‘PHILYPNUS. 5 
1. PHILYPNUS, Cuv. & Val., 1837. 
Philypnus, Jord. & Everm. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. xlvii. 1898, p. 2194. 
Body elongate, compressed or subcylindrical; head elongate, more or less depressed. Mouth large, oblique ; 
lower jaw projecting ; jaws with pointed teeth in bands, the outermost series erect, fixed, somewhat 
recurved, the inner series depressible; vomer with a broad crescentic patch of small pointed teeth. Eyes 
moderate or rather small; interorbital region rather broad. Gill-openings wide, extending forward to 
below the eyes. Scales ctenoid, rather small, covering the body and the greater part of the head. Two 
dorsals, with VI, I9 rays; anal with I 9-10 rays; caudal rounded; pectoral of moderate length, 
symmetrical, rounded ; ventrals well separated, each with a short concealed spine and 5 branched rays. 
This genus consists of two species only, which appear to be principally fluviatile, but 
enter the sea. In both the development of the soft vertical fins is subject to great 
sexual variation, the males having these fins larger, the second dorsal especially being 
much more elevated than in the females. 
1. Philypnus dormitator. 
Gobiomorus dormitor, Lacep. Hist. Nat. Poiss. ii. p. 599 (1798) *; Jord. & Eigenm. Proc. U.S. Nat. 
Mus. 1886, p. 482°; Eigenm. & Eigenm. Proc. Cal. Ac. (2) i. 1888, p. 52°. 
Platycephalus dormitator, Schneider, Bloch’s Syst. Ichth. p. 60, t. 12 (1801) *. 
Eleotris dormitatriz, Cuv. Régne Anim. ed. 2, il. p. 246 (1829) °; Giinth. Cat. Fish. iii. p. 119 
(1861) °. 
Philypnus dormitator, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. xii. p. 255 (1837)7; Poey, Mem. ii. p. 381 
(1856) *, and Enum. p. 128 (1875)°; Girard, U.S. & Mex. Bound. Survey, Ichth. p. 29, 
t. 12. fig. 138 (1859) °; Jord. & Gilb. Synopsis, p. 631 (1883); Jord. & Everm. Bull. 
U.S. Nat. Mus, xlvii. 1898, p. 2194, fig. 781”. 
Eleotris longiceps, Giinth. Proce. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 151”, and Trans. Zool. Soc. vi. 1869, p. 440“. 
Philypnus dormitor (part.), Meek, Zool. Pub. Columbian Mus. v. 1904, p. 226. 
Depth of body 5 to 6 in the length, length of head 3 to 33. 57 to 68 scales in a longitudinal series, 26 to 31 
from interorbital region to origin of anterior dorsal. Dorsal VI, 19. Anal I 9. Caudal peduncle 
2 to 2} as long as deep. Body marbled with brownish, sometimes with an irregular dark band from 
operculum to base of caudal, sometimes with light spots on the lower part of the sides ; fins with series 
of dark spots. 
Hab. Atlantic Coast Rivers from Texas to Surinam, and also in West-Indian Islands: 
Rio Grande!°; Rio Soto la Marina’; Rio Panuco ; Rio Motagua (Salvin) ; 
Lake Yzabal (Salvin); Lake Nicaragua (Salvin 1814) —Cuba89; Jamaica®; Haiti’; 
Porto Rico’; Dominica; Martinique +7; St. Vincent; Barbados ®; Trinidad. 
Here described from several specimens, 120 to 330 mm. in total length, including 
the type of Eleotris longiceps, from Southern Mexico, Lake Yzabal, the Rio Motagua, 
and Lake Nicaragua. 
2. Philypnus maculatus, (Tab. I. fig. 2.) 
Lembus maculatus, Giinth. Cat. Fish. i. p. 505 (1859) *, and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, p. 2367. 
Philypnus lateralis, Gill, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1860, p. 123°; Jord. & Gilb. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 
