2236 Bulletifi //, United States National Museum. 



2505. AWAOUS TAIASICA (Liclitenstein). 



(GUAVINA HOYEKA; ABOMA DE KlO.) 



HeadSi; depth 5^; eye small, less tliau iuterorbital widtli (in adult), 

 3 in siioiit (twice iu young), and about 7 in head. D. VI-11; A. 11; scales 

 60 to 70, crowded anteriorly, about 30 before dorsal fin, 21 between second 

 dorsal and anal. Body compressed posteriorly, rather depressed anteri- 

 orly; head broader than deep. Distance from eye to mouth ol in head, 

 the preorbital being much enlarged; mouth large, horizontal, maxillary 

 extending to below anterior part of orbit in adult male, shorter in young; 

 lower jaw included. Teeth of the upper jaw in 2 series, those in anterior 

 series much enlarged and recurved; teeth of lower jaw iu a narrow baud, 

 the outer series scarcely enlarged. Inner edge of the shoulder girdle with 

 2 or 3 rather long papilhe. Body covered with ctenoid scales, much 

 reduced in size anteriorly ; nape closely scaled, breast scaly, head naked. 

 Dorsal fins less than depth of body, the spines scarcely filamentous, not 

 as long as the soft rays; caudal rounded, shorter than the head; ventrals 

 very broad and short, lA^ to 1* in head, the rays very much branched. Skull 

 rounded behind, with a very short crest iu its middle; lateral crests high 

 and thin, converging into 1 opposite the insertion of suprascapula, 

 inner crests not meeting behind eye, the outer ones extending around 

 orbit. A low, blunt ridge between the posterior corners of orbit, becom- 

 ing much higher forward, continued as the ethmoid and ending abruptly 

 some distance in advance of orbit. Teeth in upper jaw in a few series, 

 those of outer series many times larger than the others, which are minute ; 

 those of lower jaw all alike small, in a band. Olivaceous, -with a series of 

 irregular, roundish blotches along middle of side, and narrow dark streaks 

 radiating from eye; a blackish streak running across upper margin of 

 opercle and extending oblicxuely across base of upper pectoral ray; belly 

 white ; dorsal and caudal more or less distinctly barred with wavy blackish 

 lines. Length a foot or more. Extremely variable in form and coloration, 

 as is the case with most widely distributed fresh-water fishes. Fresh 

 waters of the West Indies and both coasts of Mexico, south to Brazil ; com- 

 mon in Cuba, in Sinaloa, and about La Paz iu Lower California, thence 

 southward to Panama, {iaiasica, Brazilian name of some other goby.) 



Amove guacu, Marcguave, Hist. Brasil., 166, 1648, Brazil. 



Gobius iaiasica, Lichtenstein, Berl. Abhaudl., 273. 1822, Brazil ; not Tajasica Maecgeave. 



Oubiui banana, Cuviee & Talencienkes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xu, 103, 1837, San Domingo ; 



GOnthee, Cat., ui, 59, 1861. 

 Gobius martinicus, Cu^^EE & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xn, 105, 1837, Martinique. 

 Chonophorus bticculentm, Poey, Memorias, ii, 275, 1861, Cuba. 

 Bhinogobius contractus, * Poey, Memorias, ii, 424, 1861, Cuba ; Poey, Enumeratio, 125, 1875 



*The following are the characters assigned to Aivaous contractus (Poey): Head 4; 

 depth 5J; D. VI-11; A. 11; eye 7 in head; maxillary ceasing i an eye's diameter before 

 eye. Head smaller than in ^. totasica. Greenish brown ; the" cheeks with brown lines; 

 body with brown points; dorsals brownish, with brown longitudinal bands more numer- 

 ous on the second; caudal with 7 brown bands, made of lanceolate spots on the rays; 

 pectorals speckled; ventrals and anal rose color. Cuba (Poey); probably not difterent 

 Irom A taiasica; said to differ in the small mouth, which probably varies with age and 



