70 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



The robust, wedge-shaped body has the dorsal profile but 

 little elevated and is very wide behind the flat depressed head, 

 which is still wider; the posterior half of trunk laterally com- 

 pressed, with a broad, laterally flattened caudal peduncle; the 

 depth from 4.1 to 4.8 times in length; the large head contained 

 2.8 times in the length ; snout contained about 3.5 times in head ; 

 the circular eye placed very high up and contained between 5 

 and 6 times in head and twice or nearly twice in the broad, 

 flat, interorbital space, which is contained 2.8 times in head; 

 mouth of moderate size, with prominent lower jaw; the cleft 

 of mouth extends to a point below front margin of eye, the end 

 of the maxillary to a point below center of pupil ; in the upper 

 jaw there are eight or ten rows of depressible villiform teeth 

 forming a wide band, with a few larger ones in the inner row 

 and six or eight rows on the lower jaw with a few larger ones 

 in the outer row; the anterior nostril has a well-developed 

 tubule; the posterior nostril has a membranous flap on its ante- 

 rior side; the entire body except tip of snout, lips, and chin 

 covered with rather large scales; the basal portion of caudal 

 also scaled; scales on head, nape, throat, and belly cycloid, on 

 the sides ctenoid; a large groove extends from eye to upper 

 posterior angle of opercle and a smaller one extends from mouth 

 back about halfway across preopercle; the second, third, and 

 fourth dorsal spines longest, with elongate, slender tips, their 

 height from half to two-thirds the depth of trunk ; posterior part 

 of second dorsal higher than first dorsal, fifth and sixth or sixth 

 and seventh rays usually with elongate, threadlike tips, the 

 latter much longer than any others ; the pectorals extend beyond 

 the rather short ventrals; the caudal fin broad and bluntly 

 rounded, its length less than that of head. 



The color in alcohol commonly varies from yellowish to black- 

 ish brown, top of head and back darkest ; there are usually six 

 or more longitudinal rows of pearl-colored spots along each side, 

 a spot on each scale ; from mouth back to pectoral fin large pearl- 

 colored spots are also scattered ; fins all dark ; second dorsal and 

 caudal each marked by several transverse rows of white spots 

 or alternate rows of white and dusky spots ; the anal has a pale 

 margin which was probably red in life. Some specimens are 

 greenish, with about four very broad, dusky, greenish transverse 

 bands on back, in addition to the rows of light spots on sides. 



