G(JBIE8. 



257 



GOBIUS riCTlS. 



(SW. l!El!GSTrill!EN). 

 rial.- XIIl, liL'. u. 



Charaefers cssnitiall;/ the .same as those of the /irccc'dii/fj sj/cilcs, Inil the luii/jitKcliintl dhiitietcr of the eijcs, iihich 

 approach more or less closeli/ to each other on the forehead, from about 3S to SI % of the length of the head, 

 and more than 40 % of the distaiiee lietireeii /he frsf nii/ of the frst dorsal tin and that of the second: the an- 

 terior hinuidarji of the scales on the dors(d side rnnnij/i/ don-n/rards anil f'orirards from the middle, or from a 

 j)oint nearer the heijinni)!;! of the first dorsal fin, n-hicli contains (i rai/s; and the colour of the liodi/ Inifihter and 

 more variegated, aufh the lateral spots on flic hodi/ and the selliform dorsal spots more sliarphi defined. 



bv. 5; ]). 6|^; A. ^; P. 17 1. 18" V. ',5; (.'..<■+ 11 (l.'!) + ,r. 



^yn. Gohiits pictiis, Malm, Forh. Skand. Naturf. Miite, Stlilm 1863, 

 p. 410; Gbgs, Boli. Fit., p. 429, lab. V, lig. 3; Winth., 

 Nafurli. Tiiiskr. Kbhvn, ser. 3, vol. IX, p. 199 et 218; 

 vol. XI, p. 41: vol. XII, p. IS; Coi.i,., Forli. ViJ. Selsk. 

 Christ.. 1874, p. 163; ibid., Tilla-gsh., p. 56; Hansson, 

 Of vers. Vet.-Akad. Forli., 1880, No. 4, p. 20; Day, Fish. 

 G:t Brit., Int., vol. I, p. 167, tab. LIII, fig. 1; LiLU., 

 Sv., Xorff. Fist,:, vol. I, p. 595; Hansen, Zool. Dan., F/.s-^r, 

 p, 35, tab. VI, %. 3 et 4. 



The last two species, Gobius microps and Gobius 

 pictns, in their typical form at least, never attain the 

 maximum size of the Doubly-Spotted Goby. Their length 

 seems never to exceed 50 mm. Furtliermore, in relation 

 to the latter species, they respectively range them.selves in 

 such a position that they represent its juvenile stages, 

 Gobius microps in the anterior boundary of the scales, 

 Gobius picfus in the relativel}' large size of the eyes, and 

 both in the smaller number of rays which they generally 

 possess in the doi'sal and anal fins. Their Swedish names, 

 nerstabb ("Clay Goby") and Bergstubb ("Rock Goby"), 

 which were happily chosen by Malm, and are derived 

 from the nature of the spots they most frequent, give 

 us the clue to the explanation of their chromatic char- 

 acters, if we bear in mind the variations of colour 

 given above, which Heincke observed in Gobius ftare- 

 scens as being evidentlv due to changes in tiie colour 

 of the surroundinffs of the tish. l>iit tiiev are distin- 



guished from Gobius Jiavescens and approximntcd to 

 Gobius minutus by a black spot, with azure lusti'e, be- 

 tween the 5th and 6th rays of the first dorsal fin, and 

 sometimes behind the latter ray as well''. This spot 

 occurs in the males and sometimes in tlie females, 

 though there it is never so prominent or so lustrous. 

 'Another transition to Gobius miiiatus appears in the 

 form of the ))ody, the least depth of the tiiil sometimes 

 sinkin"' as low as 6 % of the leiifith of the l)od\'; and 

 specimens in whicli this is the case, can be distin- 

 guished from Gobius minutus only liy the number of 

 the scales along and across the sides of the body, a 

 distinction which is often delusive, and by the usually 

 smaller number of rays in the second dorsal and anal 

 fins. Again, Heincke regards both Gobius microps and 

 Gobius pictus as forming a variety of Gobius minutus. 

 In Bohusliln both these species are common at 

 suitable spots. In Denmark, where, we need hardl)' 

 say, the bottom of the sea consists chiefly of loose soil, 

 sand, gravel and clay, Gobius microps, according to 

 WiNTHER, is the commonest species of the genus. "It 

 lives in shallow Avater, from .shore out to a depth of 

 5 or (i fathoms, and is by no means averse to brackish 

 water." In Norway, where the bottom of the sea for 

 tlie most part is rocky, "Gobius microps," says Coixett, 

 "is of onlv sporadic occurrence and is met with far 

 more seldom tlian Gobius pictus." At suitable spots, 

 however, where the shore is shelving and clavev. in 



" Soinetimcs 20, according to Day. 



^ The supposed difference in the position of tlie spots on the dorsal fin, that in Gobius tiiicrops they belong to the rays and in 

 Gobius pictii.i to the fin-nicinbrane, has not proved constant. Tlio first dorsal fin. too, seems generally to be shorter in Gobius pictun, and 

 llie distance between the first ray of the first dorsal fin and that of the second less (less than 14 <■; of the length of the body): bnt there 

 are also exceptions to this rule 



ScantVfini'ian Fighed. "*' 



