64 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



mouth and below the gills, are irregularly spotted and marked 

 with white or whitish; the base of the pectoral is conspicuously 

 marked with four large spots, a pinkish light brown and a vel- 

 vety dark brown one alternately; the spinous dorsal is crossed 

 by two broad dusky bands, and in some specimens is also banded 

 by pink or red ; the second dorsal is deep brown along the rays, 

 with colorless membranes ; the remaining fins are all crossbarred 

 by numerous alternate umber and pale spots; the base of the 

 caudal and its rays are dark velvety brown. 



When the fish is much disturbed the crossbands become wider, 

 more distinct, and extend down the sides, or large pale blotches 

 appear on the sides, while the pale or greenish gray parts begin 

 to assume a pinkish or reddish hue, and the same color appears 

 on the fins. 



When the fish is brought near a window or placed in a small 

 glass tank set upon a light-colored surface and in strong day- 

 light though not in direct sunlight, the whole dorsal region be- 

 comes a dull gray or gray clay color, often faintly suffused with 

 reddish; the sides are then blackish brown, more or less defi- 

 nitely marked by longitudinal lines of blackish and gray or in- 

 distinct pink; the snout, chin, sides, and entire underside of 

 the head are irregularly marked by pale whitish or pinkish spots 

 and short bars ; on the upper opercular region is a large, irreg- 

 ular, pinkish gray blotch with streaks running from it; the 

 base of the pectoral has a pink band and two large grayish pink 

 blotches on the base of the pectoral, surrounding and sharply 

 defining two large dark brown blotches; the first dorsal is 

 marked by three alternate stripes of pale red and two wide bands 

 of dark violet; the soft dorsal and anal are marked by alternate 

 stripes of pale red and dark brown, only the basal portion of 

 the membranes with color, their outer half colorless; the pecto- 

 ral rays are umber, the fin marked by numerous crossbars of 

 alternate whitish and brown; the caudal is velvety blackish 

 brown, with several cross stripes of pink on the basal half; the 

 ventral membranes are colorless, the rays cross marked by nu- 

 merous lines of alternate pale pink and light umber. 



This is the largest Philippine goby known. Glossogobius 

 giurus is longer but not nearly so bulky, and the largest speci- 

 mens I have seen do not weigh as much as does this eleotrid. 

 Though so large and powerful it is very sluggish as a rule, lying 

 almost motionless in some dark corner hour after hour. 



Pinguis, fat or plump. 



