92 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



a*. Anal I, 8 or 9; post-symphysial canines present in lower jaw of males 

 only; females with minute, males with large teeth; color yellowish 

 white M - lacustris. 



34. MIROGOBIUS STELLATUS sp. nov. 



PLATE 6, FTG. 4 



First dorsal usually IV, sometimes V ; second dorsal 1-7 ; anal 

 I, 10. 



The body laterally compressed with elongate caudal peduncle 

 and large blunt heavy head, the dorsal profile slightly convex, 

 becoming much arched in ripe females, the depth 4.3 to 5.25 

 times in the length; the head 3.16 to 3.4 times in the length, 

 much wider than body, with full cheeks, its depth and breadth 

 equal to or the depth 0.1 greater than the breadth, approximately 

 0.75 of its length; the short snout bluntly rounded, equal to 

 eye, 3.6 to 3.875 times in head; the eyes lateral, very high 

 up, the broad interorbital space an eye diameter in width; the 

 mouth large, strongly oblique, its origin as high or nearly as 

 high as upper margin of eye, lower jaw prominent, projecting, 

 chin strongly oblique, posterior angle of maxillary beneath 

 front margin or middle of eye ; the teeth as given for the genus ; 

 the body naked, covered with a tough skin only, often lined in 

 such a way as to simulate the presence of scales, but neither 

 the lens nor the compound microscope reveals the presence of 

 any except on a few of the largest males, which may have from 

 two to several tiny cycloid scales at base of caudal or on caudal 

 peduncle; the first dorsal composed of four, or sometimes five, 

 very slender spines connected by a membrane, the first or the 

 second longest, about 0.75 of the depth and about twice in 

 head; the remaining spines little shorter except that the fifth 

 spine, if present, is much shorter; the second dorsal distant 

 from first, the spines of the latter reaching scarcely halfway 

 to the former; the second dorsal and anal of similar shape, 

 sharply angulate posteriorly, the rays of nearly uniform height 

 or the posterior rays elongate but never reaching base of caudal 

 when depressed, the two fins of equal height or more often 

 the second dorsal higher than the anal, 1.25 to 2 times in head, 

 usually about 1.66 times; the caudal bluntly rounded, 4 to 

 4.75 times in the length, never as long as head; the depth of 

 the long slender peduncle 2.3 to 2.7 times in its length, which 

 is f to 0.9 the length of head; the pectoral broad, rounded, 

 1.25 to 1.65 times in head; the ventrals small, narrow, usually 



