270 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



31. GUNNELLUS DOLICHOGASTER, Pallas. 



Blennius dolichogaster, Pallas, Zoog. Boss. Asiat. Ill, 175. 

 Gunnellus " C. & V. 11, 436. 



PLATE VII, fig. . Eeduced. 



;N otes —From Hakodadi, (9J inches, D. 95, A. 42, P. 10, 0. 10. 



This fish is described as follows by Pallas : " Blennius dolichogaster. Tab. XLIL, f. 2.* 



B. pinna ani corpore dimidio breviore, verrucis osseis loco ventralium, cauda pinnis coadjuncta. 



Circa insulas Americae vicinas, aeque ac circa Camtschatcam observatur , interdum et in lacubus 

 maritimis. D. D. Mere. 



Decsr. Fere pedalis, crassitie digiti, compressus. Caput oblongum, compressum, rostro retuso 

 brevissimo. Os adscendens, maxilla inferiore longiore, sursum claudenda, urtraque denticulis dis- 

 tantibus, obtusiusculis, in apice maxillarum paulo majoribus et duplicato ordine positis. Oculi ad 

 verticem laterales, angusto spati dirempti, margini oris proximi, iridibus aureis. Opercula branch- 

 iarum oblonga, laevia, postice subacida ; Flabella brancliiostega quadriradiata, subtics cute coad- 

 uncta. Corpus longissimnm, compressum, lubricum, squamis minimis, mollibus, sparsis punctatum ; 

 lineae laterales obsoletissimae ; anus pone dimidium longitudinis, sed abdomen ovariis plenum pone 

 anum produclum, longissimum inter congener es et ventricosus. Color olivaceo fuscus, virescente 

 flavoque nebulosus supra lineam lateralem viridi maculatus, in ventre longitudinaliter fulvus; 

 pinnae ani et caudae fulvsecentes, pectorales jlavescentes, dorsalis fusca tranversis fasciis palles- 

 centibus, ad dorsum perpendicularibus , distantibus, quales et in p. ani. P. pectorales minimae, 

 ovatae duodecimradiatae loco ventralium verrucae osseae e cute prominulae. P. dorsi longissima, 

 non longe a nucha incipiens, radiis rigidis, intra cutem spinosis 93. cauda coaduncta ; p. ani 

 radiorum 52. pariter pinnae caudae coniinuata; radiis 2. primis aculeatis, reliquis inermibus. 

 Cauda brevis, rotundata, 20. radiorum. In specimine: longitudo toto\ 11." caudae 6.'" capitis 

 cum operculis 1." \."' a summo rostro ad pin. ani 5." 8.'" altitudo corporis ad nuclxam 9."' in medio 

 alvi ultra 1 poll, post initium pinnae ani 10' "." 



Except in the count of fin rays the description applies very accurately to the drawing. It, 

 however, has not the greenish spots above the lateral line alluded to by Pallas, and no distinct 

 bars across the dorsal. General form that of a Gunellus, but high for its length, the abdominal 

 outline sinuous. Dorsal very low, anal twice as high as dorsal. Both these fins joined to 

 caudal, which is rounded. Ventrals represented by a recumbent spine. 



The colors of the drawing are of a dull olivaceous green over head and body, rather lighter 

 below the lateral line and underside of head, with a well marked stripe of burnt sienna along 

 the abdomen from the head to anus. Irides yellow. Dorsal of a dusky umber brown, lighter 

 along the base. Pectorals bright orange. Caudal dusky orange. Anal bright carmine red, 

 with nine white bars running obliquely across it from the margin towards the tail, each bar 

 crossing four or five rays, and v. idening as they approach the base ; the last bars less distinct. 



* The plates accompanying this great work were lost by the failure of the person entrusted with their engraving in 

 Leipzig ; six plates only, representing mammalia, accompany the work, which was printed in 1811 and published in 1831. 

 A few plates have since been added to the illustrations. 



f Pallas elsewhere states that he uses English measures. 



