GOBIES. 489 



the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic. Others have even penetrated 

 into the inland- waters of the African continent. 



Trypauchen. — Body elongate, covered with minute scales ; 

 head compressed, with a deep cavity on each side, above the 

 operculum. Teeth small, in a band. One dorsal, the spinous 

 portion composed of six spines ; dorsal and anal iins continuous 

 with the caudal, ventral fins united. 



Small fishes of singular aspect, from the East Indian 

 coasts. Three species, of which T. vagina is common. 



Callionymus. — Head and anterior part of the body depressed, 

 the rest cylindrical, naked. Snout pointed, with the cleft of the 

 mouth narrow, horizontal, and with the upper jaw very pro- 

 tractile. Eyes rather large, more or less directed upwards. 

 Teeth very small, palate smooth. A strong spine at the angle 

 of the preeoperculum. Two dorsal fins, the anterior with three 

 or four flexible spines ; ventrals five-rayed, widely apart from 

 each other. Gill-openings very narrow, generally reduced to a 

 foramen on the upper side of the operculum. 



The "Dragonets" are small, and generally beautifully 

 coloured marine fishes, inhabitants of the coasts of the 

 temperate zone of the Old World; the minority of species 

 live in tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific ; and these seem to 

 descend to somewhat greater depths than the littoral species 

 of the northern hemisphere. Secondary sexual characters 

 are developed in almost all the species, the mature males- 

 having the fin-rays prolonged into filaments, and the fin- 

 membranes brightly ornamented. On the British coast one 

 species (C. dram) is very common, and locally called 

 " Skulpin." About thirty species are known, many of which 

 have the prseopercular spine armed with processes or barbs. 

 Vulsus is allied to Callionymus. 



Other genera belonging to this family are — Benthophilus 

 from the Caspian Sea ; Amblyopus, Orthostomus, Platyptera,, 

 Zuciogohiiis, Oxymetoponj and, perhaps, Oxuderces. 



