FISHES 275 



8. The Gurnards are larger relatives of the preceding and 

 are distinguished by their curiously -shaped bony heads, and by 

 the fact that the first three rays of the pectoral fin have become 

 distinct and form " fingers " used as organs of touch and in 

 progression along the sea - bottom. They are fishes of wide 

 distribution and often of bright coloration. The commonest 

 British species is the Red Gurnard {Trigla pint), which is bright 

 red in colour above and gleaming white below and on the sides. 



9. Goby Family. — Gobies and their allies are small fishes 

 common along the coasts of both tropical and temperate seas, 

 while some are estuarine and a few inhabit fresh water. There 

 are nearly a dozen British species, of which the largest and 

 probably on that account best known is the Rock Goby {Gobius 

 niger). In these fishes the pelvic fins are united into a funnel- 

 shaped sucker. 



10. Blenny Family. — The fishes of this family are mostly 

 small and have the same wide distribution as the Gobies. The 

 pelvic fins are very much reduced, and there is a single dorsal 

 running along the whole length of the back, and equivalent to 

 the two dorsals of perch fused together. A common British 

 species is the Smooth Blenny or Shanny [Blennius pholis), in 

 which the long, low dorsal fin is not broken into sections. The 

 Wolf-Fish {Anarrhichas lupus), common on the north British 

 coasts and ranging to Norway and Greenland, may be over 

 6 feet long, and resembles the Shanny on a large scale. The 

 margins of its jaws and the roof of the mouth are studded with 

 blunt teeth, adapted for breaking the coverings of molluscs and 

 Crustacea. 



11. Grey Mullet Family. — Grey Mullets are common along 

 the coasts of tropical and temperate regions, frequenting estuaries. 

 The first dorsal fin is small, with only four spines, and the lateral 

 line is absent. The best-known British species is the Common 

 Grey Mullet {Mugil capita). 



12. Mackerel-Pike Family. — Here are included Gar-Fishes 

 and Flying- Fishes. The former are distributed throughout tropical 

 and temperate seas, and the Common Gar- Fish {Belone vulgaris) 

 is common on the British coasts. The body is much elongated 

 and the snout is lengthened into a narrow pointed beak, well 

 suited for seizing small fish. Flying-Fishes include a considerable 

 number of species limited to the warmer parts of the ocean. The 



