J04 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



The body slender, elongate, the dorsal profile very little el- 

 evated, the depth 5.35 to 5.5 times in length; the rather blunt, 

 somewhat convex head broader than body, 3.4 to 3.5 times in 

 length, its breadth equal to or a little less than its depth and 

 1.8 to 1.96 times in its own length; the snout short, steep, blunt, 

 3.6 to 4 times in head ; the eyes large, 3 to 3.33 times in head, very 

 high up, dorsolateral, their inner margins touching; the mouth 

 oblique, the jaws equal, the posterior angle of maxillary beneath 

 anterior part of eye or front margin of pupil ; the upper jaw has 

 an outer row of large, widely spaced, curved teeth and three rows 

 of minute teeth behind, which become two rows posteriorly; 

 the lower jaw has a short outer row of somewhat enlarged teeth 

 terminating at each side in a large curved canine or two ; behind 

 this is a broad but rather short band of four rows of small teeth ; 

 the tip of the tongue rounded; the body covered with large 

 ctenoid scales, which become smaller above pectoral base and 

 disappear anteriorly; the region before first dorsal and head 

 naked; on cheek are two parallel longitudinal lines of papillae; 

 any one or all of the first three dorsal spines may be elongated, 

 with threadlike tips, which extend well back on second dorsal 

 when depressed, 1.8 to 1.125 times in head; the second dorsal 

 lower, not reaching caudal when depressed, 1.66 to 2 times in 

 head; the anal a little higher than second dorsal, 1.5 to 1.96 

 times in head ; the depth of caudal peduncle a little more or less 

 than twice in its length; the pointed caudal 3.1 to 3.8 times in 

 length ; the pectoral extends back to a line perpendicular to anus, 

 1.3 to 1.4 times in head; the ventrals pointed, equal to or nearly 

 equal to pectoral; the anal papilla small, narrow, pointed in 

 males, subglobose in females. 



The color in alcohol reddish brown with four rectangular 

 dark brown spots on the side, inclosed between two brown longi- 

 tudinal lines running from under pectoral to tail; at base of 

 caudal a fifth spot, more rounded, with one or two dark brown 

 spots immediately behind and often coalescing with it; over the 

 back are six short, broad, dark brown bands, the first two on 

 nape, the others under the dorsals ; the spaces between the cross- 

 bars more or less sprinkled with irregular short brown lines 

 and spots; a black spot or diagonal bar on opercle; some ir- 

 regular dark marks on sides of head; the first dorsal dusky 

 brown with a clear band near base; the second dorsal trans- 

 versely barred by three or four rows of brown spots ; the caudal 

 crossbarred by five or more rows of brown spots, those near 

 base much larger and darker ; the anal faint brown ; the pectoral 



