FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIID^. 283 



unarmed. Simple teeth in one or more rows in the upper, and tvio or more in the lower jaw : canines sometimes 

 present. Anterior portion of the dorsal fin, with from five to six flexible spines : the posterior more developed and of the 

 same character as the anal : ventrals united, forming a dish, which is only attached by its base, each has one spine 

 and four or five rays. Caudal rounded or pointed. Scales present, or absent, and, either cycloid or ctenoid. Lateral- 

 line absent. Air-vessel, when present, generally small. Pyloric appendages usually absent. 



The fislies comprised in this Genus have the form of the body variously modified, some being much 

 deeper than others. They are either wholly scaled, the head may be scaleless, and even the body partially or 

 entirely devoid of scales. Barbels or warts on the head or a crest on the occiput may be present or absent. 



The dentition also is subject to considerable modification, canines being present or absent, most distinctly 

 in the form of a recurved one on the outer side of the enlarged lateral row in the lower jaw, and more commonly 

 found in the marine than in the fresh- water species. Variations may also occur in specimens of the same 

 species. Amongst a series of G. striatus exists one in which the outer row of teeth in both jaws is abnormally 

 enlarged, thus occasioning canines where they are not normally to be found. 



In some the two dorsal fins are almost united at their bases, in others there is a longer or shorter 

 interspace between them, whilst the form of the fins and the character of the spines are subject to great 

 variations. 



These fishes are found in numbers along the shores and estuaries of India, but due to their rapidly- 

 decomposing after death full collections have yet to be made. Amongst Sir Walter Elliot's figures of the 

 Gobies captured at Waltair, are two or three which I am unable to recognise, but it would be manifestly unsafe 

 to found new species upon drawings alone. 



Amongst the fresh- water Gobies, the G. giuris, H. B. is largely bred in tanks and shows considerable 

 diversity not only in its proportions, but also in its colours, this has occasioned its having been subdivided into 

 several species. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. Lateral, recurved canines, present in the lower jaw : dorsal spines flexible. 



1. Gobius Bynoensis, ~D. 6 | -^, A. j-jlTe-, L. 1. 65, L. tr.* 16. Two longitudinal bands, and some cross 

 bars from the back. Andamans to Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



2. Gobius sexfasciatus, D. 6 | 11, A. 10. Scales minute. Six vertical bands. Madras. 



3. Gobius brevirostris, J). 6 | j^, A. 10, L. 1. 44, L. tr. 14. Scales very small to below the commencement 

 of second dorsal fin. Olive, with a dark median band. Sind and China. 



4. Gobius griseus, D. 6 | -j^, A. 10, L. 1. 42, L. tr. 14. Olivaceous, with black spots. Madras. 



5. Gobius polynema, D. 6 | 11, A. 10, L. 1. 28-30, L. tr. 8. Purplish-black : a yellow-edged ocellus at 

 upper portion of base of caudal fin. Seas of India to China and beyond. 



6. Gobius macrostoma, D. 6 | 11, A. 10, L. 1. 33. Vertical fins with dark streaks. Bombay. 



7. Gobius viridipunctatus, D. 6 | ■£$, A. -§-, L. 1. 34-38, L. tr. 9. Olive, with some blotches along the sides, 

 and some of the scales with brilliant green centres. Seas of India. 



8. Gobius ocellatus, D. 6 | -jV) A. -Jg, L. 1. 33, L. tr. 8. Olive, with small green spots, blotches along the 

 sides : vertical fins spotted : a yellow ocellus at top of last half of caudal fin. Bombay. 



9. Gobius Masoni, D. 6 | xoiyr, A. ■§-, L. 1. 28, L. tr. 10. Gray with black fins, and blue spots on the 

 body. Bombay. 



10. Gobius cyanosmos, D. 6 | ^ A. 10, L. 1. 28-30, L. tr. 8. Olive, many scales with blue spots, a blue 

 mark on shoulder. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



11. Gobius criniger, D. 6 | 10, L. 1. 26-32, L. tr. 12-13. No scales before the first dorsal fin. Olivaceous 

 with black blotches and spots. East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



12. Gobius puntang,~D. 6 | y 1 ^, A. 10, L. 1. 28-29, L. tr. 8-9. Olive with rusty spots, fin rays yellow, 

 spotted and barred with purplish-red. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



13. Gobius Bleelceri, D. 6 | ■§•, A. i L. 1. 32, L. tr. 11. With cloudy dark markings, upper half of first 

 dorsal dusky, a large bluish spot from first to fourth spine. Madras. 



14. Gobius zonalternans, D. 6 | ■£-, A. |-, L. 1. 27, L. tr. 6. A blue spot on opercle, body with angular 

 bands. Madras. 



15. Gobius biocellatus, D. (5 | ■§■, A. §, L. 1. 28-30, L. tr. 7-8. Some large blotches along the sides, a black 

 ocellus with a white edging in hind portion of first dorsal fin, dorsal fins white spotted. Seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



16. Gobius Madraspatensis, D. 6 | i, A. i, L. 1. 28-29, L. tr. 7. Irregular vertical brown bands : vertical 

 fins spotted. Madras. 



17. Gobius Neilli, D. 6 | £, A. 9, L. 1. 28, L. tr. 7. Ochreous, upper two-thirds of body blotched and 

 with dark marks : upper portion of first dorsal white, some of the fins barred. Madras. 



18. Gobius melanosticta, D. 6 | -g-ig-, A. 9, L. 1. 24, L. tr. 7. Light brown, scales of body with dark marks : 

 vertical fins spotted. Madras. 



* By L. tr. is signified the number of horizontal rows of scales existing between the coumaencenient of the base of the second 

 dorsal and that of the anal fins. 



2 O 2 



