230 Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. V. 



terior, and close together; opereles without spines; isthmus broad; 

 shoulder girdle without fleshy flaps; scales ctenoid, covering the body; 

 cheeks usually without scales; ventral fins completely united, not 

 adnate to the belly; skull depressed, abruptly widened behind the 

 eyes, and without median keel. 



A large group of small fishes usually found along the shores in salt 

 or brackish water, few species entering fresh water. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF GOBIUS. 



a. Scales large, less than 45 in the lateral series. page 



b. Scales large, 30 in the lateral series; soft 



dorsal rays 1 1 ; anal rays 12 parvus 230 



bb. Scales smaller, 42 in the lateral series; soft 



dorsal rays 12 ; anal rays 13 claytoni 231 



aa. Scales very small, 62 in the lateral series; soft 



dorsal rays 13 ; anal rays 14 microdon 231 



Subgenus Ctenogobius Gill. 



218. Gobius parvus Meek. Small Goby. 



Gobius parvus Meek, Field Col. Mus. Pub. 65, 1902, 121; La An- 

 tigua. 



Brackish water near the city of Vera Cruz. (Vera Cruz; Boca del 

 Rio.) 



Head 4; depth 4^; D. vi-11; A. 12; scales 30. Body short, 

 robust; head large; snout blunt, rounded, 4^ in head; mouth sub- 

 inferior, little oblique, its gape extending to vertical from pupil; inter- 

 orbital area narrow, its width less than half the diameter of the eye; 

 eve small, partlv superior, 3^2 in head; dorsal fins not connected, the 

 spinous dorsal of females low, longest spine a little more than half 

 head ; in male the dorsal spine % to % longer than head ; caudal fin 

 long and pointed, its length 3 (6) to 3^ (?) in body; pectoral 

 slightlv less than length of head; ventral il in head; scales ctenoid. 



Color dark olivaceous, mottled with darker; a dark bar on dorsal 

 region from base of posterior half of spinous dorsal, followed by three 

 others from base of soft dorsal and one on caudal peduncle; 5 or 6 

 narrow dark streaks on lower half of sides, extending downward and 

 forward to base of anal; two black spots at base of caudal fin; dorsal 

 fins of both sexes barred; caudal fin of females with narrow dark 

 bars; none on males; anal fin with dark margin. Length about 3.50 

 inches. 



