DOUBLE SUCKERS. 
301 
of these lishes to the Dragonets. The Gobiesocidce are 
thus distinguished from the latter chiefly by the highest 
development of one organ, the adhesive disk, and the 
total lack of another, the first dorsal fin, the reduction 
of which, however, was already foreshadowed in the 
Gobioid family. Thus, the gain of the ventral part 
is the loss of the dorsal. 
The jaw-teeth are usually small, but comparatively 
strong, conical and set in one or a few rows, though 
in the front of the jaws they are sometimes cardiform, 
or some of them are developed into sharp and strong, 
compressed incisors. The intestinal canal is short and 
simple, but internally furnished with broad and nu- 
merous folds of the mucous membrane. The liver is 
large and bilobate. The gall-bladder large. Among 
the anatomical characteristics Gunther has remarked a 
well-developed omentum" in some species, and lacrymal 
sacs, as he terms them * 6 , at the eyes of one of the spe- 
cies. With regard to the external characteristics we 
may remark that the predominant colour in most of 
the species is red. 
The family contains about 20 species, distributed 
by Gunther among 9 genera", and occurring in the 
Temperate Zones of both the Southern and Northern 
Hemispheres, but rare within the Tropics. Its members, 
most of which are small fishes, usually lie very still, with 
their adhesive disk fast to the bottom, sometimes so 
close to shore that they are left dry by the ebb. The 
larger species, it is true, live in deeper water, and even 
the small ones may have their usual haunt at a depth 
of as much as 30 fathoms; but no true deep-sea spe- 
cies is known. 
Genus LEPADOGASTER. 
Postclavicular part of the adhesive disk completely separated , even externally , from the pelvic part, the dermal rim 
of the former being transversely pendent , even in front , at the boundary between it and the latter. No special 
dermal fold on the front of the base of the pectoral fins , or only a slight trace thereof. No preopercular spine. 
Gill-opening perpendicular , the branch iostegal membrane being coalescent with the broad isthmus , without any dermal 
fold across the throat. Fourth branchial arch with a simple row of lamellce. Six branchiostegal rays on each side. 
Snout depressed and more or less elongated. Jaw-teeth set laterally in a simple row, and anteriorly cardiform. 
No incisors. Dorsal and anal fins without spinous rays, but with the rays distinctly articulated. Anal papilla 
present both in the female and in the male 0 . 
This genus, which was established in 1770 by 
Golan", really belongs to the Mediterranean, to which 
locality Canestrini-' ascribes 6 species, half of which, 
however, he refers to a distinct genus, Mirbelia, dis- 
tinguished by the marked separation of the vertical fins 
from each other, whereas, in the other species, they are 
more or less closely united. The insignificance of this 
generic character, however, we have already seen in 
the species of the genus Cyclogaster. Three species 
occur on the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, and 
one of these also belongs to the Scandinavian fauna. 
“They are peaceable and gregarious,” says Russo 17 of 
these fishes, “and generally collect in small companies 
“ Cat. Brit. Mas., Fish., vol. Ill, p. 501. 
6 L. c., p. 492. 
c According to Jordan and Gilbert 10 genera. 
d This last character is given on the authority of Muller an 
e Hist. cl. Poiss ., pp. 106 and 177. 
f Arch, per la Zooiogia, L’Anatomia e la Fisiologia, Vol. Ill, 
Eur. Her., Ill, p. 278. 
which live together. Their scaleless, slippery body 
glides through the sand and pebbles where they make 
their home. Their food is composed of worms (Nereid w) 
and other small creatures.” That they live on other 
food as well, is apparently shown, however, by the 
method of catching them which he describes. “In order 
to procure these fishes,” he says, “a hole may be scraped 
in the sand, and a dead fish laid there. When the 
Suckers (Lepadog aster) scent the fish, they attach them- 
selves to it, and begin their meal on the flesh.” All the 
species are to be reckoned among the small fishes, the 
largest of them scarcely attaining a length of more than 
1 dm. The Scandinavian species is one of the smallest. 
Troschel, Hors Ichthyologies, Heft. Ill, p. 20. 
Fasc. I, p. 177. 
