Jordan and Ever mann. Fishes of North America. 2249 



821. LEPIDOGOBIUS, Gill. 



Lepidogobius, GILL, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. T. 1859, 14 (lepidus). 

 Cyclogobius, STKINDACHNEE, S.B.K. Ak. Wiss. Wien, XLH, 1860, 284 (lepidus). 



This genus contains small gobies with the head aiid body covered with 

 small cycloid scales ; dorsal spines 7 ; inner edge of shoulder girdle with 

 2 or 3 dermal flaps ; interorbital groove with the median ridge of skull 

 little developed; body elongate, subterete; otherwise essentially as in 

 GoUu8, the skull nearly as in Gillichthys, with a median keel and not 

 abruptly widened behind the eye. Pacific Ocean; not entering rivers. 

 (AfTTz's, scale; Gobius.) 



2581. LEPIDOGOBIUS LEPIDUS (Girard). 



Head 4^, regularly conical; depth 7; eye 4, equal to snout, twice as 

 long as deep. D. VII-16 to 18; A. 15; scales about 86. Body elongate, 

 subfusiform, little compressed. Snout not obtuse in profile ; interorbital 

 space narrow, about equal to diameter of pupil. Mouth rather large, 

 maxillary reaching to below posterior edge of pupil, 2| in head; teeth 

 small, all similar, those of upper jaw in 2 or 3 series, those of lower jaw close 

 set, in a broad band. Body covered with small cycloid scales which are 

 very much reduced anteriorly, especially on the nape ; cheeks, sides of 

 head, and upper posterior part of opercles covered with small scales; top 

 of head scaly to eye; breast scaled. Dorsal spines weak, the longest 2 in 

 head; soft dorsal low, none of the rays reaching caudal; caudal long, 

 somewhat pointed. Color very pale olive, with roundish blotches of 

 rusty red on back and sides ; vertical fins mottled with reddish ; distal 

 half of all fins and under side of head blackish, especially in the males. 

 " This species is remarkable for numerous lines of papilhe on mandible, 

 snout, and sides of head. The occipital region of the skull is somewhat 

 more depressed than in GoUus soporator, and has much lower ridges. A 

 low median carina is present and the low supraorbital ridges are contin- 

 uous behind the eyes with the temporal crests." (Gilbert MS.) Pacific 

 coast of North America, from Vancouver Island to Lower California; in 

 rather deep water off San Francisco Bay ; often seined in great numbers 

 and sold in restaurants as "whitebait." (lepidus, pretty.) 



Gobius gratilis, GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 134, San Francisco; preoccupied by 

 Gobius gracilis, JENYNS. 



Gobius lepidus, GIRARD, Pac. R. R. Surv., x, 127, pi. 25a, figs. 5 and 6* 1858 ; substitute for 

 gracilis; GUNTHER, Cat., in, 78, 1861. 



Lepidogobius gracilis, GILL, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y. 1859, 14; JORDAN & GILBERT, Syn- 

 opsis, 637, 1883; JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 502. 



822. GILLICHTHYS, Cooper. 



Gillichthys, COOPER, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1863, 109 (mirabilis). 

 GUlia, GUNTHER, Zool. Record 1864, 157 (mirabilis) ; name preoccupied. 

 Saccostoma (GuiOHENOT MS.) SUAVAOE, Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris 1882, 171 (gulosum) ; 

 name preoccupied. 



Body moderately elongate, compressed, covered with small, cycloid, 

 embedded scales ; belly and head naked. Scales of the young more or 

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