ODONTOBUTIS 55 



18. ODONTOBUTIS OBSCURA (Schlecel) 



Eleotris obscura SCHLEGEL, Fauna Japonica, Poissons (1847) 149, pi. 



77, figs. 1-3; GUNTHBR, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 115; KNEB, 



Zool. Reise Novara, Fische (1865) 185. 

 Odontobutis obscura .SLEEKER, Rev. Especes Eleotriformes, Versl. 



Akad. Amsterdam 11 (1877) 56; JORDAN and SNYDER, Proc. U. S. 



Nat. Mus. 23 (1900) 370. 

 Odontobutis obscurus JORDAN and SNYDER, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



24 (1901) 43; SEALE and BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 33 (1908) 



248. 



Dorsal VII, 1-8; anal I, 7; there are 46 scales in a lateral 

 series, 16 in a transverse series. 



The body thick, subcylindrical, and laterally compressed; the 

 large depressed head broader than the body, and contained 3 

 times in the length, the depth 5 times ; the snout a little longer 

 than eye, 3.7 to 4 times in head ; the eyes about 5 times in head 

 and 1 or 1.5 times in interorbital space; the oblique mouth 

 large, with a projecting lower jaw; the maxillary extends to 

 a point beneath pupil of eye; the anterior nostril has a thin- 

 walled tube but there is none on the posterior nostril ; the caudal 

 peduncle deep, its depth about 2f times in length of head; the 

 caudal fin broadly rounded, its length about 4f times in head 

 and trunk. 



The entire body covered with scales except the very tip of 

 snout, the space in front of eyes, lips, and chin ; those on sides 

 are, ctenoid, the rest cycloid; the scales on forward part of 

 head, bases of pectorals, and throat small to very small. The 

 ventral fins much shorter than the long broad pectorals, which 

 extend to anal papilla or beyond; the first dorsal small, much 

 lower than second dorsal and anal. 



The color in alcohol dark brown, with numerous obtusely 

 angled darker crossbands along sides, the interspaces paler ; two 

 obscure blackish circular spots at base of caudal; all the fins 

 are more or less crossbarred with brown and paler spots. 



In the Bureau of Science collection are two specimens, 50 and 

 80 millimeters long, collected at Zamboanga by Maj. E. A. 

 Mearns and determined by Seale and Bean. Giinther gives the 

 number of scales in a lateral series as 36 to 40, while Jordan and 

 Snyder give 36, and Bleeker says 40. The scales in my specimens 

 agree in number and arrangement with Schlegel's figure. Ac- 

 cording to Bleeker the dorsal spines may vary from six to eight, 

 but seven is the usual number. The spines, fin rays, and scales 

 are evidently rather variable. 



