FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIIDiE. 299 



Jlody sub-cylindrical. Eyes of randerate size. Ujil^er jaiv rather prominent, cleft of mouth nearhj horizontal. 

 Teeth in the upper jato small, -in one row, mostly implanted in the gmns, and as a rule moveable, their apices may 

 be compressed and dilated or bilohed : in the lower jaiv they are in one or two rows, if tvm the outer is fine and 

 moveable. Two dorsal fins, the first -with six flexible spines : the caudal not united to the dorsal or the anal : ventrals 

 united, forming a disk, which is more or less adherent to the abdomen. Scales ctenoid, of varying size. 

 Air-vessel absent. 



Geographical distribution. — This genus lias a wide range in fresh and brackish waters, having been 

 captured in the Mauritius, Bourbon, Burma, to the Malay Ai-chipelago and beyond ; also in the West Indies. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Sicydium fasciatum, D. 6 | -jV> ^- H' ^- 1- '^''' ^- *'■• 1'-*- Brown, banded, spotted, and with dark fins. 

 Burma. 



1. Sicydium fasciatum, Plate LXIV, fig. 7. 



B. iv, D. 6 I tW, P- 1^. V- 6, A. 11, C. 13, L. 1. 67, L. tr. 19. 



Lenoih of head 5^, of caudal 5|, height of body 5| in the total leng-th. Eyes — diameter 2/9 of 

 length of head, nearly \\ diameters from end of the snout, and If apart. Body subcylindrical : head rather 

 flattened superiorly, and broader than high, its breadth being equal to its length without the snout. Cleft of 

 mouth horizontal, extending to below the centre of the orbit : lips ratker thick : snout overhanging the mouth. 

 No barbels. Teeth — in the upper jaw small, and implanted in the gums in a single row : the inner 

 row in the lower jaw large, conical, recurved, some distance apart, there being two canines near the symphysis, 

 also a minute row of sharp ones on the lower lip. Fins — dorsal spines rather filiform, and projecting beyond 

 the membrane, being 3/4 as high as the body beneath, and 1/3 higher than the second dorsal. Pectorals 

 nearly as long as the head : ventrals short, forming a complete di,sk, and not reaching half-way to the anal fin, 

 which latter is beneath the soft dorsal but lower than it. Caudal rounded. ScnZes— strongly ctenoid, somewhat 

 iiTegularly arranged, they extend forwards nearly as far as the eyes : those anterior to the dorsal fin (about 30 

 rows) and also in front of the anal, smaller than the others, and more or less cycloid. None on opercles or 

 cheeks. Co/<jy(»'.s— reddish-brown, with about six vertical darker bands on the body wider than the ground 

 colour : there are also some dark spots : its under siu-face is dirty yellowish-brown. Fins nearly black, with a 

 light, nearly white, edge. 



This Sicydium or Sicyopterus, Gill, is the most westerly species I am aware of on the continent of Asia. 



Habitat. — Burma, to 2^ inches in length, the specimen figured is life-size. 



Genus, 3 — Apocktptes,* Guv. and Val. 



Branchiostcgals four: pseudobranchice rudimentary: gill-openings of moderate width. Body elongated. 

 Teeth conical in a single fixed rotv in either jaw, with usually a pair of canines in the lower, and above the symphysis 

 posterior to the fixed row: sometimes canines in the ujiper jaw. The first portion of the dorsal fin containing 

 five or six fiexihle spines, and either distinct from or continuous with the soft portion, which is similar to the anal. 

 Ventrals united, forming a disJc, and only attached by their bases. Scales, when present, small, becoming larger 

 posteriorly. 



Geographical distribution.— Coasts of India, Burma, Andamans, and tlirough the Malay Archipelago. 

 They ascend estuaries and rivers, sometimes even above tidal influence. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Apiocryptes serperaster, D. 6 | 27, A. 27, L. 1. C5-70, L. tr. 20. Wbitish, with gray vertical bands. 

 Seas of India and China. 



2. Apocryftes rictuosus, D. 6 | 24-27, A. 25-29, L. 1. ca. 75. Gray, with ill-defined oblique bands passing 

 down from the back : usually a black, yellow-edged ocellus on last dorsal rays. Seas and estuaries of India. 



3. Apocryptes Bleeheri, D. 6 | 22"'-25, A. 22-23, L. 1. 50-S5, L. tr. 13. Gray, with bro^vn spots or blotches 

 along the sides. Pectorals dark, with a light edge. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



4. Apocryptes batoides, D. 6 | 23, A. 23. Teeth pointed. Head 1/2 as wide as long. Grayish. Moulmein. 



5. Apocryptes lanceolatus, D. 5 | 31-32, A. 29-30. Greenish superiorly, with numerous brown spots and 

 bands, dorsal and caudal spotted and baiTed. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Apocnjptes dsntatus, D. 5 | 32, A. 31. Said to have larger teeth than A. lanceolatus. Coromandel 

 coast. 



* Bleeker's Apocrtptini consists of Gobies possessing a single row of teeth in either jaw, those in the mandibles being 

 sub-horizontal, with two erect posterior canines above the symphysis. 



I. Apocrtptei — . . », , 



1. Apoci-yptodon, Bleeker. Teeth in preniaxillaries partly truncated, partly sharp canines : in the lower jaw 



truncated or bilobed. . 



2. Faravocryptes, Bleeker. Teeth subulate and sharp in both jaws, partly canines in preniaxillaries. 



3. Apocryptes, Val.= Got)i!e;i(es. Swains. Teeth in both jaws, with their apices incised : no canines in the prcm.ixillarics. 



4. Fseudapocryptes, Bleeker. Teeth in both jaws with their apices obtuse, swollen, not incised : no canines in the 



preniaxillaries. 



^ Q ^ 



