FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIID^E. 309 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



I. Bostricldhys Sinensis, D. 6 | T o"-T2> -&-. h L. 1. 140. Anterior nostril long and tubular. Dark brown, 

 with a large black white-edged ocellus at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin. xVnclamans to China. 



Bostriclithys Sinensis, Plate LXV, fig. 4. 



Bostrychus Sinensis, Lacep. iii, p. 141, pi. 14, f. 2. 

 . Gobius Sinensis, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 94. 



PMlypnus ocellica/uda, Richards. Voy. Sulphur, Fishes, pp. 58, 149, pi. 50, f. 15, 16. 

 PMlypnus Sinenis, Richards. Ich. China, p. 210. 



PMlypnus ophicephalus, Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxii, Blen. en Gob. p. 20. 



Bostricldhys Sinensis, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. I860, p. 125 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 186 ; 

 Bleeker, Gobioides, 1874, p. 13. 



Eleotris Sinensis, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 127. 



Bostrychus Sinensis, Bleeker, Bintang, 1868, p. 5, and Eleotriformes, 1874, p. 4. 



Lee-mee-jo-do-dah, Andam. 



B. v, D. 6 | t^ht, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. i C. 13, L. 1. 140, Vert. 12/15. 



Length of head from 4J- to 4|, of caudal 6J to 7, height of body 7\ to 8 in the total length. Eyes — - 

 diameter 1/5 of length of head, 1| diameters from end of snout, and 2 diameters apart. Head obtuse; broad, 

 depressed. Lower jaw the longer, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the eye. Greatest 

 width of head equals its length excluding the snout, its height equals about 1/2 its length. Anterior nostril 

 tubular and long'. Teeth — in equal sized villiform rows in both jaws, also on a semi-oval spot on the vomer. 

 Fins — first dorsal not so high as the second, a rather considerable interspace between the two fins. Pectoral 

 and ventral of about the same length, and equalling the head excluding the snout. Caudal rounded 

 or wedge-shaped. Scales — cycloid, rudimentary on the top of the head and the nape : small on the cheeks, 

 laro-er on the opercles. On the body they are irregular. Colours — dark brown marbled, a black white-edged 

 ocellus at the upper part of the root of the caudal fin : three bands formed of spots along the dorsal fin, caudal 

 also vertically banded by spots. 



Habitat.— Andamans, to the Malay Archipelago and China. The specimen figured (life-size) is from the 

 Andamans, where it is not uncommon in the brackish waters, feeding on small Crustacea. 



Genus, 9 — Eleoteis,* Gronovius. 



Branchiostegals from four to six, occasionally terminating anteriorly in a spine i: pseudobrtmchioe present. 

 Gill-openings of moderate width. Body sub-cylindrical : head oblong. Eyes lateral, not prominent, and of moderate 

 size. Teeth small, none on vomer or palatines. Two dorsal fins, the anterior with few (5-8) spines, and fh 

 sometimes filamentous : base of pectoral slightly muscular : ventrals placed close together but not united. Scales 

 present. Air-vessel large. Anal papilla distinct. Pyloric appendages generally absent. 



As in the Genus Gobius I considered it unadvisable to adopt minute sub-divisions, for the purpose of 

 forming Genera, I cannot but think that the same plan had better be continued for Genus Eleotris, or Gobies 

 with separated ventral fins and no teeth on the palate. Those which have an outer barbed row are likewise 

 properly removed to separate genera, as Mogumda, Gill. 



Geographical distribution. — These fishes are generally found in the seas of the tropics, mostly along the 

 shores, in estuaries, or tidal rivers, but not above tidal influence. The only one I have observed that appears 



* Many of the following Genera which comprise Eleotrii and Butii of Bleeker are comprised in the above • — 



No crests or serrated ridges on the head : teeth in many rows in both jaws, Eleotris, Gronov.=Qobiomoroides, Lacep.=EVo£e!&, 

 Poey: anterior canines also in both jaws and the inner row in the lower enlarged, Odonteleotris, Gill : or simply the outer row 

 enlarged, Gitavina, Bleeker : head scaleless, Belobranchus, Bleeker : or the inner row in the lower jaw may be slightly enlarged (scales 

 28 to 40, isthmus narrow) Ophiocara, Gill : or the outer row in the upper jaw, and anteriorly the outer in the lower, which also has 

 its inner row posteriorly enlarged (a preopercular spine), Cheilodipterus, H. B —Culius, Bleeker : or the teeth may be subequal 

 and slender (upper surface of head scaled) Gobiomorphns, Gill. 



Or the teeth may be in few rows in both jaws, the outer being enlarged in the upper, and also anteriorly in the lower as is also 

 its posterior inner row (isthmus of medium size) Oxyeleotris, Bleeker. 



Or the teeth may be in many rows in the upper, and only a single one in the lower javj, as Pogoneleotris, Bleeker. 

 and Gymneleot/ris, Bleeker. 



Osseous crests or serrated ridges on the head : teeth in many rows in both jaws, crowded and of equal size, Bidis, Bleeker : or 

 sabequal in size (head scaleless) Gymnobutis, Bleeker : or the outer row enlarged in either jaw (head convex) Prionobutis, Bleeker ; ox 

 slender and not crowded, with the outer row slightly enlarged, Odontobutis, Bleeker. 



Or there may be many rows of teeth in both jaws, the outer being slender and moveable, as Dormiiator, Gill : 

 Asterropteryx, Riipp. 



Or the teeth in the jaws may be fixed in many rdios in both jaws, the outer enlarged, in the lower a posterior lateral canine. 

 Scales large and ctenoid, Brachyeleotris, Bleeker : or cycloid Hetereleotris, Bleeker. 



Or the scales may be small : teeth in many rows in both jaws, the outer the longer, and partly canine-like, Pareleotris, Gill : 

 or with only two canines at the symphysis of the premaxillaries, and posterior canines above the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw, Oxymetopon, Bleeker. 



Or the teeth may he in one or more rows in the premaxillaries, the inner being rudimentary, or in many in the lower- jam, the 

 outer the longer and unequal, a posterior lateral canine, Valenciennesia, Bleeker : or a single row in the upper jaw, an enlarged outei 

 unequal row in the lower, and a large posterior curved canine, Eleotriodes, Bleeker. 



