128 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



Bicol name, kamumbon; Cebu-Visayan name, burok. 



Dorsal, VI, 1-10; anal, I, 9; there are 28 or 29 scales in a 

 lateral series and 9 or 10 in a transverse series; 10 or 11 scales 

 before first dorsal. 



The deep, robust, oblong body laterally compressed, with 

 wide, flat, caudal peduncle ; the cheeks full and the region above 

 opercles elevated and laterally compressed; the dorsal profile 

 strongly convex, often with a marked rise behind eyes; the 

 depth 3.6 to 4.3 times in length; the head equals or is greater 

 than the depth, 3.2 to 3.75 in the length; the snout short, de- 

 scending in a very steep curve, its length '2.7 to 3 times in head ; 

 the oblique eyes high up, close together, dorsolateral in position, 

 3.8 to 4.5 times in head and 1.5 times in snout; the interorbital 

 space 0.5 to f an eye diameter in width; the mouth small, 

 slightly oblique, the posterior angle of maxillary not extending 

 beyond front of eye and usually not reaching its anterior mar- 

 gin; the anterior nostril has a short membranous tubule, the 

 posterior one is larger and open; above the last is a pore, and 

 there are two pores in interorbital space, the anterior one large 

 and conspicuous; the opercles and preopercles covered with 

 large scales, those on last named divided into three groups by 

 grooves bearing lines of fine papillae; large pores distributed 

 as follows : One behind middle of eye, one behind eye at origin 

 of conspicuous supraopercular groove and four more distributed 

 along its course, and three on posterior margin of preopercle; 

 the depth of caudal peduncle contained 1.7 to twice in length 

 of head ; the dorsal spines flexible, with more or less threadlike 

 tips, the first three longest, the second sometimes excessively 

 elongate, even extending to axil of second dorsal; the base of 

 anal shorter than that of soft dorsal, the two fins similar in 

 outline, with elongate posterior rays which reach base of caudal 

 when depressed, those of anal longest and greater than depth 

 of body at their base; the pectorals pointed, longer than the 

 broad ventrals, which extend to anal but not to the small pointed 

 anal papilla; the pointed caudal approximately half again as 

 long as head. 



The color in alcohol varies from gray to blackish brown, paler 

 or yellow on belly; the snout and cheeks below eyes deep brown 

 to blackish and the nape nearly as dark; the scales along sides 

 each marked by a central pale or white spot, these forming longi- 

 tudinal rows; two or three rows of black spots more or less 

 evident along back below dorsal fins; all spots may disappear 



