length of five inches, but is rare, and only 

 found on the rocky coasts of Britain. It has the habit of constructing a nest. The Gobius 

 paganellus is a brown fish, with darker marblings, and tins which have a bluish or blackish tinge. 

 The Spotted Goby (Gobius minutus) differs from the other species in wanting the silk-like pectoral 

 fins, and in the length of the ventral fins. The White Goby (Latrunculus albus) is a small fish, 

 only known in the south of Scotland. This species is transparent. 



FAMILY XXXIY.-OXUDERCID.E. 



Some of the fishes of this family have the eyes very prominent and the eyelids well 

 developed. One of these Periophthalmus has the muscles of the pectoral fins well developed, 

 so that they can be used for progression upon land when these fishes, and those of the allied 

 genus Boleophthalmus, come on shore to hunt terrestrial insects. One division of the family, 

 including the genus Amblyopus, has the two dorsal fins united into one. It is chiefly 

 confined to the East Indies, China, and Japan, but has cue species ranging to the west coast 

 of South America. Another section of the genus, distinguished by having the ventral fins 

 widely separate from each other, is represented in the British seas by the Dragonet or Skulpin 

 {Callionymus lyra), a species in which the brilliant colours and fin-spines undergo some 

 changes with age and sex. The first dorsal spine is enormously elongated ; the body does not 

 reach the length of a foot. In the Dusky Skulpin the spines of the first dorsal fin are much less 

 olongated. In this fish there are eight abdominal vertebra?, and thirteen in the tail. Other Skulpins 

 occur in the Mediterranean, Chinese, Indian, and Malay Seas. 



In the Chinese Oxuderces dentatus the ventral fins are entirely wanting. 



The tenth division of this order, the Blenniiformes, is a group comprising six families. 



FAMILY XXXV.-CEPOLID^E. 



This family is known from the one genus Cepola, chiefly found in the Japanese waters, 

 but represented in the Mediterranean and on the British coasts by the Band-fish (Cepola rule-scan*). 

 It is known in the Mediterranean from its brilliant red colour as the Red Riband and the Fire- 

 flame. Its body is compressed from side to side, and elongated ; its length is from fifteen to twenty 

 inches ; the scales are extremely small ; the jaws carry on their outer margin a row of conical 

 pointed teeth, with a short second row in the front part of the mandible. The eyes are large ; 

 nose short; and the lower jaw frequently the longer. The ventral fins are just under the pectoral 

 fins, and the air-bladder is placed behind the other internal organs. The dorsal and anal fins are 

 very long, and formed of soft rays which are continuous with the small pointed caudal fin. These 

 fishes are said to feed on seaweed, Crustacea, and small shells, and are eaten by the Cod and other 

 voracious fishes, but are not valued for food by man. 



FAMILY XXXYL TEICHONOTID^. 



The Trichonotidae are a small family of carnivorous fishes from the Indian Archipelago and 

 T^ew Zealand, and are only known from two species. 



FAMILY XXXYII.-HETEROLEPIDINA. 



This is another small family from the northern parts of the Pacific, comprising the genus 

 Chirus -which has several lateral lines and the genera Ophiodon, Agrammus, and Zaniolepis. 

 In all these fishes the anal fin is very long. 



FAMILY XXXVIII. BLENNIID.E. 



The Blenniidse are a large family of carnivorous fishes, sometimes inhabiting fresh waters, but 

 generally living on the bottom near the sea-shore. They are widely distributed over the world, 

 and comprise upwards of thirty genera. The majority of the species are from tropical seas, though 

 .some of the genera have a distinct northern habit. There are comparatively few British repre- 

 sentatives of the tribe. 



