PISCES. 229 



cealed spine before the dorsal fin. Amjphacanthus corallinus {pi. 83, Jig. 3) 

 is from the Seychelles. 



The family of Fistularid^ is characterized by a long tube in the fore 

 part of the cranium, formed by the prolongation of the ethmoid, vomer, 

 opercules, pterygoidj and tympanic bones. The mouth is placed at the 

 extremity, as usual. The ribs are short, or absent. The body is either 

 cylindrical, as in the Fistularice, or compressed, as in the Centriscus. 

 The genus Fistularia, known as the tobacco-pipe fish, is represented on 

 the coast of the United States by several species, which are readily 

 recognised by their greatly elongated, nearly cylindrical body, the dorsal 

 far back and opposite to the anal, and the filament proceeding from 

 between the two lobes of the caudal. The genus Centriscus, in addition 

 to the tubular snout, has a compressed short body, of which the head forms 

 the greater portion of the whole. The tubular mouth is probably used in 

 drawing up their food, as by a syringe. Centriscus scolopax {pi. 81, Jig. 21), 

 a European species, is called in England snipe or trumpet-fish. 



The two next'families, GoBiiDiE and Blenniid^, formerly united into one, 

 possess a common feature in the slender and flexible character of the 

 spinous rays. There is also no swimming bladder. While the latter, 

 however, have the ventral fins either consisting of two rays, or else absent ; 

 the former have them united into a single sucking-disk, or else very closely 

 approximated. In the genus Gobius proper, the ventrals are united through- 

 out their entire length, so as to form a concave sucking-disk. There are 

 two dorsal fins, the last of which is long. Some of the species are without 

 visible scales. They are mostly fish of small size, and inconspicuous in 

 their appearance, many of them belonging to the United States. Gobius 

 alepidotus, a very rare species, has in several instances been procured, by 

 inland naturalists, from the empty valves of oysters, into which they must 

 have crept before the oysters were removed from the bed. The lump-fish, 

 formerly placed in a distinct family, that of the Discoboli, are repre- 

 sented by the genera Lepadogaster, Lumpus, and Liparis, the two lattei 

 possessing American representatives. The former exhibits two disks, 

 formed, the one by the base of the pectorals, the other by the ventrals. 

 The dorsal and anal are near the tail. By means of their sucking appa- 

 ratus these small and otherwise defenceless fish are able to attach them- 

 selves to sticks and stones, and thus retain a secure hold in a boisterous 

 sea. In the genus Lumpus the pectorals uniting with the ventrals form a 

 single disk. The skin of the back is elevated on both sides, so as to 

 inclose spinous rays in a fleshy ridge. The head and body are short, 

 stout, and deep. The Lumpus angloru?n, or lump-sucker, is a grotesque- 

 looking fish, found on the more northern coasts of Europe and America, 

 possessing the power of adhering to objects in water, with great tenacity, 

 by means of the sucking-disk. A vessel of water containing several gal- 

 lons has been lifted up by means of the close attachment of a lump-fish to 

 the bottom. This is one of the few fish which pay attention to the eggs 

 after they are discharged. The 'male here, as in most other cases of the 

 kind, assumes the office of protector ; remaining close to the precious 



ICO>XSRAPmC ENCYCLOPEDIA. VOL. II. 28 433 



