Jordan and Everinann. — Fishes of North America. 2243 



aaa. Scales 65 or more. 



h. Caudal iin more than \ (?) length of body. Scales very small, cycloid, decidu' 

 ous. Body elongate, much compressed, highest in front of ventrals, 

 tapering regularly to the very narrow, short caudal peduncle ; greatest 

 depth i% in length; head 3i. Head compressed, much higher than wide 

 snout very short, acute, preorbital not as wide as pupil; mouth terminal 

 very wide and obli(iue ; jaws equal ; maxillary reaching vertical from mid 

 die of orbit, 2 in head. Outer series of teeth enlarged. Eye 3 in head 

 Dorsals closely contiguous; spines very slender, the fifth sliglitly pro 

 duced and filamentous ; pectorals as long as head. Head and body trans 

 lucent, overlaid by brilliant green luster, formed by minute, close-set green 

 points; 3 conspicuous translucent bars wider than the interspaces, cross- 

 ing body close behind head; head with 2 brilliant narrow blue and green 

 lines running obliquely across cheek below eye; dorsal whitish, with 2 

 or 3 lengthwise series of large reddish-brown spots ; spinous dorsal black- 

 ish at base , upper caudal rays marked with red, the lower portion of 

 caudal and most of the anal fin blackish, anal whitish at base, the ante- 

 rior rays tipped with white. In spirits, body dusted with dark points; 

 2 light cross bars toward head ; lower part of caudal and anal black. 



D. VII-16; A. 15. THALASSINUS, 2576. 



66. Caudal fin less than J length of body. Scales small, cycloid, embedded. Body 

 very much compressed, more or less elongate, greatest depth at ventrals 

 4 (female) to 6J (male) in length ; head 3J to 4. Head much compressed, 

 much deeper than wide . Snout very short, acute, the anterior iiroflle not 

 decvirved, not steep; preorbital not as wide as pupil; mouth very large, 

 very oblique or almost vertical ; maxillary extending to below pvipil, 2 in 

 head (iu male, 24in female). Lower jaw projecting, the teetl^of the outer 

 series enlarged, recurved . Eye 3J to 4 in head. Dorsals contiguous, spines 

 very fine, produced in filaments, the third highest, a little longer than 

 head; second dorsal and anal high. Head and nape naked. In the female 

 the depth is greater, mouth less oblique, smaller ; profile from spinous 

 dorsal oblique. First dorsal spine highest, 3J in length. Ventrals much 

 shorter than in males. Dark gray ; female with a short bright blue bar 

 bordered by blackish above pectorals; a blotch of sky blue and orange 

 below eye; fins dusky, the ventrals pale in female, dusky in males. 

 Males with the body plain bluish gray. D. VH-17 to 20; A. 18 to 21; 

 scales 68 to 70. signatus, 2577. 



2,574. MICROGOBIUS GULOSUS (Girard). 



Head 3 to 3i; depth 4 to 5; eye 4 in bead, longer than snout, D. VII- 

 15; A. 16 or 17; scales about 42; vertebrae 11 + 15. Body elongate, moder- 

 ately compressed; head long and large, rather sharp in profile; mouth 

 large, very oblique, the lower jaw strongly projecting; maxillary 1^ to 2\ 

 in head, extending to opposite middle of eye. Teeth in few series, the 

 outer very long and slender, curved, the lower longest, none canine-like. 

 Body entirely scaled, except the nape, belly, breast, and head, which are 

 naked; scales small, some of them with short thick teeth, those on ante- 

 rior part of body not well developed. Dorsal spines more or less filamen- 

 tous, the third to fifth sometimes Avith long filaments ; caudal pointed, as 

 long as head. Ventrals as long as pectorals, which are 1^ in head. Skull 

 flattened behind, with a median ridge extending from eyes back to end of 

 skull. Double crests bordering skull in front and on sides, the inner ones 

 meeting in front of median crest. luterorliital very narrow and deeply 

 grooved, with a median ridge. Frontal bones very thin and fragile. 



