SYNECHOGOBIUS 267 



running horizontally across middle of cheek; below the last- 

 named is a row of minute beadlike pores and there is a pair of 

 similar rows on each limb of lower jaw ; the vertical fins of mod- 

 erate height, the caudal elongated, nearly or quite equal to head. 



The color in alcohol yellowish, becoming whitish on belly; a 

 large dark spot at base of caudal and traces of ten similar spots 

 along middle of sides; the dorsals and caudal crossbarred by 

 rows of dark spots. 



Here described from five specimens, 80 to 172 millimeters in 

 length, collected at Amoy, China, by Light. 



This strongly marked species is known only along the coast 

 of China, north to the Gulf of Chihli, but is to be expected in 

 Formosa and the Batan Islands. 



Genus 53. SYNECHOGOBIUS Gill 



Synechogobius GILL, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. (1863) 266. 



This genus is distinguished by its elongate, almost eel-like 

 form, and by the presence of eight or nine first dorsal spines. 



The head is very large, deeper and broader than the trunk, 

 which is strongly compressed, with a ribbonlike caudal peduncle ; 

 the mouth large, oblique, low, with two rows of coarse teeth 

 in each jaw ; the eyes large, dorsolateral ; the body covered with 

 minutely ctenoid scales, rather large posteriorly,, very small 

 before first dorsal and extending almost to eyes ; the upper part 

 of opercle covered with small scales ; the cheeks, snout, and inter- 

 orbital naked; the pointed caudal longer than head; the 

 pectorals and ventrals broad, the dorsals widely separated; the 

 gill opening large, inclined forward, the isthmus broad, bran- 

 chiostegals 4. 



Dorsal VIII or IX, 1-18 or 19; anal I, 15 or 16; scales in a 

 longitudinal series 88 to 90. 



A single species is known; it ranges from Nagasaki in south- 

 ern Japan to Swatow, China. 



133. SYNECHOGOBIUS HASTA (Schlegel) 



PLATE 21, FIG. 2 



Gobius hasta SCHLEGEL, Fauna Japonica, Pisces (1842) 144, pi. 75, 

 fig. 1; GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 78. 



Synechogobius hasta BLEEKER, Ned. Tijd. Dierk. 4 (1873) 129; JORDAN 

 and SNYDER, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 24 (1901) 102. 



Dorsal IX, 1-18; anal I, 15; scales in a longitudinal series, 

 88; in a transverse series, 14. 



