OPHIOCARA 67 



opercle to base of pectoral, where it bisected a large golden spot 

 and connected with a dusky transverse bar; the interspaces 

 between the stripes were golden; the soft dorsal had a row of 

 large golden spots, its posterior part black, and a pale yellow 

 line along its anterior upper margin; the anal had a similar 

 row of golden spots, a black spot above its posterior extremity, 

 and a narrow red stripe on its anterior lower margin; a large 

 black spot on base of caudal ; the eyes were very dark ruby red. 



In alcohol the golden spots on the sides disappear, leaving 

 the interspaces as a broad black bar, often with a large terminal 

 black spot at base of caudal; rarely their disappearance gives 

 rise to a disconnected series of large black spots intermingled 

 with pale or whitish areas; the general color is usually blackish 

 above and pale beneath, but it may vary from nearly uniform 

 brown to pale green on the sides and back; the golden spots on 

 the fins become yellowish or whitish, or may disappear entirely. 



In living specimens the number and size of the golden spots 

 vary, and they are sometimes interspersed with red or orange 

 spots; the dark green of the body may vary to pale green or 

 even steel blue; the soft dorsal may have two rows of golden 

 spots, sometimes on a blue or green membrane, and the spinous 

 dorsal may also be spotted ; the lateral stripes on the head may 

 be lavender or violet, and there may be green, violet, or lavender 

 markings on the sides and on the caudal fin. 



This is one of the most brilliantly colored gobies and it is un- 

 questionably the handsomest of Philippine fresh-water fishes. 

 So far as I know, it is the only gorgeously colored fish living 

 almost permanently in the muddy dark-colored waters of the 

 Philippine lowland rivers. In the Bureau of Science aquarium 

 are three living specimens, the largest of which is 235 milli- 

 meters long at the time of writing, November, 1924 ; it measures 

 300 millimeters with the caudal fin included, and is thickset and 

 bulky, its depth being 65 millimeters. 



Two of these specimens have been in captivity six years and 

 have about doubled in length during that time, though their 

 bulk has increased much more, proportionately ; when taken from 

 the water their brilliant golden and red colors disappear almost 

 entirely in a few moments, but return when replaced in the tank. 

 This species would make a very fine aquarium pet in the United 

 States and Europe. 



