214 PISCES. 



FAMILY XL 



MUGILOIDES. 



Our eleventh family of the Acanthopterygii is composed of the 

 genus 



MuGiL, Lin. 

 These fishes present so many peculiarities in their organization, that they 

 may be considered as forming- a distinct family; their body is almost cylin- 

 drical, covered with large scales, and furnished with two separate dorsals, 

 the first of which has but four spinous rays; the ventrals are inserted a little 

 behind the pectorals. There are six rays in the branchiae; their head is 

 somewhat depressed, and covered with large scales or polygonal plates, 

 their muzzle very short. Their transverse mouth, in consequence of a pro- 

 minence in the middle of the lower jaw, which corresponds with a depress- 

 ion in the upper one, forms an angle, the teeth being excessively tenuous, 

 and frequently almost imperceptible. 



They resort to the mouths of rivers in large troops, and are continually 

 leaping out of the water; the European seas produce several species hitherto 

 very imperfectly ascertained; their flesh is esteemed. 



M. cephalus, Cuv. (The Common Mullet. ) Distinguished from all the 

 other species of Europe by its eyes, which are half covered by two adipose 

 veils, adhering to the anterior and poster-ior edge of the orbit. 



There are two other genera, Tetragonurus and Atherina, (the Aphyes 

 of the ancients). 



FAMILY XII. 



GOBIOIDES. 



The Gobioides are known by the length and tenuity of the dorsal 

 spines. 



Blennius, Lin. 



Bknnies have a strongly marked character in the ventral fins, which are 

 placed before the pectorals and consist of only two rays. The body is 

 elongated and compressed, and has but a single dorsal almost entirely com- 

 posed of simple but flexible rays. They live in small troops among the 

 rocks on the coast, leaping and playing, and are capable of living witliout 

 water for some time. A slimy mucus is smeared over their skin, to which 

 they owe their Greek name of Blennius. They are now distributed in va- 

 rious subgenera, such as Myxodes, Salarias, CUnus, &c. 



