FISH AND FISHERIES. 27 
Gobies or Sea Gudgeons. 
These little carnivorous shore fishes give their name to the order to 
which they belong. They are easily recognized by the peculiar form of 
the ventral fins, which are united on each side so as to form a circular 
funnel-shaped cavity. In one genus (Lepidogaster, not known in 
Australia) the united rays of the ventral fins form,a flattened round disc 
like a sucker. The centre of this disc is soft and flexible, so that the fish 
can use the whole as a sucker, and thus adheres to rocks and stones 
When attached the heaviest surf will not dislodge them. Hence it is 
called the sucking-fish or lump fish, but not to be confounded with the 
Remora, the sucking-fish which adheres to the shark. This belongs to the 
mackerel tribe, and its sucking disc is on its head. The Gobies are 
pretty equally distributed all over the temperate and tropical coasts, 
and over 300 species have been described. They prefer rocky coasts, 
because with their ventral fins they can adhere firmly to a rough surface 
and defy the force of the waves. One British species lives, breeds, and 
dies in one year, being like a plant, an annual. In this species also the 
adult males have long teeth, while those of the female are very small ones. 
Perhaps some of our own species have these peculiarities, and this is one 
of the many fields where the Australian naturalists have a fine, easy, 
and interesting opportunity for observation. On the confines of the 
northern boundaries of New South Wales may be seen a very remark- 
able Goby called the “ Hopping-fish.” The pectoral fins are developed 
into regular legs, with which the fish hops or leaps along thé mud flats 
with the greatest rapidity. The eyes are on the top of the head, and 
‘very prominent, and moreover they can be thrust very far out of their 
sockets, and moved independently of one another*, thus the fish can see 
long distances around, and overtake the small crabs in spite of the 
long stalks to their optics. This fish is called Periophthalmus australis. 
Cast. I have not included it in our list, for it is a tropical form, yet it 
is said to be found on the mud-flats of the Richmond River. 
Callionymus or “ Dragonets” are also gobies, of which we have three 
species, all beautifully coloured marine fishes. In almost all the species 
the mature males have the fin-rays prolonged into filaments, and the fin 
membranes brightly ornamented. 
Blennies. 
We have in Australia, a good number of these fishes, which are small 
littoral forms, abundantly distributed on tropical and temperate coasts of 
all countries. One of the principal characters of the family is the 
ventral fin, which instead of being a prominent member, as amongst 
gobies, is rudimentary or absent, and in any case has never more than 
four rays. These fins are constantly jugular or in the throat, and either 
have no function or become prongs, by means of which the fish move 
rapidly along the bottom. The teeth are prominent, and in the Wolf- 
fish’ (Anarrhicas lupus), which attains a length of 6 feet, they are 
really formidable. 
* This peculiarity they share with many blennies, pipe-fish, and sea-horses 
Hippocampi). 
