71 



Family GoMidce. 

 Gobius, Artedi. 



52. Gobius cometes, Alcock. 



Gobius cometes, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Sept. 1890, p. 208, pi. viii. fig. 2 : Illustrations of the 

 Zoology of the Investigator, Pishes, pl. XX. fig. 3. 



B. 5. D. VI. 10-11. A. 10-11. L. lat. 23-24. L. tr. 5-6. C. 18-20. 

 P. 23. V. 1.5. 



Length of the head about 2^, height of the body about 4- in the total with- 

 out the caudal. 



Snout broad, its length about two-thirds that of the eye. Eyes entering 

 the dorsal profile, separated by a very narrow shallow groove, their major dia- 

 meter about 3- in the length of the head. 



Mouth cleft oblique, the lower jaw a little prominent, the maxilla reaching 

 the vertical through the middle of the eye. 



In each jaw an inner band of villiform teeth, and an outer regular row of 

 slightly enlarged, acute, slightly curved teeth ; tongue large and fleshy. 



Gill-covers large, the suboperculum much larger than the operculum ; gill- 

 lamina? broad ; gill-rakers small and weak. 



Scales large (0 - 23 inch in the vertical, 0"18 inch in the antero-posterior 

 diameter) microscopically ctenoid ; they cover the crown of the head as far as 

 the eyes, leaving the cheeks and opercles scaleless ; there are five or six rows of 

 scales between the second dorsal and the anal fins. 



All the fins are elongated ; the second and third dorsal spines are about 

 half as long as the head; the rays of the feathery second dorsal and anal 

 increase in length from before backwards as far as the antepenultimate ray, 

 which is almost as long as the head. The caudal is long and pointed, its longest 

 rays, which are on the dorsal aspect, are nearly one-third the total length. The 

 ventrals are united, but are not adherent to the abdomen ; their length is about 

 equal to the height of the body. Pectorals with a long fleshy base, their longest 

 (middle) rays are equal to the length of the head without the snout. 



Intestine short; anal papilla long and slender. A large thin- walled air- 

 bladder is present. Vertebras 11/13. 



Colours in life : — Transparent grey, with seven broad bright-yellow cross 

 bands not quite reaching the middle line of the abdomen, and the gills showing 

 through the gill-cover as a bright pink blotch. Second dorsal and caudal fins 

 beautifully pencilled black and white like a feather, anal with a broad dark 

 border, ventrals blue-black. In spirit the yellow cross-bands almost entirely 

 fade. 



