326 MR. R. COLLETT ON CERTAIN GOBIOID FISHES. [Mar. 5, 



The distance between the two dorsals is at least so great that 

 the rays of the first can never reach to the commencement of the 

 second. 



The second dorsal fin has 13, rarely only 12 rays, the last of 

 which is a double one, although not divided in many young indivi- 

 duals. In the full-grown female, as well as in immature individuals 

 of both sexes, it strongly decreases posteriorly : the first is only half 

 as long as the second and third, which are the longest ; after this the 

 length diminishes successively, and the last (the double one) has 

 scarcely the length of the first. The first ray is not articulated ; the 

 remaining are all articulated ; the first and the second are single, the 

 remaining divided at the point (the double ray only in its innermost 

 branch). In the mature male the posterior rays are lengthened, 

 the fin becoming almost even; the point of the posterior rays 

 reaches a distance of the diameter of the eye from the root of the 

 caudal fin, this distance being considerably larger in the females 

 and young individuals. The caudal fin has 17 articulated rays, 

 besides a row of 10 short, feeble, unarticulated, supplementary rays 

 on each side. All the articulated rays (with the exception of the 

 two outermost on each side) are twice divided in the outer two thirds 

 of the fin. The length of the fin does not exceed considerably the 

 height of the body. Its form in young specimens, as well as in 

 the female is always slightly emarginated, which is also the case 

 with a great number of the males during the spawning-season ; other 

 males have the caudal fin square, with rounded corners ; and it is 

 only in the case of the older that the middle rays are longer than 

 the other ones, by which means the form of the fiu becomes 

 rounded. 



The anal fin has 14 rays, the last of which is a double ray. In its 

 construction and position it agrees in general with the second dorsal ; 

 and having a ray more, it stretches a little further back than this. 



The pectoral fin has 16 articulated rays, all of which, with the 

 exception of the outermost on each side, are divided in the outer 

 third of the fin, and after the fourth ray doubly divided. The 

 form is somewhat pointed ; the point is scarcely the distance of 

 one diameter of the eye from the vent. In accordance with the rule 

 in the generality of fishes, this fin is one of the latest developed ; in 

 a specimen with a total length of 19 millims., it consists only of a 

 rounded flap, in which there is a vestige of a few rays. 



The ventral fins have their origin beneath the root of the pectorals, 

 and consist each of 6 rays. These together form the more or less 

 developed funnel, which is typical of the subfamily Gobiince. When 

 expanded, the opening of the funnel forms an oblong ring, which 

 runs parallel with the ventral line. All the rays are three times 

 divided down to the root, and are very movable. In the full-grown 

 male the extreme point reaches almost as far back as the pectorals. 

 In the female and the immature males the ventrals are very much 

 shorter, the funnels and the outer division of the rays indistinct ; the 

 extreme point is distant more than half the length of the head from 

 the vent. 



