504 EEVIEW OF NOETH AMERICAN GOBIID^. 



ib. Scales 65 or more. 



c. Caudal fin more than one-third ( |) length of body. Scales very small, cycloid, 

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

 tapering regularly to the very narrow, short caudal peduncle. Greatest 

 depth 4| in length, head 3J. Head compressed, much higher than wide ; 

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

 very wide and oblique ; jaws equal ; maxillary reaching vertical from mid- 

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

 Dorsals closely contiguous ; spines very slender, the fifth slightly produced 

 and filamentous ; pectorals as long as head. Head and body translucent, 

 overlaid by brilliant green luster, formed by minute, close-set green points ; 

 three conspicuous translucent bars wider than the interspaces, crossing body 

 close behind head ; head with two brilliant narrow blue and green lines 

 running obliquely across cheeks below eye. Dorsal whitish, with two or 

 three 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 anterior 

 rays tipped with white. In spirits, body dusted wi'h dark points; two 

 light cross-bars towards head ; lower part of caudal and anal black. Dor- 

 sal VII-16. Anal 15 Thalassinus, 42. 



CO. Caudal fin less than one-third length of body. Scales small, cycloid, imbed- 

 ded. Body very much compressed, more or less elongate, greatest depth at 

 ventrals 4 ( $ ) to 6J ( <? ) in length ; head 3^ to 4. Head much compressed, 

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

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

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

 head (in <? , 2^ in 9 ). Lower jaw projecting, the teeth of the outer series en- 

 larged, recurved. Eye 3J to 4 in head. Dorsals contiguous, spines very 

 fine, produced in filaments, the 3d highest, a little longer than head. Sec- 

 ond dorsal and anal high. Head and nape naked. In female the depth is 

 greater, mouth less oblique, smaller ; profile from spinous dorsal oblique. 

 First dorsal spine highest, 3^ in length. Ventrals much shorter than in 

 males. Dark gray ; female with a short bright blue bar bordered by black- 

 ish 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. Dorsal VII-17 to 20 ; anal 18 to 21. Scales 68 to 70. 



SiGNATUS, 43. 

 aa. Anterior part of body naked. Teeth of upper jaw in one series. Body elongate 

 compressed, heaviest forwards; depth 5 in length; headSf; snout short, 

 rather broad, acute in profile ; mouth terminal very oblique ; gape wide, its 

 length nearly half head; maxillary reaching to opposite middle of pupil; 

 lower jaw projecting. Teeth in lower jaw partly in two series in front, 

 forming a single row laterally; anterior teeth in both jaws strong, in- 

 curved. Eyes viry large, about i of head ; snout less than orbit. Scales 

 extremely small, cycloid, scarcely increasing in size toward caudal pedun- 

 cle ; head and anterior part of body to front of dorsal fin naked ; a narrow 

 naked strip along base of anterior half of spinous dorsal. Dorsal spines 

 very slender and weak, some of the middle ones usually prolonged, some- 

 times reaching nearly to the base of caudal, son-etimes little elevated. 

 Second dorsal and anal similar to each other, the rays high, the last when 

 depressed nearly reaching to the base of caudal. Caudal pointed, a little 

 longer than head. Light olivaceous; above thickly punctate with pale 

 dots ; sides very thickly covered with golden-green specks ; back with six 

 pairs of golden-green spots on each side of the dorsal fin, each nearly as 

 large as pupil. Sides of head and anterior half of body with wide streaks 



