136 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



also covered with large scales ; the teeth of these anterior scales 

 are easily rubbed off, so that they often appear to be cycloid; 

 no papillae or grooves on cheeks. 



The color in alcohol varies from dark yellowish brown to very 

 pale yellowish brown ; along the sides are six broad, dark cross- 

 bands, the posterior ones large, circular spots in young speci- 

 mens; each band margined by a wide stripe of pearly white, 

 which with age breaks up, so that longitudinal rows of pearly 

 white spots are formed along the sides; a narrow dark brown 

 stripe passes vertically through eye and down across cheek; 

 sometimes it is crossed by one or two short transverse lines; a 

 longitudinal, faint, brown line passes across middle of opercle 

 and on across base of pectoral, where it is darker ; the preoper- 

 cles, opercles, and pectoral bases are marked by large circular 

 pearly spots ; the nape and sides below dorsal dotted with small, 

 dark brown spots; the first dorsal crossbarred by brown and 

 white spots; near base of sixth spine a circular blackish brown 

 spot and a paler one on basal part of fourth spine; the second 

 dorsal has dusky rays, with brown up-and-down streaks more or 

 less developed on the membrane; the anal crossed by two rows 

 of large, conspicuous, circular black spots, alternating with 

 white; the pectoral crossbarred by small brown spots; the ven- 

 trals dusky or specked with brown, or gray, with a dark brown 

 margin; there is a dark brown spot on base of caudal, followed 

 by several blackish spots, the rest of the fin more or less cross- 

 barred by small brown spots. 



Here described from twenty-five specimens, most of them 

 faded and in very poor condition, ranging from 25 to 45 milli- 

 meters in length. The type is a specimen from Samal Island, 

 in Davao Gulf, Mindanao. There are seventeen other specimens 

 in the collection from the same locality, one from Davao and five 

 from Sitankai, Sulu Province. I place here also an aberrant 

 specimen from Dumaguete, Oriental Negros. In life this must 

 have been very handsome, as the pearly spots were probably 

 blue then. 



This species is close to Gnatholepis knighti Jordan and Ever- 

 mann, but differs in dentition, scalation, and markings, and in 

 having a shorter snout and larger eye; from G. davaoensis 

 Seale it differs in dentition, and particularly in color markings. 

 In dentition it is unique among the Philippine representatives 

 of this genus. 



Gemmeus, jeweled, in reference to the beautiful pearly spots. 



