AUSTRALIAN GOBIID.E McCULLOCH AXD OlilLBY. 195 



Head largely naked, the upper posterior portion of the cheeks and 

 opercles covered with imperfect scales. Eye elevated, contiguous with 

 its fellow on the upper profile of the head ; lower eyelid distinct. Snout 

 broad and rounded, with two fleshy pi'otuberances over the mouth, at the 

 tips of which are the anterior nostrils ; posterior nostrils situated a little 

 in advance of the eye. Upper lip thick and fleshy, expanded into a broad 

 lobe posteriorly, lower lip with a thick swelling posteriorly ; angle of the 

 mouth falling below the middle of the eye. Teeth in each jaw in a single 

 row, short and conical, a few slightly enlarged ; palate toothless. Tongue 

 adnate to the floor of the mouth. Gill-opening lateral, not so wide as the 

 isthmus. 



Body covered with small cycloid scales which extend forward to behind 

 the eyes, and cover the base of the pectoral and portion of the breast. 

 There are about seventy rows between the base of the pectoral and the 

 hypural joint, and about twenty-four between the anterior dorsal and anal 

 rays. Grenital papilla well developed. 



First doi'sal comTnencing behind the base of the pectorals ; the first 

 spine is usually highest, and the succeeding ones decrease rapidly in length 

 so that the fin is emarginate anteriorly, but may be obliquely truncate ; it 

 is separated from the second dorsal by a short interspace. Second dorsal 

 slightly rounded, the middle rays a little longer than the others. Anal 

 opposite the second dorsal but a little more rounded and lower than that 

 fin. Pectoral a little pointed, the median rays longest and reaching the 

 vertical of the vent. Ventrals inserted well before the pectorals, with 

 short, thick rays, and united by a membrane which is so deeply incised 

 that they are almost separate. Caudal broadly rounded, with its lower 

 rays thickened, pennulate and short. 



Colonr-marhlng. — Greyish brown, with dark bars descending obliquely 

 forward onto the sides ; the lower portions of the sides with lighter spots 

 and bai's, the head dotted with white. Basal half of the doi-sal fins grey, 

 closely speckled with white ; a broad, black, white-edged, submarginal 

 band is present on each fin, the broader outer edge forming their white 

 margins. Caudal with irregular bars of dark spots on the rays. Pectoral 

 spotted like the caudal. Ventrals and anal white, with dusky markings. 



The above description is based on seven examples, 50-90 mm. long ; 

 the proportions are those of the largest specimen, which is figured. They 

 were taken together at King Sound, North Western Australia, and are 

 similar in all structural details and colour-marking, varying only in the 

 relative lengths of their anterior dorsal spines. 



Variation. — A series of thirty-two specimens 28-94 mm. long, collected 

 together within a space of a few yards at Cooktown, exhibits remarkable 

 variation in the form and construction of the first dorsal fin. The spines 

 vary fi'om 8-15, the number being usually, though not always greater in 

 the larger examples. The posterior spines are sometimes present in young 

 examples, though verj- minute and difficult to detect ; in others they are 

 wholly wanting, and the fin ends abruptly at the eighth or ninth spine. 

 The distance between the two dorsal fins is greater or smaller according 

 to the number of spines developed posteriorly. The margin of the fin is 

 rounded in younger specimens, but in adults the anterior spines are 



