94 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



in females the teeth are minute, in one row only, without a 

 pair of inner canines in lower jaw, and with none of the teeth 

 visible when mouth is closed ; the skin naked, with fine longitu- 

 dinal striae; the first dorsal has five (rarely four) slender spines, 

 the first and second longest, the fifth very much shorter; the 

 first dorsal reaches less than halfway to second dorsal, the 

 anterior spines of the latter much longer and twice as stout as 

 the first dorsal spines, highest posteriorly except the last, which 

 is very short; the second dorsal and anal of similar shape, angu- 

 late posteriorly, falling far short of caudal when depressed, the 

 anal lower than second dorsal; the caudal subtruncate, shorter 

 than head ; the pectoral pointed, equal to or a little shorter than 

 head; the small narrow ventrals very short, with subtubulate 

 basal portion, about 2.66 times in head, reaching much less than 

 halfway to anal papilla, which is very short and thick in females, 

 threadlike and pointed in males. 



The color in alcohol yellowish white or rich cream, the eyes 

 silvery blackish to steel gray ; most specimens have a few black 

 specks on snout and chin, and some have specks scattered over 

 back of head and a row along base of anal ; the fins all colorless, 

 but the caudal shows indications of being crossbarred by many 

 rows of minute specks. 



This species is caught in large quantities in Laguna de Bay 

 near Calamba, Los Banos, Lumbang, Santa Cruz, and in fact 

 all around the lake shore during the rainy season. At other 

 times the shrimp fishermen catch the fish in limited quantities, 

 mixed with the common lake shrimp. It is probable that they 

 live on or near the bottom in the deeper parts of the lake, and 

 are only seen in large schools when they come to shoal water 

 along shore in the rainy season. 



They are fried in cakes, cooked with vinegar, made into 

 sinagong, or stew, and pickled, and are a greatly esteemed 

 delicacy. At times they occur in the Manila market. 



Mature adults vary from about 15 to over 19 millimeters in 

 length, the males averaging shorter than the females. The last 

 named are much distended when in spawning condition. 



I am indebted to Miss Uichanco, biology instructor of the 

 University of the Philippines High School, and to Dr. L. B. 

 Uichanco, professor of entomology, College of Agriculture, Los 

 Banos, for calling my attention to this little goby, and to Doctor 

 Uichanco for securing for me a large series of specimens. 



Lacustris, dwelling in lakes. 



