The Uifiory of ANIMALS, 
24 z 
G O B I U S. 
' H B ventral fins in the Gobius grow together in fuch a manner, as to form only 
_ one fimple one, which has fomewhat of the Ihape of a funnel; and thefe are 
fituated at the fame difiance from the extremity of the head with the pe&oral ones : 
there are two fins on the back, and the anterior one is compofed of fubrigid rays: the 
fcales are rough j the body is oblong, and the head is fubcylindric, but fomewhat de- 
prefled ; the eyes are covered with the common Ikin of the head : the branchioftege 
membrane on each fide contains five very difiintf: bones 5 thefe are unequal in fize, for 
the firft or uppermoft, and the fourth, are much broader than the others. 
Gobius varius pinna dorji fecunda officulorum quatuor- 
decim . 
The variegated Gobius, with fourteen rays in the hinder 0tU)0tOtt. 
back fin. 
This grows to eight inches in length, and it is tolerably thick, in proportion j it is 
very beautifully variegated in colour, the back and fides being elegantly tinged with 
brown, white, yellow, green, blue, and black: the tail, the back fin, and pinna 
ani are of a pale blue, and the belly and the coverings of the gills are yellow: the 
eyes ftand very clofe to each other, and look upwards; they are covered with one 
common membrane : their iris is yellow, but not purely fo, but fpotted ; the mouth is 
very large, and there are {harp and ftrong teeth both in the fauces and the palate, as well 
as in the jaws : there is a deprefiion or furrow on the back, between the head and the 
firft back fin ; this fin has only fix rays; the hinder one has fourteen ; the pinna ani 
alfo has fourteen rays; the pedtoral ones each feventeen : the whole body of the fifh 
is covered with rough fcales, which, with the beautiful variety of the colouring, 
make an elegant figure. 
This fifh is frequent in the Mediterranean, and in many other feas; it is caught," 
in great abundance, in the Baltic, and is not very unfrequent about the coafts of the 
Weft of England : the antients were acquainted with this fpecies. Ariftotle calls it 
Ka&oi/; and fElian, Oppian, and Athenasus, Pliny, Columella, and Juvenal call 
it Gobio; Salvian, Gobio marinus ; Bellonius and Gefner, Gobio marinus niger $ and 
Charleton, Gobius, or Cobius, marinus ; the Venetians call it Go and Goget. 
Gobius linea lutea tranfiverfa in fummo pinnce dorfalis 
primce. 
The Gobius , with a yellow , tranfiverfe line on the top 
of the firfi back fin . 
%f>t i&asa- 
newts. 
This grows to about fix inches in length, and is moderately thick, in proportion ; 
the body is of a rounded figure, but fomewhat comprefled : the eyes are fmall, and 
ftand near one another on the top of the head : the head is not large, in proportion to 
the body, but the mouth is wide, and is very well furniftied with teeth; there is a de¬ 
prefiion from the back of the head to the beginning of the back fin, but it is lefs in 
this fpecies than in the former: the colour of the body is in general paler than in that 
fpecies, but it has the fame variegations: the ventral fins are connected in a remarka¬ 
ble manner together, and have more of the funnel-like appearance in this, than in any 
other fpecies. 1 . , ' 
We have this very common about the coafts of the northern parts of England. 
Rondelet calls it Gobio ; and Bellonius and Gefner, Gobius albus; others call it Go¬ 
bius marinus and Paganellus veterum ; Jonfton and Aldrovand call it Paganellus five - 
Gobius major ex Gefnero ; and the Venetians, Paganello, 
Gobius 
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