230 FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ZOOLOGY, VOL. V. 



terior, and close together; opercles without spines; isthmus broad; 

 shoulder girdle without fleshy flaps; scales ctenoid, covering the body; 

 cheeks usually without scales; ventral fins completely united, not 

 adnate to the belly; skull depressed, abruptly widened behind the 

 eyes, and without median keel. 



A large group of small fishes usually found along the shores in salt 

 or brackish water, few species entering fresh water. 

 / 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF GOBIUS. 



a. Scales large, less than 45 in the lateral series. PAGE 



b. Scales large, 30 in the lateral series; soft 



dorsal rays 1 1 ; anal rays 12 - . parvus 230 



bb. Scales smaller, 42 in the lateral series; soft 



dorsal rays 12 ; anal rays 13 claytoni 231 



aa. Scales very small, 62 in the lateral series; soft 



dorsal rays 13 ; anal rays 14 microdon 231 



Subgenus Otenogobius Gill. 



218. Qobius parvus Meek. SMALL GOBY. 



Gobius parvus Meek, Field Col. Mus. Pub. 65, 1902, 121; La An- 

 tigua. 



Brackish water near the city of Vera Cruz. (Vera Cruz ; Boca del 

 Rio.) 



Head 4; depth 4^ ; D. vi-n; A. 12; scales 30. Body short, 

 robust; head large; snout blunt, rounded, 4^ m head; mouth sub- 

 inferior, little oblique, its gape extending to vertical from pupil; inter- 

 drbital area narrow, its width less than half the diameter of the eye ; 

 eye small, partly superior, 3K m head; dorsal fins not connected, the 

 spinous dorsal of females low, longest spine a little more than half 

 head; in male the dorsal spine % to % longer than head; caudal fin 

 long and pointed, its length 3 (5) to 3^ ($) in body; pectoral 

 slightly less than length of head ; ventral i \ in head ; scales ctenoid. 



Color dark olivaceous, mottled with darker; a dark bar on dorsal 

 region from base of posterior half of spinous dorsal, followed by three 

 others from base of soft dorsal and one on caudal peduncle; 5 or 6 

 narrow dark streaks on lower half of sides, extending downward and 

 forward to base of anal ; two black spots at base of caudal fin ; dorsal 

 fins of both sexes barred; caudal fin of females with narrow dark 

 bars; none on males; anal fin with dark margin. Length about 3.50 

 inches. 



