FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIID^. 313 



8. Eleotris cavifrons, Plate LXV, fig. 6. 



Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 145 ; Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 517. 



B. v, D. 6 | |, P. 13, V. 1/5, A. §, C. 15, L. 1. 65, L. tr. 17. 



Length of head 3| to 3}, of caudal 5 to 5J, height of body 5| to Q\ in the total len- th. Eyes — diameter 

 1/5 to 1/6 of length of head, 1 to 1-J- diameters from end of snout, and 1 to 1 j apart. Head depressed. Its 

 greatest width equals its length excluding the snout, and its height equals half its length. A deep depression 

 exists over the orbits. Lower jaw the longer, cleft of mouth oblique, commencing anteriorly opposite the upper 

 edge of the eye, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the orbit. A well marked spine pointing down- 

 wards at the angle of the preopercle. Anterior nostril somewhat tubular. Teeth — villiform in both jaws, the 

 outer row in the premaxillaries rather enlarged, whilst the inner row is likewise a little larger than the outer 

 ones and directed somewhat inwards. Four or five large canine-like teeth in the front of the lower jaw, whilst 

 its inner row is also enlarged, terminating laterally in a canine-like tooth. Fins — first dorsal not quite so high as 

 the second, the last rays of which equal the height of the body. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle 

 of the eyes, ventral extends half way to the anal. Caudal obtusely rounded. Scales — cycloid and small anteriorly, 

 ctenoid on the body, about 55 rows before the dorsal fin, they extend forwards to the snout and over the opercle 

 and subopercle, but there are none on the cheeks, which however have little rows of warts. Colours — light 

 brown, with dark bands radiating from the orbits : a few dark spots on the body : dorsals and caudal barred in 

 spots. 



This fish appears to be an Oxyeleotris, Bleeker. 



Habitat. — Andamans, up to 4 inches in length. 



9. Eleotris fusca, Plate LXV, fig. 7. 



Pcecilia fusca, Bl. Schn. p. 453. 



Cobitis pacifica, Forst. Desc. Anim. ed. Licht. p. 235. 



Cheilodipterus culms, Ham. Buch. pp. 55, 367, pi. 5, f. 16. 



Eleotris nigra, Quoy and Gaini, Voy. Freyc. Zool. p. 259, pi. 6, f. 2 ; Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 233 ; Bleeker, 

 Beng. p. 105, t. i, f . 3 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, p. 149. 



Eleotris Mauritianus, Benn. Proc. Zool. Soc. i, p. 166. 



Culius niger, Bleeker, Boeroe, p. 411. 



-Eleotris incerta, Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 146. 



Eleotris fusca, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 125 ; Day, Fish. Mai. p. 115, and Proc. Z. S. 1869, p. 517 ; Kner, 

 Xovara Fische, p. 186 ; Playfair, Fish. Zanz. p. 74. 



Eleotris Soaresi, Playfair, Fish. Zanz. p. 74, pi. ix, fig. 4. 



Culius fiiscus, Bleeker, Eleotriformes, 1874, p. 15. 



Poollan, Mai. : Buncli and Balah hera, Ooriah. 



B. vi, D. 6 | |, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. §, C. 12, L. 1. 60-65, L. tr. 16, Vert. 11/14. 



Length of head 4, of caudal 5| to 6, height of body 5 to 6 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/6 to 

 1/7 of length of head, 1 to \\ diameters from end of snout, and \\ to 2 diameters apart. Head depressed, its 

 greatest width slightly exceeding its height and equalling its length excluding the snout. Lower jaw rather 

 the longer : the maxilla reaches to below the middle of the orbit. Angle of preopercle armed with a short spine 

 directed downwards and forwards, which usually becomes blunted with age. Teeth — in many villiform rows, 

 the outer in the upper jaw being rather wide asunder and twice the size of the inner ones. In the lower jaw 

 there are usually, not invariably, a few enlarged ones anteriorly in an outer row, whilst laterally there are some 

 rather larger sized, pointed teeth. Fins — first dorsal spines weak, more than half as high as the body, but 1/4 

 less than the rays of the second dorsal. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout. Anal similar to the 

 second dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped. Scales — cover the body, and head superiorly as far forwards as the snout, 

 the opercles and cheeks : occasionally those below the eyes and on the sub- and inter-opercles are rudimentary or 

 even absent, in such cases lines of fine warts are usually seen. There are about 48 rows anterior to the dorsal 

 fin, and they are rather minute between the eyes : 16 rows between the anterior extremities of second dorsal and 

 anal fins, and 14 between their posterior extremities. Those on the body are ctenoid. Colours — leaden-black, 

 lighter on the abdomen, which sometimes has a yellow tinge : horizontal bars on the dorsal fins, sometimes 

 vertical ones on the caudal. Occasionally its upper surface is of a light stone-colour. Its markings and colours 

 are subject to great variation. 



Jerdon remarks that it conceals itself under stones and amongst weeds, remaining motionless for hours. 

 Its movements are slow and it is fond of attaching itself vertically, with its head downwards, to the side of the 

 vessel in which it may be confined. 



Habitat. — Coasts of India to the Malay Archipelago, also the African coast, &c. to 8 inches in length. 



10. Eleotris Canarensis, Plate LXIX, fig. 2. 



B. vi, D. 6 | h P. 16, V. 1/5, A. \, C. 15, L. 1. 58, L. tr. 17. 



Length of head 3f, of caudal 6|, height of body 6| in the total length. Eyes — diameter 4\ in 

 length of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and nearly 1 apart. Greatest width of head equals its 



2 s 



