chap, xx.] FISHES. 431 



Family 21.— OXUDERCID^. (1 Genus, 1 Species.) 



" A marine fish, with an elongate sub-cylindrical body and no 

 ventral fins." 



Distribution. — Macao, China. 



Family 22.— BATRACHID^E. (3 Genera, 12 Species.) 



" Marine fishes, with sub-cylindrical body and broad depressed 

 head." 



Distribution. — The coasts of nearly all tropical and south 

 temperate regions, ranging from New York and Portugal to 

 Chili and Tasmania. 



Family 23.— PEDICULATL (8 Genera, 40 Species.) 



" Marine carnivorous fishes, with very large heads and without 

 scales." 



Distribution. — Seas of all temperate and tropical regions, 

 extending south to New Zealand and north to Greenland. 



A species of Lophius (the Fishing-frog or Sea- Devil) is found 

 in British seas. The genus Antennarius, comprising two-thirds 

 of the species, is wholly tropical. 



Family 24.— BLENNID^E. (33 Genera, 201 Species.) 



" Carnivorous fishes, with long sub-cylindrical naked bodies, 

 living at the bottom of shallow water in seas, or tidal rivers." 



Distribution. — All seas from the Arctic regions to New 

 Zealand, Chili, and the Cape of Good Hope. 



Species of Anarrhichas, Blennius, Blcnniops, Centronotus and 

 Zoarces occur in British seas. Chasmodes (3 sp.) is confined to 

 the Atlantic coasts of Temperate North America; Petroscirtes 

 (26 sp.) to the tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans ; 

 and Stichceus (9 sp.) to the Arctic Seas. 



