GOBIIDJE 87 



Key to the Philippine and China Sea genera of Gobiidse. 



a 1 . Ventral fins not forming a short, rounded, cup-shaped disk more or less 

 adherent to belly; lower lip without a band of movable horizontal 

 teeth; lips never with bands of teeth. 



6 1 . First dorsal always with fewer than six spines. 



c 1 . Body naked; first dorsal with four or five spines; teeth in one row 

 in both jaws, with an inner pair of canines behind symphysis 



of lower jaw Mirogobius. 



c-. Body scaled. 



<F. Dorsal spines three, very low; head naked; teeth in one row; no 



canines Mistichthys. 



(f. Dorsal spines five; cheeks and opercles covered with large scales; 

 teeth in several rows Redigobius. 



6 2 . First dorsal with six or more spines. 

 e\ Body scaled. 



f. Teeth all simple. 

 g\ No barbels. 



k\ Conspicuous ridges and flaps of skin on top and sides and 



underparts of head. 

 i 1 . Scales 38 to 48; pectoral and caudal not greatly elongate, 



narrow, and pointed Macgregorella. 



f. Scales 70; pectoral and caudal very narrow, pointed, and 



elongate Galera. 



h~. No conspicuous ridges and skinny flaps on top and sides of 



head. 



j 1 . Pectoral with free silky rays above. 

 k 1 . Sides of head naked. 



P. Tip of tongue rounded Gobius. 



P. Tip of tongue more or less notched Bathygobius. 



fc 2 . Sides of head more or less scaled Chlamydes. 



j*. No free silky rays on upper part of pectoral. 



TO*. Ventrals very short, nearly circular but not adnate to 

 belly, with a thick bilobed or deeply crenate frenum; 

 head large, cheeks bulging, lips thick; first dorsal 



spines seven or six; scales 36 to 44 Tukugobius. 



m*. Ventrals not as above. 



n 1 . Scales mostly large, ctenoid, not over 38; second dor- 

 sal and anal short, never more than 111. 

 o\ Caudal fin not lanceolate and greatly lengthened. 

 pi 1 . First dorsal with six spines. 



q l . Sides of head more or less scaled. 

 i*. Cheeks and opercles covered with large scales. 



Gnatholepis. 



r*. Cheeks and opercles never both entirely cov- 

 ered with scales. 



a 1 . Upper half only of cheeks and opercles cov- 

 ered with small scales Creisson. 



a*. Cheeks naked; opercles covered with large 

 scales; 26 to 38 scales in a longitudinal 

 series ... ... Vaimosa. 



