GLOSSOGOBIUS 159 



The general appearance is that of G. giurus, but the head is 

 usually a little larger in proportion, with much fuller and 

 rounder checks, and from 2.7 to 3 times in the length; the eyes 

 nearly superior and usually close together, the interorbital space 

 varying from to f of an eye diameter ; their length 5.2 to 5.5 

 in head and a little less than 2 to 2.7 times in snout, which is 

 2 to 2.9 times in head; the distance from posterior margin of 

 eye to tip of snout usually greater than, rarely equal to, post- 

 orbital length of head; above eye is a low narrow bony 

 ridge which begins at the supraopercular groove behind eye; 

 the mouth large, with projecting lower jaw; the maxillary 

 extends back to a point below front margin of eye or even 

 center of pupil; in both jaws the outer row of teeth widely 

 spaced, large, strong, fixed; the other teeth all depressible, the 

 next two rows very small and sharp, the innermost row 'much 

 larger; the naked interorbital space extends backward beyond 

 eyes and contains a central pore and three more in the space 

 behind eyes, although often only the middle one of these is visi- 

 ble ; the head may be entirely naked or there may be three rows 

 of scales extending from upper inner corner of opercle, halfway 

 or entirely across to rear; on the preopercle are about five 

 parallel longitudinal lines of very fine papillae; one or two 

 similar diagonal lines more or less evident on opercle ; the lower 

 edge of preopercle, subopercle, and a line under lip fringed with 

 papillae, barely evident in some but large and fringelike in 

 others; in some specimens one or two or more of the lines on 

 preopercle are of similar coarse papillae; the fins are much as 

 in G. giurus, except that the males have the tips of the dorsal 

 spines and rays prolonged. 



The color in life more or less yellowish, with dusky or blackish 

 spots on sides, the one at base of caudal plainest, and with short, 

 irregular, dusky crossbars or marblings on back; the ventrals 

 dusky to blackish; the pectorals, anal, and second dorsal each 

 with two longitudinal rows of dark spots; the caudal has many 

 crossrows of blackish or dark spots; the first dorsal mostly 

 clear, or golden yellow, with fine dusky specks, a large dark 

 spot posteriorly, and a row of dark spots on spines near margin 

 of membrane; sometimes there is a basal row of large dark 

 spots. 



The color in alcohol varies from gray-brown to yellow-brown, 

 with markings as above described; the spots on the naked 

 top of head more or less reddish or brownish red ; the head and 



