FISHES COLLECTED IN JAPAN. 269 



30. CUNUS POLYACTOCEPHALUS, Pallas. 



Blennius polyactocephalus, Pallas, Zoog. Boss. Asiat. Ill, 179. 

 Gunellus " C. and V. 11, 448. 



PLATE VII, fig. i. Reduced. 



Notes.— From Hakodadi, (12 inches,) D. 61, A. 46, P. 13, 0. 13, (Gashinagi.) 



From the drawing, it would be difficult to pronounce this positively a Gunellus ; but Mons. 

 Valenciennes, in the Hist, des Poissons, places it in this genus, Ihough only from the descrip- 

 tion of Pallas, which is as follows : 



"Species anomala. — Blennius polyactocephalus. 



" B. pedunculis quatuor supraciliaribus uniramosis majoribus, verticis octonis simplicibus. 



" Specimen anomali hujus piscis, inter alia curiosa e Camtschatca Iransmissum, siccatwm, sine 

 ulteriore adnotatione accepi, et sic descripsi : 



" Descr. Longitude- pedalis, forma Bl. vivipari et corpus aeque molle ac fluxum, squamulis 

 minutis, mollibus tectum. Caput retusum, brevissimum, subtetragono-convexum, maxilla inferiore 

 longiore, utraque plane edentula. Frons inter orbitas approximatas, majusculas, depressa spinulis 

 2 . cartilagineis, minutis in medio, una pone alteram ; in utroque supercilio pedunculi duo cartila- 

 ginei, cathetoplatei, postico margine acutiores, uniramosi, quorum posterior es paulo majores cras- 

 sioresque. Vertex pone orbitas subexcavatus, quasi muricatus cirrhis cartilagineis erectis in 

 duplici serie octonis, quorum postici, iidem et exterius positi, uniramosi. Praeterea apophyses 

 aliquot molles per operculorum discum sparsae : Opercula subtriangula, postice acuta ; flabella 

 radiis sex osseis, teretibus, arcuatis, quorum proxirnus sub bperculo adnatus. Corpus compressum 

 Pinna dorsi non longe a nucha incipiens, fere ad caudam continua, radiorum 60. P. ani bip di~ 

 cari fere intervallo ab ano, ad ipsam caudam continuata, postice in laciniam producti\scula. 

 Candae pinna subaequalis, radiorum 13." 



The drawing seems to have less tentacles on the head ; but some of these hav-j, no doubt 

 been overlooked by the draughtsman. In its size, form, and number of rays, it corresponds 

 exactly with the species noticed by Pallas. The fin rays seem to have been carefully counted 

 and are D. 60, A. 46, P. 13, C. 13, V.? It has distinct ventrals, though they were not noticed 

 by Pallas. 



The fish seems high for a Gunellus, and may, perhaps, belong to a new genus. The Bl. 

 alectorolophus of Pallas (p. 174) is either a young of this species or one belonging to the same 

 genus. 



Colors. Head and body olive brown, mottled or clouded in irregular darker bands on sides 

 with three still darker bands across middle of body, over anterior part of anal, reaching from 

 dorsal to anal. Irides pale dull yellow. Back dark, abdomen leaden grey. Body along base 

 of anal mottled for half its length, and tinged towards tail with brick-red. Head brownish 

 tinged with red, and less mottled than body. Pectorals dusky blue, tinged with brick-red 

 around margin. Dorsal very dark dusky olive, of rather uniform tint. Anal dull leaden grey, 

 paler along the base. Caudal brick-red, with very broad, dark, dusky, irregular bands across 

 the middle, and margined irregularly with same. 



