Ctenoid Acantiiopteres.- 



-FISHES.- 



-Bleknioids. 



133 



llic other downwarJs, or one forwards and the other 

 backwards, and in fact they squint normally. In 

 some genera the eyes can be raised out of the sockets 

 and depressed again, all these circumstances being 

 teleologioally conformable with the temporary resi- 

 dences of the fish out of tlie water. In pursuing tlio 

 minute crustaceans on which they prey, over the 

 sands, the pectoral fins perform the o!fice of feet. A 

 New Zealand species, seen by Cook, obtained from 

 that navigator's companions the appellation of tlio 

 "running-fish." The Sumjhong {Gohius fasciulo- 

 pundaiun) runs very swiftly over the paddy-groiuids 

 of Whampoa, and tlie Pahlcop or " White-frog " of the 

 Chinese {Apocriijiies serperaster) is carried about Can- 

 ton for sale. The " Flower-fish " {Hwaijti), which is a 

 common object on China ware, drawn with a round 

 mouth and swollen gill-covers, but illuminated with its 

 natural colours, is the Boleopldhalmus Bodckerti of 

 iciilhyologists. 



In the Mediterranean the very young Gobies arc 

 called Nounal, like the young Atherines, and are 

 eaten fried in the mas.s. Aristophanes alludes to them 

 in this condition as being an Athenian delicacy. 



Family XXIII.— CALLYONOMIDS {Cainoiiymidu!). 



This group has such strong affinities with the 

 Gobioids, that Cuvier included them in that family. 

 They have the same various expansion of fin, but the 

 vcntrals are separated more or less widely. Generally 

 the intestinal canal is simple. The branohiostegals 

 are six or seven in number. Some of the genera are 

 scalelcss. 



Tlie genera arc — Ekotr'ts; p/uli/pmts ; A sievrnph'ryx (Riip- 

 pi'll) ; Callhmyinus ; I'richonotus ; Ilat^pfn/ijer (Kicli.ardson) ; 

 J'/iiff/pterus ; Ctniicphoriis ; Clueniclithys (iiicharjaon) ; Pahc- 

 ciis (id ) ; UnpUctliijs ; and Opistotjnatkus. 



Fajiily XXIV.— DISCOrODES {Discoholcs Cuvier). 

 Plate 12, fig, GO. 



Tliis family was considered by Mliller to be a sub- 

 division of the Gobioids, and was named by him Gohic- 

 socuhv. Our epithet has reference to the sucking disc, 

 foimed by the ventrals, used by the members of the 

 family for attaching themselves to a stone or other 

 firm support. This disc is either single or double, 

 and is ibrmcd in front by the pectorals, and behind by 

 the ventrals. The dorsals are either one or two, and 

 arc destitute of spinous rays ; hence the group was 

 ranged by Cuvier with his sub-brachian Malacopteres. 

 The skin of these fishes is destitute of an ordinary 

 scaly covering, but in some species rows of liard der- 

 mal tubercles are developed. Some genera have four 

 gills, others only three of a side ; and the form of the 

 body varies from longish to almost orbicular. The 

 branchiosteguls are from four to six in number. 



The f;cnora arc — Lepiihgaster ; Trachdocliismus (Bameville) ; 

 Ciibk'sox; Coll/Us (.Mliller and Tvosclicl); Sicyases (id.); 

 ASieyoijiistt'T (Bameville) ; Cyclopteris ; and Liparis. 



The British species are — the Cornish Sucker 

 {Lrpuh<(ifi.^lcr cormihknsis) ; the Bimaculated Sucker 



{Lcpidogastcr himaculatus) ; the Connemara Sucker 

 {Lepidorj aster ccphcdus) \ the Lump or Sea-owl {Cydo- 

 plerus lumpns) ; and the Sea-snail {Lipuris lulrjaris) ; 

 none of which appear to be commonly eaten, though 

 the Lump or Cock-paidle is spoken of by Walter Scott 

 as a desirable fish for the table of an antiquary. 



Family XXV.— BLENNIOIDS {Ulcnniidw). 

 Plate 12, fig. 01, G3. 



With much of the general structure of the Gobioids, 

 the Blcnnioids have a character common to most of 

 the genera in the jugular ventrals, with or without a 

 spine, and of two soft rays, one of which is sometimes 

 divided below the integument. Cuvier considered tlio 

 Blennioids to be merely a subdivision of the Gobioids, 

 and to be characterized by six branohiostegals as the 

 Gobioids were by five ; but some genera associated by 

 Cuvier himself with the Gobioids have six and even 

 seven branchiostegals. Some Blennioids want the 

 ventrals, and some genera have these fins more dove- 

 loped than in the typical forms. In a large propor- 

 tion of the members of the family the skin is scalelcss, 

 and even when scales exist, much mucus is poured 

 out by cuticular glands, a character which is expressed 

 by the name of the typical genus {Ulaivius), derived 

 from a Greek word signifying mucus. In form tlic 

 Blennioids are elongated and more or less compressed, 

 with one dorsal, composed almost entirely of simple, 

 jointless, but flexible rays. In some aberrant forms 

 the dorsal is divided into lobes, or even separate 

 parts. The caudal is distinct, or united to the other 

 vertical fins. The males have most generally a clus- 

 ter of anal papillce. The oviduct opens externally 

 between the vent and the orifice of the urinary canal. 

 The stomach is thin, without a coDcal dilatation, and 

 there is no air-bladder. 



The genera are — Blenniiis ; PhoUs ; Pttroscirtcsor Blenncchis 

 (Val.) ; Blennoplds ; Chasmode$ ; Salarias ; PseudoblcKmus 

 (Schlegel) ; Clinits; NeocUnus (Girard) ; Acanthodlnm ; 

 Myxodes; Cristtccps ; Cin'hlbnrhis ; Triptei^jylon ; Breyma- 

 ceros (Thompson) ; Phuropieryx (Rilppcll); lluocietes (Jci\ynsy, 

 Pliucocwles {id.); Gunnellus ; Curelophus (Kroyer) ; Zoarccs; 

 Pycodes (Kehihardt) ; Dlctysoiiuc (Schlegel) ; Anarrhkluis ; 

 Anurlchthys (Gu*ard) ; Cehidlchihys (Girard) ; Apodichtkys 

 (do.) ; Xiphwdon (do.) ; Hcemerocades ; and Stichceus (Schlegel). 



In the British seas the following have been dis- 

 covered — Montagu's Blenny {Dlemiius Jifontdg^d) ; 

 the Butterfly-fish {Blennius occllaris) ; the Gatto- 

 rugene [Blennius gcdtoniejene) ; the Shanny [Blenniiia 

 pholis) ; Yarrell's Blenny {Blennius Yarrellii) ; the 

 Butter-fish {Gunnellus guttatus) ; the Eelpout {Zoar- 

 cceus viviparus) ; and the Wolf-fish {Anarrltieliiis 

 lujms). 



The flesh of the Blennies is said to bo tender, white, 

 and well-flavoured ; but in an economical point of view, 

 the fiimily is of little account. Tlio members of if, 

 however, being many of them in the habit of remain- 

 ing in the small pools of water left by the retiring tide, 

 form interesting subjects for study, and are pleasing 

 fish for an aquarium. The following is an extract 

 from the Zoologist for 1848, p. 2029, giving the obser- 

 vations of Francis Pioss, Esq., Topsham, Devon, on 



