162 ACANTHOPTERYGII. — GOBIAD^. 
as the Suckers and Remoras, which Cuvier places 
among his Malacopterygii. The number of 
species contained in the group, if we exclude 
these three Families, are given by the Italian 
zoologist as four hundred and eight, a vast in- 
crease upon the number recognised in 1831, when, 
according to the same authority, the Family con- 
tained one hundred and seventy three species. 
The bodies of these fishes are generally soft 
to the touch, and invested with a mucous slime ; 
hence the name applied to one of the great sub- 
divisions, the term Blenny being derived from 
the Greek BKsvvu, signifying mucus ; and the 
provincial appellations of some of the species, 
as Butter-fishes, &c., allude to the same pecu- 
liarity. 
The Gohiadce have either one lengthened dorsal 
or two : the rays which are spinous are so in 
a less degree than in any other tribe of this 
Order, being remarkable for slenderness and fiexi- 1 
bility. Few, if any, of this species have robust 1 
rigid rays in any of the fins. The ventrals mani- 
fest peculiarities of structure : they either con- 1 
sist of two or three small rays, or are enveloped 1 
in a thick skin, or are so united as to make a 
funnel-shaped cup, or are totally wanting. In 
general these fins are situated . in front of the 
line of the pectorals. All the species have a long ^ | 
uniform, intestinal canal, destitute of caeca ; the \ 
air-bladder is generally wanting. ! 
The genera are widely scattered ; they are ! 
found in all the seas of both hemispheres, from i 
the polar oceans to the equator ; one genus is 
confined to the Indian coast, another to the Mo- f 
lucca Isles, and another to the Sea of Kamschatka : 
