ACANTHOPTERYGII 709 



New Zealand. Three or four species, belonging to the genus 

 Lepadogaster, are known to occur on the British coasts. The 

 principal genera are Gohiesox, Chorisochismus, Sicyases, Cotylis, 

 Lepadogaster, Tyaclielochismus, Diplocrepis, Crepidogaster, and 

 Leptopteryg ius} 



Fam. 9. Blenniidae. — Suborbitals often forming a more or 

 less distinct subocular shelf; mouth moderate or large, more or 

 less protractile, often bordered to a considerable extent by the 

 maxillaries. Most of the praecaudal vertebrae with strong trans- 

 verse processes supporting the ribs, which may bear epipleurals. 

 Gill-membranes usually attached to isthmus ; 6 or 7 branchiostegal 

 rays ; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth ; pseudobranchiae usually 

 present. Post-temporal forked ; scapula and coracoid more or 

 less developed, sometimes much reduced, the former pierced by 

 a foramen ; pectoral rays attached to 4 or 5 hour-glass-shaped 

 pterygials, one or two of which are in contact with the coracoid. 

 Ventral fins jugular, with not more than 4 rays, or absent. 

 Body more or less elongate, sometimes Eel-shaped, naked or with 

 small scales. Dorsal and anal fins elongate, the former constituted 

 entirely of spines, or anteriorly of spines or non-articulated rays, 

 and posteriorly of soft rays. Caudal fin usually distinct, with 

 expanded hypural. 



A large family, mostly of small Marine Fishes, the arrange- 

 ment of which still offers great difficulties. Whether the 

 aberrant genera Cerdale and Ptilichthys deserve to be regarded as 

 the types of distinct families cannot be decided until the 

 skeleton has been examined. The species number about 350, 

 from nearly all the seas, a few inhabiting fresh waters, and are 

 referred to numerous genera, of which the following are the 

 principal : — Gadopsis, Enneanectes, Heterostichus, Acanthoclinus, 

 Clinus', Emmnion, JBlennius, Chasmodes, Fetroscirtes, Ziphasia, 

 Anarrhichas, Pataecus, Salarias, OphioUennius, AnoplarcJius, 

 Xiphistes, Opisthocentrus, Chaenopsis, Pholedichthys, Lumpeims. 

 Eemains of Clinus and Plennius have been described from the 

 Miocene, and the extinct genus Pterygocephalus, from the Upper 

 Eocene, is regarded as allied to Clinus. 



The Blenniidae are mostly carnivorous, but a few are herbi- 

 vorous ; some are viviparous {Clinus), others oviparous. Species 



1 On the habits and anatomy of the French species, cf. Guitel, Arch. Zool. 

 Expir. (2) vi. 1888, p. 423. 



