498 FISHES. 



American species {Z. anguillaris) attains to a length of two 

 or three feet. 



Other genera of the family of Blennoids are : — Mennophis, 

 Nemophis, Plagiotremus, Neodinus, Cebidichthys, Myxodes, 

 Heterostichus, Dictyosoma, Zepidohlennivs, Dactyloscopus, Crund- 

 lichthys, Urocentms, Stichceopsis, Sticharium, Notograptus, 

 Pholidichihys, and PseudoMennius. 



Fifth Family — ^AcAirTHOCLiNiDiE. 



Body elongate, low, compressed, covered with small scales. 

 One dorsal Jin, occupying nearly the whole of the hack, and 

 chiefly composed of spines. Anal fin long, with numerous spines. 

 Ventrals jugular, composed of a feiv rays only. 



Of this family one fish only is known {Acanthoclinus 

 littoreus), a small Blenny abundant on the coast of New 

 Zealand. 



Sixth Family — MASTACEMBELiciE. 



Body elongate, eel-like, covered with very small scales. 

 Mandible long, hut little moveable. Dorsal fin very long, the 

 anterior portion composed of nu7nerotos short isolated spines ; 

 anal fin with spines anteriorly. Ventrals none. The humeral 

 arch is not suspended from the skull. Gill-openings reduced 

 to a slit at the lower part of the side of the head. 



Freshwater-fishes characteristic of and almost confined to 

 the Indian region. The structure of the mouth and of the 

 branchial apparatus, the separation of the humeral arch from 

 the skull, the absence of ventral fins, the anatomy of the 

 abdominal organs, affords ample proof that these fishes are 

 Acanthopterygian eels. Their upper jaw terminates in a 

 pointed moveable appendage, which is concave and transversely 

 striated inferiorly in Bhynxhobdella, and without transverse 

 strife in Mastacemhelus : the only two genera of tliis family. 



