3'2i) ANACANTHINI. 



Goims VII — Raniceps, C-n 



Batraclioides, Lacep. 



BrancJiiostegals seven : pseudobrancMcp. absent. Head large and depressed, body 

 of moderate length, comjriressed, and somewhat tapering posteriorly. Cardiform teeth 

 in the jaws mixed irilh some larger ones, also cardiform ones on the vomer, but none 

 on the palatines. Ttoo dorsal fins, the first of ivhich is rudimentary : anal similar to 

 seco7i,d dorsal : caudal distinct. Ventral with six rays. Minute scales on the body. 

 Air-bladder present. Pyloric appendages rudimentary. 



Geographical distribution. — Coasts of nortliern Europe, extending to the south 

 of Great Britain and Atlantic shores of France. 



1. Raniceps raninus, Plate XC, 'ag. 1. 



Barhus minnr, Bay, p. 164, f. 8 ; Cduch, Linn. Trans, xiv, p. 75. Least halce, 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool. (1776) iii, p. 195 (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 261, and Trifurcated hake, 

 (1776) iii, p. 19l), pi. xxxii, Trifurcated tadpole fish (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 272, pi. xxxviii. 

 Le trident, Bonn. Atl. Ich. p. 51, pi. Ixxxvi, f. ;:!61. 



Bleiniiiis raninus, Linn. Syst. Nat. (Ed. 10) p. 258; Gmel. Linn. p. 1183. 



Bleii.nins raninus ei fuscus, Miiller, Prod. p. 43. 



Blennius trifurrni ns, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 174; Turton, p. 93. 



Gadus raiiinns, Miill. Zool. Dan. t. xlv ; Briinn. Dansk. Yid. Selsk. Skr. xii, 

 p. 291. 



Gadus ful {gin osus, Walb. in Sohrift. Gcs. Nat. Preund. Berl. v, 1784, p. 107. 



ti'cidus trifiircus and minimus, Walb. Art. iii, pp. 139, 143. 



I'hycis fusca and ratiitia, Bl. Schn. p. 67. 



J-'ileiiniu.s Tluii, Bl. Schn. p. 171. 



Batrachoides blrnnioides, Lacep. ii, pp. 451, 456. 



Blennius tridactylus, Lacep. ii, p. 484. 



Baniceps trifurcafas, Flem. p. 194 ; Jenyns, p. 453 ; Tarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) 

 ii, p. 204, c. fig'. (Ed. 2) ii, p. 2;i2 (Ed. 3) i, p. 598 ; Parnell. Wern. Mem. vii, p. 359, 

 t. xxxvi, and Fishes Firth of Forth, jj. 19'..*, pi. xxxvi ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. 

 Ireland, iv, p. 188 ; Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 367 ; Mcintosh, Fish. St. Andrew's, 

 p. 179 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. '275. 



Jiaiiicqjs jago, Fleming', p. 194. 



Raniceps niger, Nil.^s. Prod. p. 50, and Skand. Fauna Fisk. p. 594 ; Fries and 

 Ekstr. Skand. Fisk. p. 92, pi. xxi. 



Batrachocephalus hlcnnioidrs, Holb. Goth. Vet. Scellsk. N. Hand!, iii, p. 39, 

 c. fig. 



Baniceps fuscvs, Kruyer, Dan. Fiske, ii, p. 231, c. fig. : "White, (Jatal. Brit. 

 Fish. p. 96. 



Banict'ps raninus, Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 125; Winther, Ich. Dan. Mar. 

 p. 34. 



Lesser fork-beard, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 122, pi. clii. 



B. vii, D. 3/65-67, P. 20-23, V. 6, A. 57-60, C. 35. 



Length of head 4, of caudal fin 8, height of body 4^ in the total length. JHye 

 — diameters 5^ in' the length of the head, 1 diameter from the end of the snout, 

 and IJ apart. The general appearance of the fish is well conveyed by its trivial 

 name of "tadpole fish," its body anteriorly being broad and depressed, while 

 posteriorly it is strongly compressed. Upper surface of the head slightly convex 

 or almost flat : cheeks inflated : snout somewhat overlapping the upper jaw, which 

 is slightly longer than the lower : the posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches 

 to about 1/2 a diameter of the eye posterior to the orbit. Teeth — cardiform in 

 both jaws, those forming the outer row being enlarged and placed some distance 

 asunder : in a transverse patch ou the vomer : none on the palatines or tongue. 



