526 The Blennies: Blenniide 
which is early lost. It reaches a length of about fifteen inches. 
Opsanus pardus, the leopard toadfish, or sapo, of the Gulf coast, 
lives in deeper water and is prettily marked with dark-brown 
spots on a light yellowish ground. 
In Opsanus the body is naked and there is a large foramen, 
or mucous pore, in the axil of the pectoral. In the Marcgravia 
cryptocentra, a large Brazilian toadfish, this foramen is absent. 
In Batrachoides, a South American genus, the body is covered 
with cycloid scales. Batrachoides surinamensis is a common 
species of the West Indies. Batrachoides pacifict occurs at 
Panama. The genus Portchthys is remarkable for the develop- 
ment of series of mucous pores and luminous spots in several 
different lateral lines which cover the body. These luminous 
spots are quite unlike those found in the lantern-fishes 
(Myctophide) and other Iniomi. Their structure has been 
worked out in detail by Dr. Charles Wilson Greene, a summary 
of whose conclusions are given on page 191, Vol. I. 
The common midshipman, or singing fish, of the coast of 
California is Porichthys notatus. This species, named mid- 
shipman from its rows of shining spots like brass buttons, is 
found among rocks and kelp and makes a peculiar quivering 
or humming noise with its large air-bladder. 
Porichthys porosissimus, the bagre sapo, is common on 
all coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Po- 
Fic. 481.—Singing Fish or Bagre Sapo, Porichthys porosissimus (Cuv. & Val.). 
Galveston. 
richthys margaritatus is found about Panama and Porichthys 
porosus in Chile. 
The species of Thalassophryne and Thalassothia, the poison 
toadfishes, are found along the coasts of South America, where 
they sometimes ascend the rivers. In these species there is 
