712 



TELEOSTEI 



A well-known British fish of this family is the little Gunnel 

 or Butter-Fish {Pholis gunnelhis), remarkalale for the manner in 

 which the female protects her offspring, coiling herself round 



the eggs, which she rolls up into a ball about the size of a 

 Brazil nut, in holes of the boring Mollusc (Fliolas). The male 

 sometimes assists the female. 



Fam. 12. Zoarcidae. — Suborbitals not forming a subocular 

 shelf ; mouth feebly protractile. Praecaudal vertebrae with strong 

 transverse processes bearing ribs and epipleurals. Gill-membranes 

 usually more or less broadly united to isthmus ; 5 to 8 branchi- 

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

 present or absent. Scapular arch as in Blenniidae. Ventral 

 fins jugular or absent ; if present, with 1 to 4 rays. Body more 

 or less elongate, naked or with very small scales. Dorsal and 

 anal fins elongate, all the rays articulated, or a few of the 

 posterior dorsals spinous. Usually no distinct caudal fin. 



Fig. 430. — Typhlonus nasus x J. (After Giinther. ) 



These fishes have usually been placed, in part at least, near 

 the Gadids, but they have more in common with the Blenniids, 

 as pointed out by Jordan and Evermann, and may be regarded 

 as degraded forms descended from the latter.^ The family is 

 widely distributed in all seas, many of the forms being specially 

 adapted to live at great depths. The species known number 

 about 130. Principal genera: Scytalina, Zoarces, Ly codes,. 

 Gymnelis, Lycocara, Melanostigma, Berepodichthys, JBathyonus, 

 Porogad'us, Bythitis, Neohythitis, Gataetyx, Selachophidium, Acan- 

 tJionus, Typlilonus, Ajjhyonus, Tauredophidium, Bhodichthys,. 

 Brosmopihycis, Brohda, Li^cifuga, Lamprogrammus, Diplacantho- 

 poma, Hepththocara. 



1 It is in fact, in some cases, difficult to decide whether a genus should be 

 referred to the Gadidae or to tlie Zoarcidae. 



