366 - FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



and anal long and high, reaching the base of caudal when depressed; anal rays 12 or 13; 

 caudal lanceolate, the middle rays longer than head; pectorals about as long as head; ventrals 

 somewhat shorter. Color: Male — light green, with dark mottlings above; sides with 4 to 6 

 dark blotches; a large, distinct bluish-black spot on each side of nape; several rows of brown 

 spots on each dorsal; 4 to 6 irregular brown vertical bars on caudal; lower fins dusky. Female 

 — duller; sides with a row of elongated dark spots, the light bars absent or faint, {stigmaticus, 

 spotty.) 



This little species inhabits sandy bays from North CaroUna to Florida, and 

 is apparently common about Beaufort. Jenkins reports that he " obtained about 

 30 specimens with considerable difficulty", and notes the local name of ''scallop- 

 fish". Numerous specimens about 1.25 inches long were seined on Uncle Israel 

 Shoal in January, 1905. The maximum length is 2 inches. The species is 

 subject to considerable variation in form and color, depending on size, sex, and 

 locality. The form called encceomus does not appear to be distinct from stig- 

 maticus. 



Genus MICROGOBIUS Poey. Gobies. 



Very small shore fishes, with elongate, more or less compressed body; large 



and very oblique mouth, the lower jaw prominent; strong teeth; small cycloid or 



weakly ctenoid scales; 7 or 8 dorsal spines; and 15 to 18 soft dorsal and anal rays. 



Four species are now known from the coast between Virginia and Texas, and 



several others occur in the West Indies; therefore, in addition to the 2 following, 



several other species may be looked for in North Carolina: 



i. Body strongly compressed; depth contained 5 times in length; caudal fin much longer than 

 head; color green; anal fin with a row of distinct black spots on margin; no distinct black 



spot on spinous dorsal holmesi. 



n. Body slightly compressed; depth contained 5.5 times in length; caudal fin equal to head; 

 color yellow or light brown; no black spots on anal fin; a distinct black spot on spinous 

 dorsal eulepis. 



(Microgobius, small goby.) 



317. MICROGOBIUS HOLMESI Smith, new species. 



Holmes' Goby. 



Diagnosis. — Form elongate, the body greatly compressed, the depth greatest over base 

 of pectorals where it is .2 length; caudal peduncle very short, broad, its greatest depth equal 

 to its length and more than .5 body depth; head comparatively large, contained 3.6 times in 

 length of body, slightly compressed, its width somewhat less than its depth, which is .66 its 

 length; eye placed high and directed' upward and outward, contained 3.4 times in head; eyes 

 separated by a deep narrow groove; interorbital space very narrow, .3 width of pupil; snout 

 about .7 eye and less than .25 head; mouth large, strong, very oblique; lower jaw projecting, 

 its tip nearly on level with lower edge of pupil; maxillary extending to point under anterior 

 margin of pupil, its length nearly .5 head; teeth in a narrow band in each jaw; cheek large, 

 its height greater than diameter of eye and about .3 length of head; scales cycloid, non- 

 deciduous, rather small, largest on posterior part of body and gradually becoming smaller 

 anteriorly; head, nape, and breast naked; scales, in lateral line about 48, in transverse line 

 between the origin of second dorsal and anal 11 or 12; dorsal fins distinct, the rays vii+ 16, 

 the first and last soft rays unbranched; spinous dorsal begins behind posterior margin of opercle 

 a distance equal to diameter of pupil, all the rays slender and high, the longest more than .8 

 head; origin of soft dorsal directly over vent, the rays of nearly uniform height, .5 head, the 



