PISCES. 229 
cealed spine before the dorsal fin. Amphacanthus corallinus (pl. 83, fig. 3) 
is from the Seychelles. 
The family of Fisrutarim- is characterized by a long tube in the fore- 
part of the cranium, formed by the prolongation of the ethmoid, vomer, 
opercules, pterygoid, and tympanic bones. The mouth is placed at the 
extremity, as usual. The ribs are short, or absent. The body is either 
cylindrical, as in the Fistulari@, or compressed, as in the Centriscus: 
The genus Fistularia, known as the tobacco-pipe fish, is represented on 
the coast of the United States by several species, which are readily 
recognised by their greatly elongated, nearly cylindrical body, the dorsal 
far back and opposite to the anal, and the filament proceeding from 
between the two lobes of the caudal. The genus Centriscus, in addition 
to the tubular snout, has a compressed short body, of which the head forms 
the greater portion of the whole. The tubular mouth is probably used in 
drawing up their food, as by asyringe. Centriscus scolopaz (pl. 81, fig. 21), 
a European species, is called in England snipe or trumpet-fish. 
The two next families, Gostipz and Buennupa, formerly united into one, 
possess a common feature in the slender and flexible character of the 
spinous rays. There is also no swimming bladder. While the latter, 
however, have the ventral fins either consisting of two rays, or else absent ; 
the former have them united into a single sucking-disk, or else very closely 
approximated. In the genus Gobius proper, the ventrals are united through- 
out their entire length, so as to form a concave sucking-disk. There are 
two dorsal fins, the last of which is long. Some of the species are without 
visible scales. They are mostly fish of small size, and inconspicuous in 
their appearance, many of them belonging to the United States. Gobius 
alepidotus, a very rare species, has in several instances been procured, by 
inland naturalists, from the empty valves of oysters, into which they must 
have crept betore the oysters were removed from the bed. The lump-fish, 
formerly placed in a distinct family, that of the Discoboli, are repre- 
sented by the genera Lepadogaster, Lumpus, and Liparis, the two latte 
pussessing American representatives. The former exhibits two disks, 
formed, the one by the base of the pectorals, the other by the ventrals. 
The dorsal and anal are near the tail. By means of their sucking appa- 
ratus these small and otherwise defenceless fish are able to attach them- 
selves to sticks and stones, and thus retain a secure hold in a boisterous 
sea. In the genus Lumpus the pectorals uniting with the ventrals form a 
single disk. ‘The skin of the back is elevated on both sides, so as to 
inclose spinous rays in a fleshy ridge. The head and body are short, 
stout, and deep. The Lumpus anglorum, or lump-sucker, is a grotesque- 
looking fish, found on the more northern coasts of Europe and America, 
possessing the power of adhering to objects in water, with great tenacity, 
by means of the sucking-disk. A vessel of water containing several gal- 
lons has been lifted up by means of the close attachment of a lump-fish to 
the bottom. This is one of the few fish which pay attention to the eggs 
after they are discharged. The male here, as in most other cases of the 
kind, assumes the office of protector; remaining close to the precious 
ICONOGRAPHIC ENCYCLOP.ZEDIA.—VOL, II, 28 433 
