/ 



FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIID^E. 297 



black, white-edged blotches scattered over the body : first dorsal black, with a white ring on its last three rays : 

 second dorsal with two rows of black spots along its base, and a third of white dots along its centre. Ventral 

 black in the centre, and having orange edges. Anal dark olive, margined with black. Caudal with numerous 

 fine black dots. 



Habitat. — Mouths of the Ganges, and along the Chittagong and Burmese coasts, attaining at least 

 3 inches in length. 



35. Gobius melanosoma, Plate LXIV, fig. 1, (f). 



Bleeker, Ceram. ii, p. 703 ; Peters, Monats. Ak. Berlin, 1868, p. 265. 

 Gobius gobiodon, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 516. 

 Paragobiodon melanosoma, Bleeker, Gobioides, 1874, p. 21. 



B. v, D. 6 | |, P. 21, V. 1/5, A. 10, C. 15, L. 1. 22-25, L. tr. 8-9. 



Length of head 3 to 3J, of caudal 5, height of body 3-1- in the total length. Eyes — diameter 3| in length 

 of head, 1/2 to 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and l£ diameters apart. Form of body elevated and 

 compressed. Anterior portion of head and jaws covered with warty tubercles and fine hairy barbels. 

 Cleft of mouth very oblique, commencing opposite the middle of the eyes : the maxilla reaching to below the 

 front margin of the eyes. Height of head equals its length without the snout. Teeth — villiform, with 

 one or two posterior canines above the symphysis of the lower jaw. Fins — first dorsal somewhat higher than 

 the second, but not quite half of that of the body, the last dorsal ray reaches rather above half-way to the base 

 of the caudal. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout : ventral reaches half-way to the anal. 

 Caudal rounded. Scales — ctenoid, extending forwards to opposite the middle of the first dorsal fin, eight or 

 nine rows between the bases of second dorsal and anal. Colours — brownish, the head may be light-coloured : 

 dorsal, anal, and caudal veiy dark, ventrals nearly black having a reddish edge, caudal reddish. 



Habitat. — Andamans and Xicobars to the Malay Archipelago. It appears to be a small species, the one 

 figured (from the Andamans) is twice the natural size. 



36. Gobius nunus. 

 Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 54, 366 ^Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 138. ~) 



B. v, D$\ i P. 17, V. 1/5, A. 9, C. 15, L. 1. 30, L. tr. 7. 



Length of head 4J, of caudal 5, height of body 5 in the total length. Eyes — small, in the anterior part 

 of the head, 1 diameter from end of snout. Greatest width of head equals its height and half its length. 

 Cleft of mouth very oblique, lower jaw the longer, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the eye. 

 Teeth — external row in lower jaw enlarged, the outer tooth being rather recurved. Fins — first dorsal spines 

 with filamentous prolongations : caudal wedge-shaped. Scales — ctenoid, extended to over head and cheeks, ten 

 rows before the dorsal fin. Colours — reddish-brown with seven black belts, the first through the eye, the second 

 over the opercles, and five more down the body, the last being at the root of the caudal fin, these bands are 

 extended on to the vertical fins. 



Habitat. — River Hooghly, also Burma ; the one described is hardly an inch in length, and was captured 

 by the late Dr. Stoliczka in a freshwater stream, near Moulmein. 



Genus, 2 — Gobiodon, Bleeker. 



Gill-openings of moderate width. Body oblong and compressed : head large. Teeth conical and fixed : a 

 pair of posterior canines generally present near the symphysis of the lower jaw. Two dorsal fins, the first with six 

 spines and united, at its base to the second; ventrals united. Scales absent. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Gobiodon quinque-strigatus, D. 6 | xo^-tti &■• t-s - - Lyes 1 to 1J diameters from end of snout. Two 

 small posterior canines above symphysis of lower jaw. Head with five vertical orange stripes : two or three 

 similar bands or rows of blotches on the body. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Gobiodon erythrospilus, D. 6 | xo-xti A. |-. Eyes less than 1 diameter from end of snout. Two small 

 posterior canines above symphysis of lower jaw. Brown, with black fins. Ceylon, Andamans, Xicobars, to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



3. Gobiodon citrinus, D. 6 | -J^, A. ±. Eyes 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout. An inner enlarged row 

 of teeth in the lower jaw, and a posterior lateral recurved canine. Four blue black-edged vertical streaks on 

 the head and before the base of the pectoral fin : a similar band along the bases of dorsal and anal fins. Red 

 Sea, Andamans, and Mcobars. 



1. Gobiodon quinque-strigatus. 



Gobius quinque-strigatus, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 134 ; not Bleeker, Blenn. en Gob. p. 29, and Solor. p. 82. 

 Gobiodon quinque-strigatus, Bleeker, Gobioideorum, 1874, p. 17, not Boero, p. 408 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 87. 

 Gobius and Gabion erythrophaios, Bleeker, Gob. p. 29, and Boero, p. 409 (part.) 

 Gobius Ceramensis, Bleeker, Ceram. p. 704. 



D. 6 | Ttfrr, P. 19, V. 1/5, A. ^, C. 15. 



Length of head 1/4, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/3 to 2/7 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/4 to 



■2 Q 



