174 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family, XVIII— CALLIONYMID^, Richardson; 



Branchiostegals five to six: pseudobranchise present. Gill-openings of 

 moderate width, or very narrow. Body mostly elongated. No osseous articula- 

 tion between the preopercle and infraorbital ring of bones. Teeth in the jaws, 

 none on the palate. Two dorsal fins, the anterior with from four to seven 

 flexible spines; second dorsal and anal similar ; ventrals wide asunder. , Scales 

 and lateral-line present or absent. Air-bladder absent. 



Genus I. — Calliontmus,* lAnnceus. 



Synchiropus and Diplogrammus, Gill. 



Branchiostegals five or six: pseudobranchim present. Gill-openings very narrow, 

 in some merely a small circular orifice at the upper edge of the opercle. Head and 

 anterior portion of the body depressed. Eyes ofmoderate size, usually directed somewhat 

 upwards. Mouth narrow, upper jaw protractile. A strong, variously-armed spine 

 at the angle of the preopercle. Teeth in the jaws minute ; palate edentulous. Two 

 dorsal fins, the anterior consisting of three or four flexible spines; ventrals widely 

 separated, each possessing five rays. Lateral-line single or double. Air-bladder 

 absent. 



These littoral fishes, commonly known as '' dragonets," appear to live 

 mostly at the sea bottom. They are extensively distributed, being found in the 

 temperate seas of the Old World, India, the Malay Archipelago, and even 

 beyond. In many instances they exhibit sexual distinctions either in the length 

 of their fins, in their colours, or in both. They have been sub-divided in 

 accordance with the size and position of the gill-openings, and whether the lateral 

 line is single or double, as follows : (1) Gill-openings small, superior : lateral-line 

 single. (2) Gill-openings small, superior : lateral-line double. (3) Gill-openings 

 lateral and more extensive : lateral-line single. (4) Gill-openings lateral and 

 more extensive : lateral- line double. 



1. Callionymus lyra, Plate LIV, Kg. 1, male; Fig. 2, female. 



Exoccetus, sp. Bel. p. 218. Dracunculus, Rondel, p. 304 ; Gesner, Pise. p. 80 ; 

 Aldrov. 1. 2, c. 52 ; Willughby, p. 136, t. H 6, f . 3 ; Ray, p. 79 ; Borlase, 

 Cornwall, p. 270, t. 26, f. 10 ; Seba, Hi, t. 30, f. 7. Uranoscopus sp. Gronov. Zooph. 

 No. 204, 205, 206 and Mus. Ich. i, p. 21, No. 63 ; Artedi, syn. 17. Corystion, sp. 

 Klein, Pise. MSS. iv, p. 47, No. 10. I/yra Harvicensis, Petiver, Gazophyl. t. xxii, 

 f. 2. Dragon fish. Martens, Spitzberg. p. 123. Floy fische, Pontop. Norway, ii, 

 iii ; Strom, Sondm. i, p. 278. Duhamel, Peches, ii, sect. 5, p. 116, pi. x. The 

 Oemmous dragonet, Low, Faun. Oread, p. 229 ; Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) 

 iii, p. 164, pi. xxvii, (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 221, pi. xxxi ; also Sordid dragonet, 1. c. 

 p. 224, pi. xxxii. 



Callionymus lyra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 433, and Faun. Suec. p. 110 ; Bonn. 

 Atl. Ich. p. 43, pi. xxviii, f. 93; Bloch, ii, p. 71, f. clxi ; Lacep. ii, p. 329, pi. x, 

 f. 1 ; Bl. Schn. p. 39 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1151 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 103 and Eur. 

 Merid. iii, p. 262; Donovan, Brit. Fish, i, pi. ix ; Turton, p. 88; Retz. Faun, 

 p. 313 ; Miill. Zool. Dan, p. 21, pi. xxviii ; Flem. Brit. An. p. 208 ; Couch, Trans. 

 Linn. Soc. xiv, p. 71, and Fish. Brit. Isles ii, p. 173, pi. ciii; Jenyns, Man. p. 388 ; 

 Fries, Vet. Acad. Handl. 1837, p. 39 ; Fries och Ekstr. Skand. Fisk. p. 95, t. xxii 

 and xxiii ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) i, p. 261, c. fig. (Ed. 2) i, p. 297 (Ed. 3) ii, 

 p. 310 ; Parnell, Fish. Firth of Forth, p. 88 ; Cuv. and. Val. xii, p. 266 ; Neill, 



* Dr. Giinther An. and Mag. Nat. Hist (4) 1874, xiii, p. 139, has recorded the tropical species 

 of Callionymus sagitta as dredged off the f^hetland Isles. 



