26 GOBIES OP THE PHILIPPINES 



fishes become practically invisible from above, as they are 

 thus successfully hidden without having changed position. 



Philippine Eleotridse. 



[New generic names are printed in bold-faced type.] 



1 o 



2 

 1 

 1 1 

 1 1 

 1 

 1 1 

 4 



32 11 



Key to the Philippine genera, of Eleotridse. 



o 1 . Head armed with one or more spines. 

 6 l . Angle of preopercle armed. 



c*. With two to six stout teeth or spines Asterropteryx. 



<?. With a single downward-curved sharp spine, more or less hidden. 



Eleotris. 



6*. Angle of preopercle not armed; one or two branchiostegals ending 

 anteriorly in a strong spine pointing forward and upward; upper 



rays of pectoral silklike Belobranchus. 



a 2 . Head unarmed. 



d 1 . Species resembling cyprinid fishes, with head and body laterally 



compressed Hypseleotris. 



d*. Species gobiiform, not cyprinidlike. 



e\ Teeth on vomer; a large ocellus on base of caudal fin.. Bostrichthys. 

 e*. No teeth on vomer. 

 /*. Head large; snout and cheeks with rows of skinny ridges, bearing 



papillae or fibrils Gobiomorphus. 



f. Head without skinny ridges and fibrils on snout and sides. 

 g 1 . Smooth to serrated bony crests on head. 



h\ Scales 26 to 30; first dorsal with six spines. 



t 1 . Head very long, pointed, prismatic, its height equal to its 



breadth; lower jaw very prominent Butis. 



f. Head short, obtuse, broader than deep; lower jaw hardly 



projecting Prionobutis. 



h\ Scales 36 to 46; first dorsal with six to eight, usually with 



seven spines Odontobutis. 



g*. No bony crests on head. 



j 1 . Head large, broad, depressed; lower jaw prominent. 



k\ First dorsal with five spines; four to six rows of teeth in 

 each jaw, outer ,row enlarged; 88 scales in longitudinal 



series, 58 before first dorsal Paloa. 



k 1 . First dorsal with six spines; 30 to 60 scales in longitudinal 

 series, 13 to 42 before first dorsal. 



