248 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



The spelling in the first citation is evidently a typographical 

 error, since Bleeker had used the correct form for at least 

 sixteen years prior to this, but I am unable to find any generic 

 diagnosis prior to the appearance of his Esquisse. The spelling 

 is correct in the type species given. 



The body elongate, laterally compressed, the dorsal and ven- 

 tral profiles but little arched ; the head short, broader than trunk, 

 with blunt, strongly convex snout; the scales irregularly 

 arranged in most species, loosely attached, 40 to 90 in a longi- 

 tudinal series, ctenoid and larger posteriorly, passing into cy- 

 cloid on forward part of trunk, those on nape very small and 

 more or less disappearing, so that it may be nearly naked; 

 running forward from first dorsal is a low naked ridge, termi- 

 nating in a more or less evident skinny crest; above each eye 

 and curving behind it is a low, smooth, bony ridge, the interor- 

 bital space very narrow; the preopercles, snout, opercles, and 

 naked space behind eyes marked by furrows or rows of exces- 

 sively minute papillae, as shown in the figures; the mouth more 

 or less oblique, with projecting chin; the teeth fixed, pointed, 

 in onfc row in upper jaw in all Philippine species, and two to 

 four rows in lower jaw, without canines, at least the outer 

 row extending to posterior angle of mouth ; the tip of the tongue 

 convex, the isthmus broad; the dorsals contiguous or nearly so, 

 with elongate tips to spines and rays, some of the dorsal spines 

 often excessively long and threadlike; the pectorals without 

 silky rays above ; the lanceolate pointed caudal much elongated ; 

 the ventrals broad, with a very wide frenum, which forms a 

 very deep cup, or sucking disk, for attaching the fish to ob- 

 jects. Dorsal VI, L-10 to 13; anal I, 10 to 14. 



I am unable to separate those species with a tentacle on the 

 eye under the generic name Gobiichthys. The various species 

 present every gradation in the development of an ocular ten- 

 tacle, from those with ordinary eyes or with a pigmented spot 

 or bar, on through those with a slight protuberance in its place, 

 up to species with a tentacle as long as the eye. 



In counting the scales before the first dorsal, I have counted 

 those beside the median naked ridge, beginning opposite the 

 origin of the first dorsal forward as far as the scales extend. 



This genus occurs from the coasts of Hindustan to Australia 

 and north to the southern coast of China and Formosa. 



