OCR Text |
Show FISH. 91 CotOUR.-(In spirits.) Nearly uniform dark brown ground, but with some indications of round black spots, which were probably more conspicuous in the living fish. Eight or nine of these spots appear on the posterior half of the dorsal, forming a longitudinal row; and there is a row mo1·e faintly marked out along the base of the anal ; these last are smaller than those on the dorsal. Chin, throat, and gill-membrane, thickly covered with small spots: also a black patch extending over a large portion of the eye from above and behind. Habitat, Coquimbo, Chile. This species, obtained by Mr. Darwin at Coquimbo, is nearly allied to several other Chilian species, described by Cuvier and Valenciennes, but differs from all of them in having more rays in the anal fin, independently of other respects. It seems to approach most closely the C. vm·iolosus; but this latter is represented as having the superciliary tentacles palmated, composed of from twelve to fifteen bristles, and the nuchal ones papilliform and so small as to be hardly visible. In the present species, the superciliary tentacles consist, as above stated, of eight bristles separate quite to the root, while those on the nape are equally as large and as much developed, and strictly, as well as very distinctly, palmated. The crown also is scarcely convex, as represented to be the case in that species: to which it may be added, that the spots on the dorsal fin are more numerous, and their relative size compared with those on the anal different. The C. microci-n·ltis is said to want superciliary tentacles altogether, otherwise there are several points of resemblance between that species and the one here described. GeNus.-ACANTHOCLINUS. Jen. Corpus elongatum, compressum, squamis mimttissimis obtectum. Caput nudttm, tentaculis nullis. Dentes maxillares seriebus plurirnis dispositi, velutini; tnultis, ltic illic spa1·sis, fortioribus, subconicis vel aculeiformibus: vornerini et palatini velutini omnes. Linguce linea longitudinalis media dentibus rninutissimis aspera. lJfembrana brancltialis undique libera, subter gulam continua et profunde emarginata, se.r;-radiata. Pinnte dorsalis et analis spinis plurimis, ad apices laciniis membranaceis investitis. Linece laterales tres distinctce. Mr. Darwin has brought home several specimens of a small fish from New Zealand, which appears to me to form the type of a new genus in the family of the Blennies. It is most nearly allied to Clinus, to which group it may perhaps be subordinate in point of value; but it offers several differences which I shall proceed to point out. In the first place the number of anal spines is much greater, a character of considerable importance in this family, in which they hardly ever amount to more than two, whilst in some instances all the rays of this fin appear to be articulated. Secondly, in addition to the bands of vomerine and palatine |