284 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



Dorsal VI, 1-11 or 12 ; anal I, lo ; there are 54 to 56 scales in 

 a longitudinal series, 18 to 20 in a transverse series, and 20 or 

 more before first dorsal. 



The body laterally compressed, the back moderately arched, 

 the belly a little less so, the head more or less depressed, the depth 

 3.9 to 4.2, the head 3.25 to 3.5 times in length; the breadth of 

 head varies greatly according to the tumidity of the cheeks, in 

 my specimens ranging from 60 to 90 per cent of its own length ; 

 the head may be very broad and flat above, or may be more or less 

 convex and pointed; the snout bluntly rounded, 4 to 4.1 times in 

 head; the eyes small, lateral, 5 to 5.8 times in head; the interor- 

 bital equals or is a half greater than eye; the mouth slightly 

 oblique, the jaws equal, the upper lip thick, the posterior angle of 

 maxillary approximately beneath middle of eye; the teeth are 

 as given for the genus, the middle cusp of the three-pointed teeth 

 largest; the last three teeth on each side of inner row in lower 

 jaw enlarged; the scales largest on the sides posteriorly, those 

 before first dorsal very small and extending forward on nape to 

 a line above middle of preopercle ; the second spine of first dorsal 

 longest, the posterior rays reaching origin of second dorsal when 

 depressed, 1.9 to 2 times in head; in adult males, the tips of the 

 spines elongated ; the second dorsal and anal equal to first dorsal 

 or the anal slightly lower, the middle rays longest, the fins not 

 reaching caudal when depressed; the caudal peduncle deep, 2.1 to 

 2.3 times in head and nearly as deep as long; the caudal bluntly 

 rounded with accessory spines growing well up on caudal 

 peduncle, its length 4.1 to 4.2 times in total, 0.8 to 0.9 the length 

 of head; the broad, round-pointed pectoral a little longer than 

 caudal, equal to or 0.9 the length of head; the ventrals broad, 

 rounded, with a thick frenum, about 1.5 times in head; the 

 anal papilla large, broad, flat, triangular in males; in females 

 subcylindrical, tumid, with a faintly bilobed tip. 



The color in alcohol dull olive brown, paler beneath, with two 

 broad, black, lateral bands, the upper one beginning on tip of 

 snout, passing over upper part of eye, and extending back below 

 dorsals to upper base of caudal; the lower one begins at pos- 

 terior margin of eye and runs directly back across cheek, ap- 

 parently ending in a dark spot at upper angle of pectoral base, 

 but continues beneath back to middle of caudal base; the first 

 dorsal varies from entirely black to nearly colorless, with only 

 the upper margin darkened; the second dorsal varies from 

 uniform dusky or blackish to those with three vague crossrows of 

 brownish spots; the anal dusky with a pale outer margin; the 



