76 MARINE AND FRESHWATER FISHES 



much as twenty inches ; the colour of the body in the adult 

 fish varies from cream colour to a light or reddish chestnut, 

 variegated with innumerable black spots or blotches, while 

 the long dorsal and anal fins are tinged with brilliant 

 crimson. Fine examples of this species are included 

 in the spirit-preserved series of the Day Collection. 



FAMILY II.— Snake Fishes {Ophidiida). 



Body elongated ; the vertical fins usually confluent, 

 without any anterior dorsal or anal sub-divisions ; the 



fig. 17. — sand-eel (Ammodytes tobianus). 



ventral fins rudimentary, represented merely by a pair 

 of bifid filaments, or entirely absent ; branchiostegal rays 

 seven or eight in number ; air-bladder present or absent. 



The Bearded Ophidiom (Ophidiom barbatum), No. 118, 

 and Drummond's Echiodon (Fierasfer dentatus), No. 119, 

 are two elongated Eel-like forms, which, while plentiful in 

 the Mediterranean, are very rarely taken upon our coasts. 

 Much more abundantly represented members of the same 

 group are the Launches, or Sand-Eels, including the Greater 

 Launch {Ammodytes lauceolatus), No. 120, the Lesser 

 Launch (A. tobianus), No. 121, and the Smooth Launch 



