282 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
Tullberg and Dr. Theel, in a trawl, at a depth of 
30 or 40 fathoms in Gullmar Fjord. No more northern 
or Atlantic specimens are known, and Moreau states 
emphatically that the species is unknown on the west 
coast of France. It is probably a deep-sea fish, too 
difficult to obtain with ordinary tackle, or despised for 
its small size by the fishermen. 
We have every reason to suppose that the habits i 
of the Lesser Dragonet are almost, if not entirely, the ] 
same as those of the preceding species. However, we 
have no trustworthy information as yet on this point. 
The specimen described by Fries was taken in a large 
Herring-seine, together with several specimens of the 
Gemmeous Dragonet and a great quantity of small 
Herrings. Most of the other examples were taken in 
a dredge or trawl. Malm’s specimen from Vinga had 
become entangled in a Flounder-net. 
(Fries, Smitt.) 
Fam. C YOLO PTE RID M. 
Body move 
Dorsal jin 
luted' rays, 
of the dorsal fin. 
Pectoral fins broad, 
or narrow, 
steyal rays. 
Like the Dragonets 
and the spinous armour of the preoperculum 
Cyclopteridce are also ranged bv the form of the body, 
and further by the broad pectoral fins and the catila- 
ffinous or bonv bridge on the cheeks, beside the Cottoid 
type, and may be regarded as Cottiform Gobioids. Their 
place among the Acanthopterygians is a low one, for 
the skeleton is only slightly ossified or even cartila- 
ginous, and the spinous-rayed parts of the fins are but 
little developed. The scales are also few and irregular, 
entirely wanting or replaced by scattered tuberculated 
plates or spines on the skin. The jaw-teeth, on the 
other hand, are numerous, though weak , being cardi- 
form and simple or tricuspid. The most singular char- 
acter of these fishes, and the one most closely connected 
with their manner of life, however, is the metamorpho- 
sis of the ventral fins into an adhesive dish, by means 
of which the Cyclopteroids attach themselves to stones 
or other hard objects at the bottom of the sea,. In this 
round or somewhat oblong disk we find a ring com- 
posed generally of 13 distinct, fleshy protuberances, 
compressed, 
unarticu- 
to the posterior part 
of a fleshy sucking-dish. 
Gill-openings small 
Six branchio- 
the preoperculum by 
the first unpaired, each of the other belonging to one 
of the rays of the ventral fins; and around this ring 
there is a dermal border. 
The family, which was referred by Cuvier to the 
Malacoptervgians, in his writings bears the name of 
Discoholes" , but also includes the following family. 
Bonaparte 6 held the same opinion, but changed the 
name of the family to Cyclopteridce. Risso was in all 
probability the first to suspect the connexion between 
these fishes and the Gobiomorphs 0 ; but Muller (1. c.) 
the first to discover in this connexion their true Acan- 
thopterygian nature. It was Gunther * 1 who reduced 
the family to its present limits. These are by no means 
extensive; for though 24 species, all of northern origin, 
have been described, and distributed among 5 genera, 
both these numbers may with good reason be reduced. 
The species belonging to the Scandinavian fauna 
may be distributed between two genera, (Jy clog aster , 
with one, continuous, dorsal fin, and Cyclopterus, with 
two dorsal fins, the anterior, however, being gradually 
covered during growth by the skin. 
or less tadpole-like or bulky (with .short caudal part), anteriorly terete and posteriorly 
normal or with the anterior part reduced or overgrown, composed of flexible, but (interiorly 
continuous or divided into two parts. Anal fin in structure and extent analogous 
The rays of the ventral fins, six in each fin, form the framework 
with the base projecting downwards in front of the ventral sucking- disk. 
Fourth branchial arch with only one row of lamellae, the gill-slit behind- it wanting. 
Air-bladder wanting. Pyloric appendages numerous. Suborbital ring united to 
an osseous or cartilaginous connexion. No palatine or vomerine teeth. 
by the form of the body 
— the 
a Regne Animal , nouv. ed., tome II, p. 344; Discoboli , Mull., Abh. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1844, Physik. Abb., p. 156. 
h See Isis, 1833, p. 1201. 
c Lepadog aster, a member of the following family, was referred by Risso to the family Gobioides ( Eur . Mer., tome III, p. 271). 
d Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish., vol. Ill, p. 154, Discoboli. 
