236 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



bital space, the anterior one the larger; a pore behind upper 

 part of eye and a row of five large pores along supraocular 

 groove, the first one immediately behind eye ; a row of three sim- 

 ilar pores along hind margin of preopercle; very fine scales, 

 much smaller than those on sides, cover nape as far as posterior 

 margin of eye; the upper part of opercle scaled but the rest 

 of head naked ; the depth of the broad, flat caudal peduncle equals 

 its length; the pectoral and caudal fins approximately equal 

 in length and equal to or greater than depth of body ; the length 

 of ventral varies from a little less to much more than pectoral 

 and extends to anus or even upon anal fin; the tips of third 

 and fourth dorsal spines more or less elongated, sometimes 

 much greater than depth of body; the second dorsal and anal 

 similar in outline, the dorsal highest, their posterior rays longest. 



A specimen, collected by Alvin Seale at Sitankai, had the fol- 

 lowing colors in life: The general color was yellowish, washed 

 with greenish brown; across the body were five wide, brown 

 bands, each narrowly margined with blue-black; two rows of 

 dark red, circular spots on each side of nape; the cheeks with 

 short blue lines and rounded or oblong spots; a black spot 

 behind eye and a large, dark spot above upper posterior angle 

 of opercle, followed by several smaller spots; the first dorsal 

 with a black edge, some violet spots anteriorly and a large, dark 

 purplish spot between fourth and fifth spines ; the second dorsal 

 with a central crossbar of violet-brown, bordered by pearl white 

 dots on inner side; above it a yellowish band, bounded by a 

 black line, the tips of the rays violet ; a crossbar of violet-brown 

 on anal, bordered by pearl white dots, the margin of fin black ; 

 the caudal suffused with salmon, its posterior margin violet, 

 with a large black spot on upper part of basal portion and some 

 blackish violet spots scattered on distal portion; the pectorals 

 yellowish, with a horizontal blue bar on base. 



Alcoholic specimens vary from greenish brown to light brown, 

 with body markings as above described but duller, the spots 

 on nape and head partially lost; the dorsal and anal fins much 

 darker, their delicate markings lost. 



Here described from thirteen specimens, ranging in length 

 from 26 to 87 millimeters, from Puerto Galera, Mindoro; Ca- 

 balian, Leyte; San Juan, Siquijor; Sibutu and Sitankai, Sulu 

 Province. 



A specimen, 40 millimeters long, from Canigaran, near Puerto 

 Princesa, Palawan, has five dark crossbands, the last one at 



