96 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



of vertical fins about f the length of head; the depressed fins 

 reach about halfway to caudal; the pointed pectorals reach as 

 far back as above anal papilla; the ventrals very small, slender, 

 pointed, extending much less than halfway to anus ; the caudal 

 large, nearly truncate, its length 0.75 to 0.875 that of head; 

 the anal papilla large and conspicuous, in males long, slender, 

 tapering, its length varying from a little less to much more than 

 an eye diameter ; the papilla in females twice as thick, and about 

 half as long, bluntly rounded. 



In life these minute fish are transparent, the large eyes show- 

 ing the only color, black. Alcoholic specimens have the body 

 uniform whitish, with a few dark or black spots scantily sprin- 

 kled over sides, back, and head; the large prominent iris deep 

 black, the pupil white; the caudal faintly crossbarred by many 

 rows of minute dark brown specks; the other fins colorless; in 

 some specimens tip of snout black or dark ; there may be a faint 

 black vertical stripe under eye and a row of black or dark 

 brown spots at base, of anal. 



Here described from many specimens collected by me in 

 Lake Buhi, Camarines Sur, Luzon, the only place where this 

 exceedingly interesting species occurs. The fins of my speci- 

 mens do not agree with Smith's figures. 



This fish is probably next to the smallest known vertebrate, 

 having an average length of 12.5 millimeters, the males some- 

 what smaller than the females, averaging shorter and slenderer. 

 It is a little larger than P&ndaka pygmaea sp. nov. ; there are 

 several other species of fish nearly as short, notably of the 

 genus Eviota; but all of them, as far as I am aware, are bulkier. 

 Males are sometimes mature when under 10 millimeters in 

 length, their maximum size being 13.5 millimeters. Occa- 

 sionally one finds ripe females a little over 11 millimeters long, 

 while the largest I have examined are only 14 millimeters in 

 length. 



This tiny goby occurs in vast numbers in the lake, from near 

 the shore line out to where the water is at least 10 or 12 meters 

 deep, and it breeds throughout the year. According to the in- 

 habitants of Buhi, the eggs float at the surface of the lake, 

 covering large areas, especially during sunny days in March 

 and April. Specimens collected by me in the latter part of 

 September, and by Mr. Alejo G. Arce in January, were breed- 

 ing. When hatched the young swim at first at the surface, but 

 after a short time go to the bottom to live. 



