GOBIOSOMA 289 



trals are pointed, with dissected, sharp-lobulate margins, and 

 extend less than halfway to the minute anal papilla. 



The color in alcohol uniform deep, dull olive brown, paler 

 under head; the first dorsal has a brown crossband near upper 

 margin, the basal half of fin minutely specked with dark ; a dark 

 band along upper margin of second dorsal ; the anal and caudal 

 plain brown, the pectorals and ventrals a little paler. 



Here described from the type and only specimen, 18.8 milli- 

 meters long, from Itbayat, one of the Batan Islands, north of 

 Luzon. This remarkable little goby possesses a unique combina- 

 tion of characters. 



Nudus, naked. 



Genus 64. GOBIOSOMA Girard 



Gobiosoma GIRARD, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. (1858) 169. 



The body entirely naked, short and plump or elongate and 

 cylindrical; the head cylindrical or laterally compressed, with 

 convex or pointed snout ; the mouth horizontal, medium to large ; 

 the teeth small, in several rows in each jaw r without canines ; 

 there are no barbels or papillae on head in our species ; the first 

 dorsal has five to seven spines, six in Philippine species; the 

 second dorsal and anal low and short, ending some distance be- 

 fore the rounded caudal. Dorsal VI, 1-9 or 10; anal I, 9. 



These naked gobies are small, easily recognized fishes of 

 shallow bays and the mouths of rivers. They lie on the gravelly 

 bottom, where their colors blend exactly with their environment. 

 The species are mostly American. 



Key to the Philippine species of Gobiosoma. 



a 1 . Dorsal VI, 1-9; body tadpole-shaped, with three dark crossbands. 



G. insignum. 



a 1 . Dorsal VI, 1-10; body spindle-shaped, brown with darker marbling. 



G. marmoratum. 



147. GOBIOSOMA INSIGNUM sp. nov. 



PLATE 27, FIG. 3 



Dorsal VI, 1-9; anal I, 9. 



The body tadpolelike because of the rounded protuberant 

 belly, the depth 4 to 4.25 times in the length; the dorsal profile 

 nearly horizontal, the head convex, laterally compressed, wedge- 

 shaped viewed from above, 3.4 to 3.6 times in length ; the snout 

 short, convex, steeply descending, 3f to 4.5 times in head; the 

 eye rather small, high up, not conspicuous, equal to or a little 



223793 19 



