GNATHOLEPIS 129 



in old specimens; the dorsals, caudal, and pectorals are barred 

 by rows of dark spots; the anal is clear or has only traces of 

 longitudinal streaks; the ventrals are blackish; specimens from 

 Albay Province show four to eight narrow, vertical crosslines, 

 most prominent on the yellow belly ; the first dorsal crossbarred 

 by alternate rows of violet-brown and golden yellow spots; the 

 second dorsal, caudal, and pectorals barred by many rows of 

 dark spots; the anal is clear or has only traces of longitudinal 

 streaks; the ventrals blackish. In a specimen from Sandakan, 

 Borneo, the caudal and anal are crossbarred by many rows of 

 crimson spets. 



In life the sides are spotted with rows of beautiful blue dots, 

 making this one of the handsomest of gobies. 



From the following localities I have examined seventy-six spec- 

 imens, varying from 31 to 114 millimeters in length: 



Ballesteros, Cagayan Prov- 

 ince, 1. 



Buguey, Cagayan Province, 4. 



Vigan, Ilocos Sur, 2. 



Hundred Islands, Lingayen 

 Gulf, 5. 



Polillo, 4. 



Pinamalayan, Mindoro, 1. 



Cebu, Cebu, 81. 



Borongan, Samar, 1. 



Lasay, Siquijor, 1. 



Caldera Bay, Mindanao, 2. 



Zamboanga, Mindanao, 3. 



Pasay, Manila Bay, 1. 

 Balayan Bay, Batangas, 1. 

 Puru River, Legaspi, Albay 



Province, 8. 

 Bacon, Sorsogon, 1. 

 Puerto Galera, Mindoro, 4. 

 Davao, Mindanao, 4. 

 Balabac, 1. 



Jolo, Sulu Province, 2. 

 Bungau, Sulu Province, 17. 

 Sandakan, Borneo, 1. 

 Guindulman, Bohol, 2. 



Meyer collected this species at Cebu, where it is common in 

 the market, and Whitehead obtained it in Palawan, as recorded 

 by Vaillant. 



The descriptions by Bleeker, Day, and Gunther contain dis- 

 crepancies, the chief one being the presence or absence of ca- 

 nines. I find, in a series taken at one time and place, that there 

 is considerable variation in this respect. Only a few specimens 

 have teeth that can really be called canines, though in all of 

 them the posterior teeth of the outer row in the mandible are 

 more or less enlarged. In other specimens the caninif orm teeth 

 have evidently been broken out. The teeth of the outer row 

 in both jaws seem to be subject to much breakage or injury. 



This goby occurs from the Andamans eastward throughout 

 the East Indies, to Shortland Island, one of the Solomon Islands, 

 and Ponape in the Caroline Islands. 



223798 8 



