THE BLENNY FAMILY. 251 



molaceus, aad Heterostiohus rostratus, often selling as "eels," at thirty cents per pound. In 

 general these fishes are, from an economic point of view, entirely insignificant, and probably not a 

 hundred pounds a year of them are sold on the whole coast. The Immpenus anguillaris is often 

 taken in large numbers in the seines, but a prejudice seems to exist against it and no one will eat it. 

 The following is a list of the Blennioid fishes : Lumpenus anguillaris (Pallas) Gill, from Cape 

 Mendocino northward; abundant. Apodichthys molaceus (Ayres) Grrd.; Xiphister rupestris Jot. & 

 Gilb. ; Xiphister mucosus (Grd.) Jor.; Xiphister chirus Jor. & Gilb. ; Aproplarohus atropurpureus (Kitt- 

 litz)Gill; Apodichthys flavidus Grd.; Apodichthys fucorum Jor. & Gilb.; all these living among 

 rocks and ranging from Monterey to Alaska; Murmnoides ornatus Girard, from Cape Mendocino 

 northward; Gremnobates integripinnis Eosa Smith; Oibbonsia elegans Cooper, and Hypleurochilus 

 gentilis (Girard) Gill, among rocks, chiefly from Point Concepcion southward; and finally Neoclmus 

 satiricus Grd., Neoclinus Blanchardi Girard, and Heterostichus rostratus Girard, living in the kelp 

 along the shore from Monterey to Lower California. 



78. THE TOAD-FISH— BATRACHUS TATJ. 



The Toad-fish, Batrachus tau, called also on the coast of JSTew Jersey and in some parts of the 

 Southern States "Oyster-fish," is one of the most repulsive looking fishes upon our coast, with its 

 dark, slimy, almost shapeless body and its mud- wallowing habits. In general appearance it resem- 

 bles a sculpin without prominent spines upon its head or upon its fins. Although it is armed 

 with by no means insignificant spines, which are capable of inflicting serious cuts, when touched 

 they show no disposition to bite, but erect their opercular spines in a very threatening manner; 

 these are so covered by the lax skin that they can scarcely be seen.' 



Species of this family inhabit the coasts of nearly all the tropical and temperate regions of the 

 world. The American species was the first brought to notice, specimens having been sent about 

 1761 from South Carolina by Dr. Garden to Linnaeus, by whom it was described under the name 

 Gadus tau, the great Swedish naturalist considering it to be a kind of codfish. The name which 

 he gave it refers to a character not discernible except in dried specimens, the bones of the upper 

 surface of the scale forming a group of ridges which resemble in shape the Greek letter T. 



Our species is found in shallow waters from Cape Cod south at least as far as to the mouth of 

 the Mississippi River. In the Gulf of Mexico, however, it is found in deep water, and many large 

 ones are taken on the snapper grounds at a considerable distance from shore. In the South it 

 would appear to be somewhat more active in its habits, though frequently found on the oyster- 

 beds, hiding between the valves of empty oyster-shells. 



There are at least three distinct forms : (1) The northern variety, rarely exceeding ten, twelve, 

 and even fifteen inches in length, the general color of which is brown coarsely marbled with darker 

 marks. (2) The southern variety of Giinther, which is found on the Florida Keys and in the Gulf, 

 though often associated with the northern variety, which is similar in color to this, but has the 

 body and the fins dotted and spotted with white. (3) A form found only in the Gulf, Batrachus 

 pardus, which is much larger and of a light-yellow color spotted and blotched with brown. This 

 form is known to the fishermen as the " Sarpo" and the "Sea-robin," the former name being doubt- 

 less a corruption of the Spanish word sapo, meaning toad. This form is said by Mr. Stearns fre- 

 quently to attain the length of eighteen inches. The color of these fish usually corresponds very 



'A closely related form, Thalassophryne maciilosa, which occurs on the Atlantic side of the isthmus of Panama, 

 has true poisoning glands at the base of its opercular spines, by means of which it can inflict injurious wounds; tliis 

 being almost the only fish which possesses weapons of this character. 



