I70 SALT-WATER FISHES 



The typical blennies {Blennius) of our coasts are four in 

 number. 



The Shanny (Blennius pholis) is the commonest of our 

 blennies, and perhaps even of the fishes of our rock pools. 

 In colour it is yellow, variegated with black spots. It lacks 

 the tentacles on the eyes which occur in some of the family. 

 The female deposits her eggs in June, and they are carefully 

 guarded until the young hatch out. Holt describes these as 

 extremely active, and he thinks that they would, if thrown up 

 on the sand, have no difficulty in leaping and wriggling back 

 to the water's edge. 



The Gattorugine (5. gattorugine) is a scaleless fish with a 

 tentacle over each eye. In colour it is greyish brown, with 

 bands and blotches. There is generally a black spot on the 

 dorsal fin, and there is another under the eyes. Some specimens 

 also have yellow tints on the pectoral fins. It is the largest 

 British member of the genus, growing to a length of 8 or 9 in. 



The Butterfly Blenny {B. ocellaris) derives its trivial name 

 from the white-rimmed black spot on its wing-like dorsal fin. 

 It has a small fringe-like tentacle over each eye. It is not one 

 of our commoner blennies, but occurs irregularly all round the 

 coast. In May, 1894, the Lancashire Fisheries steamer trawled 

 a single specimen in that district. Reference has been made 

 above to the discovery of its eggs in a hollow bone — a most 

 suitable, though probably unusual, receptacle for the purpose. 



Montagu's Blenny {B. galeritd) is another scaleless form, 

 with fringes of minute tentacles over the eyes, even extending- 

 along the back of the head. The young of this species was 

 recently fully described by Byrne.* It is the smallest of our 

 blennies, rarely exceeding a length of 2 in., and is most active 

 in its efforts to jump over the side of the tank or globe in which 

 it is confined. 



Yarrell's Blenny {Carelophus ascanii) grows to a length of 

 at least 7 in., and has small scales. Its colouring is variable ^ 

 * '&t& Journal Mar. Biol. Assoc, January, 1902, p. 383. 



