276 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



138. CHAETURICHTHYS STIGMATIAS Richardson 



Chaeturichthys stigmatias RICHARDSON, Zoology, Voy. Sulphur, Fishes 

 (1844) 55, pi. 35, figs. 3-5; JORDAN and SNYDER, Gobioid Fishes of 

 Japan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 24 (1901) 105; JORDAN and METC, 

 Cat. Fishes of Korea, Mem. Carnegie Mus. 6 (1913) 57. 



Gobius stigmatias GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 78. 



Dorsal VII, 1-21 or 22 ; anal I, 17 to 19 ; the scales are almost 

 all gone in my specimens but the scale pockets in the skin indi- 

 cate from 47 to 50 scales in a lateral series and 14 or 15 in a 

 transverse series. Gunther gives 53 scales, Jordan and Snyder 

 give 57, in a lateral series. 



The body elongate, the posterior half much compressed 

 laterally; the head large, blunt, broad, its width equal to or 

 greater than its postorbital length; the eyes obliquely superior, 

 5.5 to 6 times in head and 1.5 to 1.7 times in the broadly rounded 

 snout; the interorbital space equal to or 0.25 greater than eye; 

 the mouth oblique, the posterior angle of maxillary extending 

 to middle or posterior part of eye ; there are two rows of teeth 

 in each jaw, those of outer row much the larger, caniniform, 

 and curving inward ; there are three fleshy papillae on inner edge 

 of shoulder girdle ; fine scales between first dorsal and eyes, and 

 on opercles and preopercles; the scales on body become larger 

 posteriorly. 



The dorsals widely separated, the first dorsal not reaching 

 second when depressed; the dorsal rays become longer poste- 

 riorly, and reach caudal when depressed; the anal shorter and 

 lower and its rays do not reach caudal ; the very long pointed 

 caudal exceeds head and may be nearly twice as long; the short 

 accessory dorsal and ventral rays of caudal grow far forward 

 on caudal peduncle; the pectorals are pointed and sometimes 

 extend to vent; the ventrals free except at base. 



Alcoholic specimens usually pale, due to the loss of scales, 

 but where they are present the top of head, back, and upper 

 part of sides are spotted and mottled with groups of dark brown 

 specks; the first dorsal has a large black spot from sixth spine 

 to hind margin; the second dorsal, anal, pectorals, and caudal 

 black or crossbarred by dark spots. 



Here described from eight specimens, 96 to 135 millimeters 

 in length, collected during the summer of 1923, at Amoy, China, 

 by Light. Three of them are females ready to spawn, with 

 greatly distended bodies; they are from 106 to 108 millimeters 

 in length. I also have a specimen, 51 millimeters long, in bad 

 condition, obtained by Light at Pu-chow, Fufcien Province, 

 China. 



