BATHYGOBIUS 115 



or seven dark brown blotches along side; these are united by 

 a dark brown bar extending from upper base of pectoral to 

 middle of caudal base, terminating there in a large dark brown 

 spot; the snout dusky; a large dark brown spot on preopercle, 

 and a small black spot behind each eye; on the sides are six 

 to ten longitudinal rows of small white spots, one to a scale, 

 most distinct on lower half of body; the sides of head specked 

 with small white spots ; the first dorsal dark brown to blackish, 

 with a white margin above; the second dorsal heavily cross- 

 barred by four to many rows of brown spots; the upper two- 

 thirds of caudal heavily crossbarred by numerous rows of brown 

 spots; the pectoral faintly crossbarred in the same manner, 

 with two dark brown spots on its base; the anal and ventrals 

 dusky. 



In specimens seventeen years in alcohol the brown crossbars 

 have faded very much, though they are still visible, and the ten 

 or twelve rows of small white spots are very evident, so that 

 they give the dominant color; the white spots are also very dis- 

 tinct on the opercles and preopercles, and the pectorals are 

 crossbarred by white spots. In other respects the markings are 

 as given above, but paler. 



I have studied the following specimens, ranging in length 

 from 16 to 56 millimeters: 



Tacloban, Leyte, 3. Bungau, Sulu Province, 3. 



Kolambugan, Mindanao, 2. Sibutu, Sulu Province, 3. 



Caldera Bay, Mindanao, 1. Sitankai, Sulu Province, 2. 



Siasi, Sulu Province, 11. Balabac, Palawan, 1. 



The Bureau of Science collection also has a specimen from 

 the Andaman Islands, received from the Indian Museum. 



The species has been recorded previously from Cavite by 

 Jordan and Seale, and from Zamboanga by Scale and Bean. 



Among the islands of the Sulu Archipelago it is abundant in 

 the shallow water of salt-water lagoons where it is more or less 

 exposed at low tide, when it seeks shelter in pools and holes 

 in the coral sand; it can evidently thrive in water of rather 

 high temperatures since the puddles in which it stays when 

 the tide is out soon become excessively warm. 



It is the most widely distributed of gobies. I have been 

 unable to detect any valid differences between specimens from 

 India, the East Indies, Samoa and other South Pacific localities, 

 Marcus Island, the Hawaiian islands, and the West Indies. 



