252 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



wise lines and several crosslines of exceedingly minute warts; 

 similar short longitudinal lines on the naked nape behind eyes, no 

 scales on base of pectoral; the scales on nape do not extend 

 forward beyond posterior margin of preopercle; from the first 

 dorsal to the scaleless portion a low, fleshy, scaleless ridge, or 

 crest, occupies the central part of nape ; the tips of all the dor- 

 sal spines, but especially the first, may be greatly elongated and 

 threadlike, up to 1.8 times in length of head and body together; 

 the second dorsal and anal about equal in the length of their 

 base, of similar outline, and both with much elongated tips tc 

 their rays, the posterior rays longest and reaching beyond base 

 of caudal when depressed; the depth of caudal peduncle 2.2 to 

 2.5 in head ; the caudal greatly elongated and pointed, its length 

 1.8 to 2.3 in length of head and trunk; the long pectorals may 

 extend back beyond beginning of anal; the ventrals usually 

 short, but rarely reaching anus or the slender, conical, pointed 

 anal papilla. 



The color in life dark greenish gray to golden above, pearly 

 beneath; each scale along back and upper half of sides has a 

 small, circular, black spot before its posterior margin; five or 

 six broad, rather vague, brown crossbands over back; alternat- 

 ing and often coalescing with them on the sides and lower half 

 is a series of similar indistinct bands; the sides of head irides- 

 cent greenish gold; the crest on nape tipped with black; on 

 upper part of eye, just within its margin, where a tentacle 

 occurs in some gobies, is a more or less circular black spot; the 

 eyes are lapis lazuli or green, with a pearly luster; below eye 

 is a large, irregular, blackish brown blotch ; the spinous dorsal 

 has two longitudinal, broad, irregular, pearly bluish bands on 

 basal portion; the spines crossbarred with black and the upper 

 part of membrane behind last spine is black; the soft dorsal 

 crossed by many lines of black spots ; the upper half of caudal 

 has many circular to oblong black spots on the membrane, the 

 lower half uniform violaceous, with yellow margin; the anal 

 violet-blue, with yellow margin; the pectorals more or less 

 violet; the ventrals deep violet, with a yellow base. 



The color in alcohol similar but much paler, the yellow and 

 blue or violet disappearing, but the dusky crossbands and lat- 

 eral spots often more evident; the black scale spots and crest 

 distinct, as are the black spot above iris, the dark spot below eye, 

 and the black spots on dorsals and caudal; the pupil is white 

 and conspicuous; the large, very fat specimens from Obando 

 are golden above, the pectoral and caudal bases butter yellow. 



