The Blochiidæ.—Of doubtful relationship is the extinct family of Blochiidæ. In this group the body is elongate, covered with keeled plates imbricated like shingles. The dorsal is composed of many slender spines, and the vertebræ much elongate. In Blochius longirostris (Monte Bolca Eocene) has very long jaws, lined with small teeth. Zittel regards the family as allied to the Belonorhynchidæ, but the prolongation of the jaws may be a character of analogy merely. Woodward places it next to the Blenniidæ, supposing it to have small and jugular ventral fins. But as the presence of ventral fins is uncertain, the position of the family cannot be ascertained and it may really belong in the neighborhood of Ammodytes. The dorsal rays are figured by Woodward as simple.
Fig. 464.—Xiphasia setifera Swainson. India. (After Day.)
The Patæcidæ etc.—The Patæcidæ are blenny-like fishes of Australia, having the form of Congriopus, the spinous dorsal being very high and inserted before the eyes, forming a crest. Patæcus fronto is not rare in South Australia. The Gnathanacanthidæ is another small group of peculiar blennies from the Pacific. The Acanthoclinidæ are small blennies of New Zealand with numerous spines in the anal fin. Acanthoclinus littoreus is the only known species.
The Gadopsidæ, etc.—The family of Gadopsidæ of the rivers of New Zealand and southern Australia consists of a single species, Gadopsis marmoratus, resembling the scaly blennies called Clinus, but with long ventrals of a single ray, and three spines in the anal fin besides other peculiarities. The species is locally very common and with various other fishes in regions where true trout are unknown, it is called "trout."
The Cerdalidæ are small band-shaped blennies of the Pacific coast of Panama. The slender dorsal spines pass gradually into soft rays. Three species are known.
Fig. 465.—Wrymouth, Cryptacanthodes maculatus. New York.
The wrymouths, or Cryptacanthodidæ, are large blennies of the northern seas, with the mouth almost vertical and the head cuboid. The wrymouth or ghostfish, Cryptacanthodes maculatus, is frequently taken from Long Island northward. It is usually dusky in color, but sometimes pure white. Other genera are found in the north Pacific.
The Wolf-fishes: Anarhichadidæ.—The wolf-fishes (Anarhichadidæ) are large blennies of the northern seas, remarkable for their strong teeth. Those in front are conical canines. Those behind are coarse molars. The dorsal is high, of flexible spines. The species are large, powerful, voracious fishes, known as wolf-fishes. Anarhichas lupus is the common wolf-fish of the north Atlantic, reaching a length of four to six feet, the body marked by dark cross-bands. Other similar species are found both in the north Pacific and north Atlantic. Anarhichas lepturus, plain brown in color, is common about the Aleutian Islands.