THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 403 



Genus B1.ENNIUS Linnaeus. 



The Blennies. 

 Blennius fucorum Valenciennes. 



Blenny. 



Distinguished from the next principally by the gill-membranes, 

 which are free from the isthmus posteriorly. 



This included on Dr. Abbott's reference. It is, however, if a 

 member of our fauna at all, to be found in the open sea in float- 

 ing seaweed as a straggler. I have never seen any examples. 



Blennius fucorum Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 817. 



Genus Hypi.eurochii.us Gill. 



The Shell Blennies. 

 Hypleurochilus geminatus (Wood). 



Head t^Vs ; depth 3^^ ; D. XI, 15; A. 18; snout 3^^ in head; 

 eye 3^ ; maxillary 2,% ', fifth dorsal spine 2 ; fifth dorsal ray 1% ; 

 fifteenth anal ray 2 ; caudal ij^ ; pectoral i^ ; ventral i>^. Body 

 elongately ovoid, well compressed, abdominal region swollen, and 

 tapering well from origin of anal. Head well compressed, not 

 very blunt, and upper profile obtuse with angle forming over 

 orbit. Snout oblique, surface convex. Eye circular, anterior and 

 high. Teeth small, uniserial, compressed. A strong back- 

 wardly-hooked canine on each side of upper jaw posteriorly. 

 Mouth a little inclined forwards. Jaws nearly even. Lips broad 

 and somewhat fleshy laterally. Maxillary reaching about middle 

 of orbit. Interorbital space narrowly concave. Gill-openings 

 lateral, membranes widely joined over isthmus. Lateral line with 

 about 15 tubes in its straight part, which ends about opposite tip 

 of pectoral. A supraocular cirrus a little less than orbit, and 

 with 4 small tentacles basally. Spinous dorsal inserted a little 

 behind base of ventral, and spines a little higher medianly. 

 Rayed dorsal inserted nearly midway between posterior margin 



