AUSTRALIAN GOBIID^E McCULLOCH AND OGILBY. 247 



onto the sides and decrease in size backwards in the premaxillaries ; no 

 true canines. Tongue snbtruncate and free anteriorly. Grill-openings 

 lateral, separated by a wide isthmus ; exposed edge of the shoulder-girdle 

 forming a curved smooth ridge. 



Body rather stout, compressed. It is covered with large, strongly 

 ctenoid scales, which are reduced and rudimentary before the dorsal fin, 

 and leave the nape and portion of the neck bare ; they are cycloid and 

 small on the breast and bases of the pectorals. Genital papilla well 

 developed. 



First dorsal originating above the anterior portion of the pectoral ; 

 the second and third spines are filiform and free terminally, and reach 

 well beyond the anterior ray when adpressed. Margin of the second 

 dorsal straight, rounded posteriorly; the rays are subeqnal in height, and 

 the posterior ones do not reach the caudal when adpressed. Anal similar 

 to the soft dorsal, the rays increasing slightly in length to the penultimate. 

 Pectoral rounded, not quite reaching the vertical of the anterior dorsal 

 ray. Ventrals united, reaching the vent, with a broad basal membrane. 

 Caudal rounded. 



Colour-marhing. — Light brown in alcohol, lighter below, with large 

 well-defined, blackish-brown spots on the back and sides ; a large spot is 

 beneath the pectoral below the posterior dorsal spines, another below the 

 hinder part of the soft dorsal, and one at the base of the tail ; a paired 

 series crosses the nape, another before the dorsal fin, six cross the back 

 and sides near the hinder part of the spinous dorsal, a pair is near the 

 middle of the soft dorsal, one behind the last ray, and a small one near 

 the caudal base ; in addition there are numerous intermediate lighter and 

 smaller spots on the upper half of the body. A dark bar from the orbit 

 to the mouth, and a larger one from behind the eye to behind the angle of 

 the mouth. Operculum and base of the pectoral with several large 

 blotches. First dorsal with a median row of blackish spots, its outer 

 portion dusky, and the ends of the spines black. Second dorsal with 

 three irregular rows of blackish, light-edged ocelli between the rays, and 

 a black margin. Caudal with about five rows of similar ocelli, and a dark 

 border. Anal with a black border. 



Described from a specimen 99 mm. long, from Port Darwin, which 

 is unusual in having only five instead of six dorsal spines. 



Variation. — Thirty-two specimens 30-117 mm. long, prove the mark- 

 ings of this species to be very constant in disposition though variable in 

 their intensity ; the dark borders of the vertical fins may be absent, 

 especially in young specimens, and that of the anal is replaced by a median 

 dark band in some of our younger examples. The filaments of the dorsal 

 spines vary in length, and may be longer in young specimens than in those 

 of larger size, while they are occasionally scarcely developed. 



Synonymy. — Four cotypes of Gohiiis festivus, De Vis, agree with their 

 description in the more obvious characters, but prove it to be inaccurate 

 in various details. The upper pectoral rays are not free or silky, and the 

 scales do not extend forward to the orbit on the sides of the neck. The 



