SPOTTED GUNNEL 



239 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



GOBIOIDjE. 



THE SPOTTED GUNNEL, OR BUTTERFISH. 



svvoRDiCK. . Orkney. 



Mur<Bnoides guttata, Lacepede. 



Blennms gunnellus, Linnaeus. 



,, ,, Block, pt. ii. pi. 71, fig. 1. 



,, ,, Spotted Blenny, Penn. Brit. Zoo), vol. iii. p. 282, 



pi. 60. 



„ ,, ,, „ Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 27. 



Gunnellus vulgaris,' Common Gunnel, Flem. Brit. An. p. 207, sp. 124, 



Generic Characters, — Head small, muzzle obtuse ; body elongated, smooth, 

 scales minute, covered vifith a mucous secretion ; dorsal fin extending the whole 

 length of the back, the rays simple ; ventral fins very small ; teeth small, 

 pointed, detached. 



The Spotted Gunnel, or Butterfish, as it is fre- 

 quently called, from the consistence and quantity of mucous 

 secretion with which its sides are covered, is sufficiently 

 distinguished from the true Blennies by its dorsal fin, but 

 little elevated above the line of the back, and by its elon- 

 gated, slender, and compressed body, from which it has 

 obtained in the Orknies, and in some of the countries of the 

 North of Europe, the names of Swordick and Svardfisk, 

 Norway, from a supposed resemblance in shape to the blade 

 of a sword. 



