Ctenoid Acanthopteres. FISHES. Blennioids. 133 
the other downwards, or one forwards and the other 
backwards, and in fact they squint normally. In 
some genera the eyes can be raised out of the sockets 
and depressed again, all these circumstances being 
teleologically conformable with the temporary resi- 
dences of the fish out of the water. In pursuing the 
minute crustaceans on which they prey, over the 
sands, the pectoral fins perform the office of feet. A 
New Zealand species, seen by Cook, obtained from 
that navigator’s companions the appellation of the 
“running-fish.” The Sunghong {Gobius fasciata- 
punctatus) runs very swiftly over the paddy-grounds 
of Whampoa, and the Pahkop or “ White-frog ” of the 
Chinese {Apocryptes serperaster) is carried about Can- 
ton for sale. The “ Flower-fish ” {Hwaya), which is a 
common object on China w'are, drawn with a round 
mouth and swollen gill-covers, but illuminated with its 
natural colours, is the Boleophthalmus Boddcerti of 
ichthyologists. 
In the Mediterranean the very young Gobies are 
called Nonnat, like the young Atherines, and are 
eaten fried in the mass. Aristophanes alludes to them 
in this condition as being an Athenian delicacy. 
Family XXIII.— CALLYONOMIDS {Callionymidai). 
This group has such strong affinities with the 
Gobioids, that Cuvier included them in that family. 
They have the same various expansion of fin, but the 
ventrals are separated more or less widely. Generally 
the intestinal canal is simple. The branchiostegals 
are six or seven in number. Some of the genera are 
scaleless. 
The genera are — Eleotris ; Fhilypnus ; Asterropteryx (Rup- 
pell) ; Callionymus ; Trichonotus ; Harpagifir (Richardson) ; 
Platyptents ; Comephorus ; Ckmnichtliys (Richardson) ; Patce- 
cus (id.) ; Hoplicthys ; and Opistognathus. 
Family XXIV.—DISCOPODES {Discoboles Cuvier). 
Plate 12, fig. 60. 
This family was considered by Muller to be a sub- 
division of the Gobioids, and was named by him Gobie- 
socidce. Our epithet has reference to the sucking disc, 
formed by the ventrals, used by the members of the 
family for attaching themselves to a stone or other 
firm support. This disc is either single or double, 
and is formed in front by the pectorals, and behind by 
the ventrals. The dorsals are either one or two, and 
are destitute of spinous ra 3 's ; hence the group was 
ranged by Cuvier with his sub-brachian Malacopteres. 
The skin of these fishes is destitute of an ordinary 
scaly covering, but in some species rows of hard der- 
mal tubercles are developed. Some genera have four 
gills, others only three of a side ; and the form of the 
body varies from longish to almost orbicular. The 
branchiostegals are from four to six in number. 
The genera are — LepidugasCer ; Trachelochismus (Barneville) ; 
Gohiesox ; Coiylis (Muller and Troschel) ; Sicyases (id.) ; 
Sicyogaster (Barneville) ; Cyclopleris ; and Liparis. 
The British species are — the Cornish Sucker 
{Lepidogaster cornubiensis) ; the Bimaculated Sucker 
{Lepidogaster bimaculatus) ; the Connemara Sucker 
{Lepidogaster cephalus) ; the Lump or Sea-owl {Cyclo- 
pterus lumpus) ; and the Sea-snail {Liparis vulgaris ) ; 
none of which appear to be commonly eaten, though 
the Lump or Cock-paidle is spoken of by Walter Scott 
as a desirable fish for the table of an antiquary. 
Family XXV.— BLENNIOIDS {Blenniidm). 
Plate 12, fig. 61, 63. 
With much of the general structure of the Gobioids, 
the Blennioids have a character common to most of 
the genera in the jugular ventrals, with or without a 
spine, and of two soft rays, one of which is sometimes 
divided below the integument. Cuvier considered the 
Blennioids to be merely a subdivision of the Gobioids, 
and to be characterized by six branchiostegals as the 
Gobioids were by five ; but some genera associated by 
Cuvier himself with the Gobioids have six and even 
seven branchiostegals. Some Blennioids want the 
ventrals, and some genera have these fins more deve- 
loped than in the typical forms. In a large propor- 
tion of the members of the family the skin is scaleless, 
and even when scales exist, much mucus is poured 
out by cuticular glands, a character which is expressed 
by the name of the typical genus {Blennius), derived 
from a Greek word signifying mucus. In form the 
Blennioids are elongated and more or less compressed, 
with one dorsal, composed almost entirely of simple, 
jointless, but flexible rays. In some aberrant forms 
the dorsal is divided into lobes, or even separate 
parts. The caudal is distinct, or united to the other 
vertical fins. The males have most generally a clus- 
ter of anal papillae. The oviduct opens externally 
between the vent and the orifice of the urinary canal. 
The stomach is thin, without a caecal dilatation, and 
there is no air-bladder. 
The genera are — Blennius ; Pholis ; Petroscirtes or Blennechis 
(Val.) ; Blennophis ; Chasmodes ; Salarias ; Pseudoblennius 
(Schlegel) ; Clinus ; NeocHnus (Girard) ; Acanthoclinvs ; 
Myxodes; Cristiceps ; Cirrhibarbis ; Tripterygion ; Bregma- 
ceros (Thompson) ; Pharopteryx (Ruppell); 7Aocc«tes (Jenyns); 
Phucoccetes Gunnellus ; Curelophus (Kroyer) ; Zoarces; 
Lycodes (Reinhardt) ; Dictysoma (Schlegel) ; Anarrhichas ; 
Anariclithys (Girard) ; Cebidichthys (Girard) ; Apodichthys 
(do.); Xiphiodon (do.); Ilameroccetes ; and Stic/iCB?is (Schlegel). 
In the British seas the following have been dis- 
covered — Montagu’s Blenny {Blennius Montagui) ; 
the Butterfly-fish {Blennius ocellaris) ; the Gatto- 
rugene {Blennius gattorugene) ; the Shanny {Blennius 
pholis) ; Yarrell’s Blenny {Blennius Yarrellii) ; the 
Butter-fish {Gunnellus guttatus) ; the Eelpout {Zoar- 
cceus viviparus) ; and the Wolf-fish {Anarrhichas 
lupus). 
The flesh of the Blennies is said to be tender, white, 
and well-flavoured ; but in an economical point of view, 
the family is of little account. The members of it, 
however, being many of them in the habit of remain- 
ing in the small pools of water left by the retiring tide, 
form interesting subjects for studyq and are pleasing 
fish for an aquarium. The following is an extract 
from the Zoologist for 1848, p. 2029, giving the obser- 
vations of Francis Ross, Esq., Topsham, Devon, on 
