Hawaiian Fishes 



325 



From Jordan & Evermann 



This fish is abundant among the coral rocks from the shore line to 

 the reef. It is occasionally found in sponges. It does not enter fresh water. 



This sleeper is distributed throughout the East Indies and Polynesia 

 as far as the Hawaiian Islands. 



THE GOBY FAMILY 



1 16 Family Gobiidae 



The family of the gobies is a group of fishes which is easily recognized 

 but which is hard to classify. They differ from the Eleotridae (Sleepers) 

 by the fact that the ventral fins are united to form a kind of sucker on 

 the lower surface of the body. 



They are all of small size and live in warm regions where they inhabit 

 the shore line. Some live in salt water, others live in fresh water and a 

 few go back and forth indiscriminately. Many bury themselves in the 

 mud of shallow estuaries. 



Nearly all of the members of the family are too small to be used 

 as food. 



At least fourteen members of this family are known from Hawaiian 

 waters. 



Mountain Goby 



11 6-1 SicyopteniS stinipsoni (Gill) 



This oopu varies in color. It ranges from a dark olive-greenish color 

 above crossed by fourteen black bars to specimens which are almost black. 

 It reaches a length of seven inches. 



This fish lives in fresh water streams from the upper valleys to the 

 estuaries. It seems to prefer swift moving water and sits attached to rocks 

 by means of its ventral sucker. It clings and climbs about the rocks with 



