gO GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



dal equals head in length. The head, bases of pectoral fins, and 

 breast naked ; the rest of body covered with ctenoid scales, very 

 small anteriorly but becoming larger posteriorly. 



The color of body in life greenish rose above, diluted below 

 to rosy pearl ; on each side of head are three or four longitudinal, 

 slightly oblique, and more or less wavy red bands ; on each side 

 of upper half of trunk are two or three longitudinal roseate 

 bands, which may be broken into spots; sometimes there are 

 a few vertical red bands crossing these at right angles; there 

 are several narrow diagonal red bands On first dorsal, and a 

 black blotch at its summit between third and fourth spines ; the 

 second dorsal has two red lines running lengthwise, and the 

 caudal is decorated with red spots; the anal has a red line run- 

 ning along its base; a black mucous membrane lines the back 

 part of mouth. 



In alcohol the red disappears and the general color is brown- 

 ish gray or light brown ; the bands on sides fade until often only 

 the lower one is visible while the red spots and bands on fins 

 vanish or but traces remain. 



This handsome, trimly built little eleotrid is represented in 

 the Bureau of Science collection by twenty specimens, from 37 

 to 92 millimeters in length, from the following localities: Ban- 

 tayan Island; Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Balabac; Samal Is- 

 land, Davao Gulf; and Sitankai. 



This species occurs throughout the East Indies and ranges 

 from the coasts of Ceylon and India to northern Australia and 

 to Vanicolo and the Fiji Islands. 



31. VALENCIENNEA VIOLIFERA Jordan and Scale 



Valenciennea violifera JORDAN and SEALE, Bull. Bur. Fisheries 25 

 (1906) 383, pi. 52, fig. 2. 



Head 3.45 in length; depth 5; eye 5 in head; Dorsal VI-I, 12; anal I, 

 12; scales 75; interorbital 5.50; snout 3.10. 



Body elongate, compressed ; snout rounded ; mouth large, lips rather 

 thick, the angle of the jaws under middle of eye ; jawai with 2 rows of small, 

 curved, sharp-pointed teeth; opercle and preopercle entire; gillrakers short, 

 soft, with elongate point on lower limb; caudal peduncle strong, its depth 

 2.50 in head; origin of spinous dorsal on line with base of ventrals; third 

 and fourth spines of first dorsal slightly elongate, 1.14 in head; base of 

 soft dorsal equal to head, its longest ray about 2 in head; base of anal 

 1.20 in head, its longest ray 1.25 in base, its origin midway between base 

 of caudal and posterior margin of eye; pectoral 1.30 in head; ventral 1.90 

 in head; caudal rounded, equal to head. 



Life colors of a specimen from Apia (very young), very pale blive, 

 with two faint livid blue lateral streaks connected with cross lines of th 

 same color; fins all pale; dorsal tipped with black. 



