FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIID^. 309 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 

 1. Bostrichthys Sinensis, D. | y^'^, A. i, L. 1. 140. Anterior nostril long and tubular. Dark brown, 

 with a large black white-edged ocellus at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin. Andamans to China. 



Bostrichthys Sinensis, Plate LXV, fig. 4. 



Bostryckus Sine^isis, Lacep. iii, p. 141, pi. 14, f. 2. 



Gobius Sinensis, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 94. 



Philypnus oceUicauda, Richards. Voy. Sulphur, Fishes, pp. 58, 149, pi. 5C, f 1-3, IG. 



Philyjmus Sinenis, Richards. Ich. China, p. 210. 



PMhipnus ophicephalus, Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxii, Blen. en Gob. p. 20. 



Bostrichthys Sinensis, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1800, p. 125 ; Kner, Xovara Fische, p. 186 ; 

 Bleeker, Gobioides, 1874, p. 13. 



Eleotris Sinensis, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 127. 



Bostryckus Sinensis, Bleeker, Bintang, 1808, p. 5, and Eleotri formes, 1874, p. 4. 



Lee-mee-jo-do-dali, Andam. 



B. V, D. 6 I To?T^, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. i, C. 13, L. 1. 140, Vert. 12/15. 



Length of head from 4^ to 4|, of caudal 6i to 7, height of body 7| to 8 in the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/5 of length of head, 1^ diameters from end of snout, and 2 diameters apart. Head obtuse, broad, 

 depressed. Lower ^jaw the longer, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the eye. Greatest 

 width of head equals its length excluding the snout, its height equals about 1/2 its length. Anterior nostril 

 tubular and long. Teeth— in equal sized villiform rows in both jaws, also on a semi-oval spot on the vomer. 

 Pins— &Tst dorsal not so high as the second, a rather considerable interspace between the two fins. Pectoral 

 and ventral of about the same length, and equalling the head excluding the snout. Caudal rounded 

 or wedo-e-shaped. Scales— cycloid, rudimentary on the top of the head and the nape : small on the cheeks, 

 lar<rer on the opercles. On the body they are irregular. Colours— dark brown marbled, a black white-edged 

 ocellus at the upper part of the root of the caudal fin : three bands formed of spots along the dorsal fin, caudal 



also vertically banded by spots. t ,Tn • x • o 



Eahitat.-Andnm^-as, to the Malay Archipelago and China. The specimen figured (hfe-size) is from the 

 Andamans, where it is not uncommon in the brackish waters, feeding on small Crustacea. 



Genus, 9 — Eleoteis,* Oronovius. 



Brwnchiostegals from four to six, occasionally terminating anteriorly in a spine : pseudolrancJdce present. 

 Gill-openinrjs of imderate width. Body suh-cylindrical : head oblong. Eyes -lateral, not prominent, mid of moderate 

 size. Teeth small, none on vomer or palatines. Two dorsal jins, the anterior with few (5-8) spines, and these 

 sometimes filamentous : base of pectoral slightly muscular: ventrals placed close together but not united. Scales 

 present. Air-vessel large. Anal papilla distinct. Pyloric appendages generally absent. 



As in the Genus Gobius I considered it unadvisable to adopt minute sub-divisions, for the purpose of 

 formino- Genera, I cannot but think that the same plan had better be continued for Genus Eleotris, or Gobies 

 with separated ventral fins and no teeth on the palate. Those which have an outer barbed row are likewise 

 properly removed to separate genera, as Mogurnda, GiU. 



Geographical distribution.— These fishes are generally found in the seas of the tropics, mostly along the 

 shores, in estuaries, or tidal rivers, but not above tidal influence. The only one I have observed that appears 



* Many of the frjllowing Genera which comprise Eleotrii and Balii of Bleeker are comprised in the above • — 



No crests or serrated ridges on the head : teeth in mani) rows in both jaus, Eleotris, Gr(mow.=Qobiomo'mdes, Laci:p.=Erotelis, 

 Poey anterior canines also in both jaws and the inner row in the lower enlarged, Odonteleotris, Gill : or simply the outer ro-.v 

 enlart'ed, Guavina, Bleeker : head scaleless, Belohrcmchus, Bleeker : or the inner row in the lower jaw may be slightly enlarged (scales 

 28 10^40 'isthmus narrow) Ophiocara, Gill : or the outer row in the upper jaw, and anteriorly the outer in the lower, which also has 

 its inner row posteriorly enlarged (a preopercular spine), Clieilodipterus, H. B =CuUus, Bleeker : or the teeth may be subequal 

 and slender (upper surface of head scaled) Gohiomorphus, Gill. , • i , - , 



Or the teeth may be in few rows in both jaws, the outer being enlarged in the upper, and also anteriorly in the lower as is also 

 its posterior inner row ( isthmus of medium size) Oxyeleotris, Bleeker. , . • ui i 



Or the teeth may be in many rows in the wpper, and only a single one in tlie lower jaw, as Fogoneleotris, Bleeker, 



and Oymneleotris, Bleeker. , , , , , • n j- r>i i 



Osseous crests or serrated ridges on the head : teeth m many rows in both jaws, crowded and of equal size, liutis, Bleeker ; or 



subequal in size (head scaleless) Gymnobutis, Bleeker : or the outer row enlarged in either jaw (head convex) Prio-iwbutis, Bleeker ; or 



slender and not crowded, with the outer row slightly enlarged, OJ/>ntobutis, Bleeker. 



Or there may be many rows of teeth in both jaws, the outer being slender and moveable, as Dormitator, Gill : 



Asterropte'ryx, lliipp. , . , , ,. ■ i » i • 



Or the teeth in the jaws may be fixed in many rows in both jaios, the outer enlarged, in the lower a posterior lateral canine. 



Scales large and ctenoid. Brachi/cleotris, Bleeker ; or cycloid Hetereleofns, Bleeker. ■,.,□, r^-,. 



Or the scales may be small : teeth in many rows in both jaws, the outer the longer, and partly canine-like, Fareleotris, Gill : 



or with only two canines at the symphysis of the premaxillaries, and posterior canines above the symphysis ot the lower 



jaw, Oxymetnpon, Bleeker. . . ■ j7 i • ti 



Or the teeth may be in one or more roios in the premaxillaries, the inner being rudimentary, or m many m the lower yxw, the 



outer the longer and unequal, a posterior lateral canine, Valeiv:iennesia, Bleeker : or a single row in the upper jaw, an enlarged outer 



unequal row in the lower, and a large posterior curved canine, Eleotriodes, Bleeker. 



