ART. 7 NEW SIAMESE FISHES SMITH 45 



Rennarhs. — The specific name given to this fish is in allusion to its 

 strong resemblance to Rhinogohius canimis (Cuvier and Valenci- 

 ennes), known from China, Philippines, and East Indies. The prin- 

 cipal points of dissimilarity are the more decurved snout, larger eye, 

 nonprojecting lower jaw, absence of scales on upper part of opercle. 

 and coloration of body and fins. 



RHINOGOBIUS ATRIPINNATUS, new species 



Desc7'iption. — Body elongate, rather plump, moderately com- 

 pressed ; superior profile rising in a regular, gentle curve from snout 

 to dorsal fin; depth under first dorsal equal to head less snout and 

 contained 4 times in standard length; head small, 3.3 in length, its 

 width greater than depth at eyes ; eye rather small, a little less than 

 5 in length of head, equal to snout and greater than interorbital 

 space; mouth oblique, rather small, lower, jaw slightly projecting, 

 posterior angle of jaws under anterior part of eye; teeth in 3 or 4 

 rows in each jaw, those in outer row enlarged and wide-spaced; a 

 large, stout, backward-curved lateral canine on each side of lower 

 jaw; tongue truncate at tip; least height of caudal peduncle 1.5 times 

 in its length and 2 times in head; scales large, weakly ctenoid, 27 in 

 longitudinal series, 9 in transverse series; predorsal scales small, ex- 

 tending into interorbital space, about 25 in median line ; large scales 

 on the somewhat fleshy base of pectorals; cheeks and lower half of 

 opercles naked, upper half of opercles with large scales; prominent 

 lines of mucous pores on the head, including a double row extending 

 horizontally entirely across middle of cheek, 3 rows on lower part of 

 cheek, a suborbital row continuous with a postorbital row extending 

 along upper margin of opercle to upper angle of gill opening. 



Fins: Dorsal rays VI-I,10; anal rays 1,10; spinous dorsal rather 

 low; soft dorsal similar to anal, neither when depressed reaching 

 caudal; ventrals rather short, extending about two-thirds distance 

 to anal ; pectorals longer than ventrals and equal to head less snout. 



Color: Body and head light brown, without markings; muzzle 

 blackish; all fins black except pectorals which are dusky. 



Type. — A specimen 6 cm. long, taken in the Gulf of Siam off 

 the Tachin River, Central Siam, December 14, 1927. The fish is a 

 female with well-developed ovaries. Cat. No. 90321, U.S.N.M. 



Remarks. — In this species the extent of the squamation of the 

 opercles resembles Vaimosa, but the presence of large lateral canine 

 teeth in the lower jaw indicates Rhinogohius, a genus which, as 

 Herre ® has pointed out, is " a catch-all for a heterogeneous assem- 

 blance not conveniently placed elsewhere." 



In addition to the type, the collection of the Siamese Department 

 of Fisheries contains a specimen 6 cm. long taken in the Menam 



* Gobies of the Philippines and the China Sea. 



