BOLEOPHTHALMUS 323 



covering half or more than half of pectoral. The dorsals far 

 apart, V, 1-23 to 27, the first dorsal higher than long ; the second 

 dorsal more than twice to three times as long as first; the ven- 

 trals completely united; the lower margin of caudal obliquely 

 truncated; the gill openings narrow, the isthmus broad; bran- 

 chiostegals 5. 



This genus includes a few species of the coasts of southern 

 and eastern Asia and the East Indies, northward to Japan. In 

 habits they are like Periophthalmus. According to Day these 

 mud dwellers rapidly drown if placed in deep water. 



163. BOLEOPHTHALMUS CHINENSIS (Osbeck) 



PLATE 25, FIG. 1 



Apocryptes chinensis OSBECK, Aman. Acad. (1754) 29, fig. 23; Voy. 



China (1T71) 200. 



Gobius pectinirostris GMELIN, Syst. Nat. 1 (1788) 1200. 

 Boleophthalmus pectinirostris GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 



(1861) 102. 

 Boleophthalmus chinensis JORDAN and SNYDER, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



24 (1901) 47; SEALE, Philip. Journ. Sci. D 9 (1914) 74. 



Dorsal V, 1-23 or 24; anal I, 23 or 24. 



The depth of the elongate, laterally compressed body 5.5 to 

 5.75 times in length, the dorsal profile nearly horizontal ; the head 

 large, broad, flattened above, 3.8 to 3.85 times in length, its 

 breadth equal to the body depth and 0.25 more than its own 

 depth; the steeply inclined snout bluntly round-pointed, about 

 3.75 times in head ; the eyes covered above with skin like that of 

 head, 5 times in head and 1.33 times in snout; the interorbital 

 space very narrow, a linear furrow ; the mouth strongly oblique, 

 the upper lip thick, especially posteriorly, and partly concealed 

 by two lateral snout flaps, the posterior angle of maxillary ex- 

 tending almost to or even beyond hind margin of eye ; the tip of 

 the tongue rounded, adherent ; three or four enlarged canines on 

 each side of center of upper jaw, the teeth posterior to these 

 sharp-pointed, very small ; in lower jaw the central teeth simple 

 with rounded tips ; laterally they are broader at the tips, notched 

 or obliquely lobate, the posterior side of the cutting edge lowest ; 

 the head and body back to first dorsal, or even beyond, covered 

 with rather conspicuous, conical tuberculate papillae ; posteriorly 

 the body is covered with rather large cycloid scales which become 

 much smaller anteriorly, and continue forward on nape to eyes, 

 but are very sparse and disappear upon cheeks; the dorsals 

 rather far apart, the spines of first dorsal long, slender to fila- 

 mentous, the second and third projecting beyond the membrane 



