GNATHOLEPIS 127 



The authors of Exyrias failed to give a diagnosis of their 

 proposed genus, merely designating the type, Gobius puntan- 

 goides Bleeker. They further stated "This East Indian species, 

 not seen by us, resembles an Awaous, although figured as 

 having the cheeks fully scaled." I fail to find any resemblance 

 to any species of Chonophorus (formerly Awaous) known to 

 me, and the fleshy papillaB or flaps on the shoulder girdle, so 

 characteristic of Chonophorus, are totally lacking. 



Coral-reef fishes, ranging from Japan through the East Indies 

 to Samoa and north again to Hawaii; the genus occurs also 

 in the West Indies. 



Key to the Philippine species of Gnatholepis. 



a 1 . Exyrias: Two prominent longitudinal grooves on cheek, dividing scales 



into three groups , G. puntangoides. 



a*. Gnatholepis: Cheek not as above. 

 b 1 . No line from eye across cheek. 



c\ A prominent groove below upper row of scales on cheek; no 



canines G. calliurus. 



c 2 . No groove on cheek; large canines in lower jaw; outer teeth above 



caniniform G. volcanus. 



6 2 . A vertical dark line from eye across cheek. 

 eP. Line not intersected. 



e 1 . Anal I, 11, bluish; a large brown spot on cheek, from which two 

 diverging lines continue downward, forming the Greek letter 



delta on lower side of head G. deltoides. 



e". Anal I, 10, checkered with round black and white spots; black 

 line from eye to throat neither intersected nor divided. 



G. davaoensis. 

 d 2 . Line from eye to throat usually intersected by one or two short 



transverse lines. 



/*. Side of head with pearly circular spots; body with vertical 

 stripes or longitudinal rows of pearly white spots; one or two 

 pairs of canines in front of upper jaw; scales 25 to 27; before 



first dorsal, 8 G. gemmeus. 



/*. No pearly spots or lines on head or body; no anterior canines in 

 upper jaw; scales 30; before first dorsal, 10 G. knighti. 



53. GNATHOLEPIS PUNTANGOIDES (Bleeker) 



PLATE 9, FIG. 1 



Gobius puntang BLEEKER, Nat. Tijd. Ned. Ind. 3 (1852) 692, not 2 

 (1851) 486; DAY, Fishes of India (1878) 288, pi. 62, fig. 1; VAIL- 

 MNT, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Nat. Ill 5 (1893) 58. 



Gobius puntangoides BLEEKER, Nat. Tijd. Ned. Ind. 5 (1853) 242; 

 GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 19; Fische der Siidsee 

 2 (1875) 171, pi. 108, fig. A; MEYER, Ann., Soc. Espana Hist. Nat. 

 14 (1885) 29. 



Exyrias puntangoides JORDAN and SEALE, Fishes of Samoa, Bull. Bur. 

 Fisheries 25 (1906) 405. 



