B L E N 
and feparated. Synonymes. Blennius viviparus, Linn. 
Enchclyopus, Gronov. and Klein. Muflela vivipara, Ray 
and Will. Aalmulter, Muller. Aelquabbe, aelpucke, 
Schonev. 
Fafciatus , or rayed blenny. This fpecies is not deferibed 
by Linnaeus, and is diftinguifhed from others of the genus 
by two bare filaments between the eyes, and by having 
nineteen rays in the anal fin. There are fix rays in the 
membrane of the gills, thirteen to the pectoral fin, and 
two to the ventral, eleven to the tail-fin, and twenty-nine 
to the dorfal,.. The head is fmall, hanging over before ; 
it is brown above, and pale yellow below. The body is 
large before, narrow behind ; and there are four brown 
bands, between which are brownifh lines on a ground of 
pale yellow, forming an angle in the middle. The back 
is round, and of a brownifh-blue colour. The lateral 
line, which is vili.ble near the back, has a flrait direflion. 
The belly is thick, and of a pale yellow ; the anus is 
nearer to the head than to the tail-fin. The body is co¬ 
vered with a vifeous matter. The pectoral fins are round, 
white, transparent, with four brownifh lines ; thofe of the 
belly are long, narrow, of the fame colour as the pecto¬ 
rals, and fpotted with brown; of the anal fin, the firft 
ray only is hard ; the dorfal fi-n is long, with brown liga¬ 
tures ; that of the tail is grey, round, and fpotted with 
brown ; the rays of the tail-fin are forked ; of the reft 
fingle. This pretty little fi111 inhabits the Eaft Indian 
feas. The Germans call it bandirtefchleim-jij'di ; the French 
perce-pierre raye, 
Blennius. ocellaris, or butterfly-fifh. The black fpoty 
Surrounded with white, on the dorfal fin, is the diftinguifii- 
ing character of this fpecies. There are twelve rays to 
the peCtoral fin, two to the ventral, Seventeen to the anal, 
eleven to the tail-fin, and twenty-five to the dorfal. The 
head is long, narrowed at the (ides, large, and hanging 
over in front. The eyes are large, jutting out, with a 
black pupil, and orange-coloured iris ; (fome have been 
remarked with a white iris.). The aperture of.the mouth 
is large ; the jaws are of equal length, with a row of very 
narrow teeth- Handing clofe to each other ; the tongue is 
large, but fhort. The aperture of the gills is large, and 
its covering is fingle, and fmall. The cheeks are large, 
and of afiLver colour. The back is round, and of a dark 
green; the body without fcales ; the belly is fhort, but 
large. The ground-colour of the fifh is a dirty green, 
•with brown fpots; there are fome, however, whofe prin¬ 
cipal colour is a. clear blue. The peCtoral fin is large, 
round, with forked rays, like that of the tail ; the ventral 
is divided in two rays ; the anal is long and low,, and, like 
the dorfal, has only Simple rays, which come a little way 
through the membrane ; but in the dorfal fin the firft ray 
is very, long, and the fin itfelf rifes before and behind, and 
finks in the middle;, it is of an. olive-colour, with blue 
fpots and white prickles. This fifh inhabits the Mediter¬ 
ranean Sea. Brunnicke faw it at Marfeilles, Cette at Sar¬ 
dinia, and Willoughby at Venice, where it is common in 
the markets with other fmall fifh. It attains to the length 
of fix or eight inches ; the flefh is lean, therefore not 
much efleemed. It lives near the fhares, among the rocks 
and weeds ; and feeds on crabs and fmall fhell-filh. It 
feems to have neither eggs nor roe. Belon, Rondeletius, 
Gefner, Aldrovandus, and Linnaeus, deferibe this fifh as 
having two dorfal fins ; but Artedius and Brunnicke fay 
it has but one. This contradiction muff arife from thefe 
fins being fometimes united by a membrane, and forne- 
times not. Synonymes. Blennius ocellaris, Linn. Cct. 
and Brunnicke. Blennius fulco. inter oculos, &c. Artcd. 
Blennus pinniceps, &c. Klein. Oppian. Blen¬ 
nius belonii, Gefn. Jonjl. Aldrov< and Ruyfch. Blennus vel 
cepola, Belon. Blennus falviani, Ray and Will. MefToro, 
Salv. Licore marin du vulgaire, Rondel. Pierce-pierre a 
mouche, Block. Butterfly-fifb, Art-of Ang. Smetterlinf- 
fifeh, Muller. 
Gattoruginus , or Venetian blenny. Two filaments be¬ 
tween the eyes, and the fame number.in the nape of the 
N I U S. io 7 
neck, diftinguifh this fpecies. The membrane of the gills 
has five rays, the peCtoral fin fourteen, the ventral two, 
the"anal twenty-one, the dorfal thirty-one, and the tail- 
fin twelve ; the head is comprefl'ed and rounded off; the 
eyes (landing out, which have a filming membrane, with a 
black pupil and reddifii iris. The notltils are clofe to the 
eyes. The jaws are of equal length, armed with a row 
of white, fmall, pointed teeth, which are flexible, (land 
very clofe, and, being all of an equal height, look like a 
fmall-tooth comb. The aperture of the mouth is large 
compared with the head, which is fmall; the tongue is 
fhort, the palate fmooth. The gills have a Ample cover¬ 
ing ; the aperture feems large, but it is narrow, being 
doled above by a membrane. The filaments are large, 
branched, and thofe on the neck look like flag’s horns ; 
the number of thefe filaments is not the fame in every 
country it inhabits. The body, which is compreffed, is 
ornamented with brown and green ftripes. The belly 
fhort, and filver-coloured ; the anus is in the middle of 
the body. All the fins are of a yellowifh colour, with* 
fimple rays. The dorfal fin lias a black fpot, which, how¬ 
ever, is not univerfally found ; the firft fixteen of the rays 
are fliarp, the reft blunt; thefe laft are the longeft, and 
reach to the tail-fin. The colours of this fpecies are fub- 
jeCt to variation, which is remarked by Willoughby; for 
in fome the fpots are olive colour, furrounded with blue. 
This fifh inhabits the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas. 
Gronovius received it from the Gape of Good Hope. It 
is fix or eight inches long ; the flefh is eaten ; it lives on 
fmall crabs and young fry. Synonymes. Blennius gat- 
torugine, Linn, and Bmn. Blennius pinnulis duabus ad 
oculos, &c.c. Arted. Blennius capite criftato, See. Gronov . 
Kofchar, Forjk. Gattorugine Venetiis, Ray and Wilt. 
Dickhals, Muller, 
Superci/iofus, or Indian blenny. The lateral line curved, 
and one filament to the eyes, diftinguifh this fpecies. There 
are fix rays to the membrane of the gills, fourteen to the 
pe£toral fin, two to the ventral, twenty-eight to the anal, 
forty-four to the dorfal, and twelve to the tail-fin. The 
body is long, thick, and a little, compreffed at the fides. 
The head is fmall, thick, without feales, wide before the 
eyes, and doping towards the upper lip ; the eyes are 
placed at the fides of the head, and are large and round-, 
with a glittering membrane ; they have a black pupil, in 
a filver-coloured iris ; at the upper rim is the. filament, 
which is fhort, and ends in two branches. The noftrils 
are double, and not far from the eyes. The aperture oi 
the mouth is large; the tongue fhort, the palate fmooth. 
The jaws are of an equal length ; the upper is furnifhed 
with a row of large teeth handing apart from one ano¬ 
ther, and behind thefe feveral rows of fmall fharp teeth ; 
the lower jaw is not fo well armed. The covering of the 
gills is fmall,* and furrounded by the membrane of the 
gills, which is uncovered ; it is fupported by fix* crooked 
rays ; the aperture of the gills is very large. The body 
is covered with little feales ; the back is fharp ; the anus 
is large, and nearer to the mouth than the tail.' The 
rays of all the fins are fingle ; thofe of the pe6toral are. 
thick, of the dorfal fharp, except the five lull; the firft 
dorfal fin is joined to the fecond by-a membrane ; at the 
bottom of the pedtoral fin, near the back, a membrane 
juts out, and forms a fold or wrinkle. The principal co¬ 
lour is yellowifh, ornamented with beautiful red fpots, 
which are alfo found, on the anal and dorfal fins. This 
fifh is found in India. Seba is the firft writer that has 
mentiotved it ; after him, Gronovius deferibed it more 
accurately, except that he has reprefented the dorfal fin 
divided in two.. It lives on young crabs. It is one of the 
few viviparous fiflves that have feales; and in the plate 
the young are fhewn efeaping from the womb. The in- 
teftinal canal confifts of a thick membrane, with two cur¬ 
vatures. Behind this canal, are two little cells which 
have one common aperture near the anus, in which the 
young are contained ; but to what number is uncertain, 
Synonymes. Blennius fuperci)iofus,„ See. Linn. Bleir- 
niua.- 
