498 BULLETIN 188, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the lower Bangpakong. Besides being found in the Indo-Australian 

 Archipelago, Mala5^a, French Indo-China, and India, this species ex- 

 tends its range to Northwest and South Australia. 



A length of 27 cm. is reported by Weber and de Beaufort, but 

 examples 20 cm. long are uncommon in Thailand, the largest specimens 

 examined have been 15.5 to 16 cm. long. Full maturity is attained at a 

 length of 10 cm. 



TOXOTES MICROLEPSIS Gunther 



Toxotes microlepsis Gunthee, 1860, vol. 2, p. G8 (Siam) ; 1864, p. 174 (Siam and 

 Cambodia). — Bleekek, 1865 (356), p. 173 (Siam [after Giinther]). — Sauvage, 

 ISSBb, p. 150 (Menam Chao Phya ) .— Hoka, 1923b, p. 177 (Bangkok, Nonta- 

 buri). — FowLEB, 1934a, p. 155 (Bangkok). — Webee and de Beaufort, 1936, 

 vol. 7, p. 202 (Siam). 



Originally described from specimens collected in Thailand by Mou- 

 hot, this species has since been found in Borneo and Sumatra. It may 

 be recognized easily among the local species of Toxotes by the small 

 scales, 40 to 42 in the lateral series and 20 or 21 in crosswise series. 



T. microlepsis is a river fish, and in Thailand it seems to push its 

 way farther inland than do the other species. It is common in the 

 lower Menam Chao Phya and it is found regularly as far north as 

 Ayuthia and Hangkraben. Specimens have been examined also from 

 the Nakon Nayok, one of the branches of the Bangpakong. 



A length of 15 cm. is attained by the local specimens. 



Order Gobioidea: Gobioid Fishes 



The gobies constitute a rather diversified group occurring in Tem- 

 perate and Tropical Zones throughout the world but especially well 

 represented in the Tropics, and only the Arctic and Antarctic regions 

 are entirely destitute of them. About 300 genera and TOO species have 

 been described, and each year new genera and new species are added 

 to the long list. Some species have a very wide distribution, some 

 are markedly localized. Most of them are marine but many, including 

 both the largest and the smallest forms, frequent fresh water. 



They are mostly small, carnivorous bottom dwellers, living along 

 the shores of bays, estuaries, and river mouths, and also in streams, 

 lakes, and swamps. Some are confined to coral reefs or coral heads 

 and tide pools, some lie on or are partly concealed in sandy bottoms, 

 some are among the most outstanding mud lovers among fishes. Some 

 regularly leave the water and chase insects on strand, on mud flats, 

 and in mangrove swamps. Some cling to the bottom of turbulent 

 streams. Some species, which pass most of their life in fresh water, 

 go down to the sea to spawn, thus exhibiting a definite catadromous 

 habit such as shown by the common fresh-water eels (Herre, 1927) . 



