N0.1J44. aOBIOIl) FISHES OF JAPAN— JORDAN AND SNYDER. 45 
top of skull somewhat elevated and declivous; interorbital area slightly 
c'onvcx transversely; dorsal tins well apart, the first of 5 or 6 low, 
flexible spines; v^entruls separate. Scales moderate, ctenoid, 45 to 70 
in a lon^^'itudinal scries; vertebra? {plsonls) 114-15. Tropical seas, 
entering- fresh waters. 
{i/Xeorpiz^ name of some small tish in the Nile, possibly from i}Xe6g^ 
bewildered, or f"A.eog, a pitiable thing.) 
a. Scales small, about 70. Scales of sides with dark centers, forming longitudinal 
streaks; usually a dusky lateral band; dorsal and caudal with distinct series 
of ])rown dots, anal and pectoral faintly barre< I fusca. 5 
an. Scales larger, about 50. Sides with pale streaks along the series of scales and 
with ilark dots; head below with round, pale spots; fins with serrated 
brown bands uxycephala. 6 
5. ELEOTRIS FUSCA (Schneider). 
Pacilia fusca Schneujer, Bloch, Syst., 1801, p. 453. (After Cobitis jxuujira Forster 
MS. Insuhe oviadte.) 
Eleotris fusca GvJiTHEii, Cat. Fishes, III, 1861, p. 125, Ganges, Calcutta, Bengal, 
Amboyna, Aneitum, Oualan, Wanderer Bay, Cejdon, Canton.— Ishikawa, 
Prel. Cat. Fishes, 1897, p. 31, Riukiu Islands. 
Cheilodiptcrus culms Buchanan and Hamilton, Fish. Ganges, p. 55, pi. v, fig. 16, 
Ganges. 
Eleotris nigra Quoy and Gaimard, Zool. Voy. Freycinct, ZooL, p. 259, pi. lx, 
fig. 2, Guam, Waigiou. — Cuviek and Valenciennes, XII, 1837, p. 235; Isle 
de France, Ganges, IMalabar, Bombay, Java, Otaiti, Borabora, Society 
Islands, Madagascar. 
Culius niger Bleeker, Boeroe, p. 411, Boeroe. 
Eleotris mauritianus Bennett, Proc. Comm. Zool. Soc, I, 1831, p. 166, Mauritius. 
Head 3^ in length; depth 4; depth of caudal peduncle ^ in head; 
eye 6; snout 3|; maxillary 2i; D. Vl-9; A. 9; P, 18; scales in lateral 
series 73; in transverse series 23. 
Body low, deep; compressed posteriorly; the caudal peduncle deeper 
and more compressed than that of E. oxycejj/iala. Eyes small; directed 
almost laterally; interobital space flat; distance Ijetween eyes slightly 
greater than length of snout. Snout sharp; lower jaw projecting. 
Mouth oblique: lips rather narrow; maxillar}^ almost entirel}^ con- 
cealed, extending to a vertical passing between pupil and posterior 
edge of orbit. Tongue rounded anteriorly. Teeth simple: in bands 
on })oth jaws; the outer and inner ones slightly enlarged; a narrow 
naked space on lower jaw at the symphysis. Gill openings not extend- 
ing far forward below; width of isthnms about equal to length of 
maxillar}'. Gill-rakers on flrst arch 2 + 10; reduced to mere eleva- 
tions. Inner edge of shoulder girdle without papilhe. Nostrils 
small; the anterior with a tube. No barbels on jaw. Edge of pre- 
opercle with a strong, sharp spine, which projects downward and for- 
ward. 
Head almost completely scaled; a small, naked area in front of the 
eye and on anterior part of chin: minute scales on upper part of head, 
running forward on snout: on cheeks, rami of lower jaw, and on 
