130 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



54. GNATHOLEPIS CALLIURUS Jordan and Scale 



PLATE 9, FIG. 2 



Gnatholepis calliurus JORDAN and SEALE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 28 

 (1905) 796, fig. 14. 



Dorsal' VI, 1-10; anal I, 9; there are 28 to 30 scales in a 

 longitudinal series, 10 in a transverse series, and 9 or 10 before 

 the first dorsal. 



The oblong, moderately elongate body laterally compressed, 

 the dorsal profile nearly horizontal to moderately arched, with 

 rounded belly and narrow dorsally, the depth 4.5 to 4.83 in 

 length (3.1 in one female about to spawn) ; the large head 

 narrowed anteriorly, with moderately convex profile and slightly 

 projecting lower jaw, and contained 3 to 3.2 times in length; 

 the snout short, with a large median hump, from 3.6 to 4.66 

 times in head, usually about 4 in adult specimens ; the full prom- 

 inent eyes high up, close together, dorsolateral in position, and 

 equal to or a little longer than snout, 3.5 to 4 in head; the 

 interorbital space very narrow, its breadth 5 times in eye; the 

 mouth oblique, the posterior angle of maxillary under anterior 

 part of eye; four rows of teeth in each jaw, those of outer 

 row largest and fixed, the others all depressible; the teeth of 

 fourth row next in size but very much smaller, and those of 

 the two inner rows minute; the teeth of outer row in upper 

 jaw much larger and more widely spaced than any of the 

 others; the tongue rounded; the cheeks covered by three rows 

 of large cycloid scales, with a prominent longitudinal groove 

 below upper row; the opercles naked below, with one or two 

 rows of cycloid scales along their upper margin; the rest of 

 body covered with large ctenoid scales, extending forward on 

 nape between posterior parts of eyes, except for a few cycloid 

 scales on anterior angle of breast ; the depth of caudal peduncle 

 2.25 to 2.5 times in head; the first dorsal small, the second 

 spine longest but not more than f of depth, the tips of the spines 

 but little or not at all extended beyond the membrane, seldom 

 reaching the origin of second dorsal when depressed; the first 

 ray of second dorsal equals the depth, the others progressively 

 increase slightly in length; the anal similar to second dorsal 

 but with a base about 0.75 as long as that of second dorsal, 

 its longest rays equal to depth; the pectoral is rather pointed, 

 about as long as caudal, and extends back as far as a point 

 above origin of anal; the pointed ventrals never quite reach 

 origin of anal, their length equal or nearly equal to the depth; 

 the caudal gently rounded or nearly truncate, its length less than 



