PERIOPHTHALMUS 317 



No attempt is here made to cite the exceedingly voluminous 

 synonymy or the many papers upon the life and habits of this 

 incredible little fish. 



Dorsal X-XV, 1-11; anal I, 10; scales in a longitudinal series 

 76 to 100, in a transverse series 24 to 26. 



The body elongate, laterally compressed, the dorsal and ven- 

 tral profiles tapering back to caudal, the depth 5.2 to 5.9 in 

 length (4.75 in gravid females) ; the head very large and broad, 

 3.3 to 3.8 times in length, its breadth 0.75 to 0.8 of its length, and 

 1 to 1.2 times its depth, which equals or nearly equals that of 

 body ; the large broad blunt snout nearly vertical, its length 2.25 

 to 2.35 times in head; the snout ends in a broad, loose, lobulate 

 flap almost concealing upper lip, and with two terminal sensory 

 lappets which hang below mouth ; the eyes as given for the genus, 

 1.6 to 2.16 times in snout and 3.1 to 4.8 times in head, the inter- 

 orbital space exceedingly narrow ; the horizontal mouth inferior, 

 almost ventral, the lips thick and fleshy, the upper lip trilobate, 

 the lateral lobes large flaps covering that portion of mouth be- 

 neath them, the central lobe almost concealed by the snout flap 

 already mentioned, so that only its margin shows, its inner 

 surface covered with sensory papillae; the lower lip rugose- 

 papillate within the central portion, with a large, thick, lateral 

 flap at each corner, connecting with the one above which conceals 

 it; the teeth and scales as given for the genus; the first or first 

 and second spines of first dorsal longest, sometimes reaching 

 second dorsal when depressed, highly variable in length, 1.5 

 times in head and equal to or a little more or less than depth; 

 the second dorsal lower, the posterior rays longer, angulate, not 

 reaching caudal when depressed, 1.9 times in head; the anal 

 shorter and much lower, the two rays before the last longest, 

 2.8 to 3 times in head, 1.9 to 2.2 times in depth; the depth of 

 caudal peduncle 0.6 to 0.66 of its length, which is 1.66 to 1.9 

 times in head ; the rather narrow caudal equals or is a little more 

 or less than head, the tip moderately rounded; the shorter rays 

 on lower side near base have pointed, free, thick, and rather 

 rigid tips ; on the upper side short accessory spines advance for- 

 ward on caudal peduncle for some distance; the thick, power- 

 fully muscled base of pectoral makes up a third of its length, 

 the whole fin equal to or longer than head ; the ventrals more or 

 less separated but never united except basally, thick, flat, subor T 

 bicular, but the width much more than the length, which is twice 

 or more than twice in the distance to anal papilla and 1.7 to 



