GOBIID.^. 263 



both dorsals diaphanous, with five or six rows of brown dots ; 

 caudal with eight or nine vertical rows of spots in its upper half 

 or two thirds. 



Hub. Fresh and backwaters of Madras, Canara, and Orissa. 



1044. (26.) Gobius personatus. 



Gobius personatus, Sleeker, Batav. Genootsch. Verhand. xxii, Blenn. 

 en Gob. p. 34, and Batavia Nat. Tijdsch. i, 1851, f. 4 ; Dai/, Fish. 

 India, p. 202, pi. Ixiii, fig. (see synon.). 



D. 6 | 1/10. P. 16. V.l/5. A. 1/10. C.12. L.I. 55. L.tr.14. 



Length of head 3f to 4, of caudal fin 5 to 5|, height of body 5| 

 to G| in the total length. Eyes diameter 6 in length of head, 2 

 diam. from end of snout, and nearly 1 apart. Greatest width of 

 head equals its length behind middle of eyes, height half its length. 

 No warts or tentacles on the head. Cleft of mouth slightly oblique, 

 upper jaw a little the longer ; the maxilla reaches to below the 

 front edge of the eye. Teeth no canines. Fins dorsal spines 

 with filamentous terminations as high as the body, and equalling 

 last rays of dorsal fin, which are longest and extend to base of 

 caudal. Pectoral |- length of head and longer than ventral. 

 Caudal cut nearly square. Scales -ctenoid, much smaller before 

 dorsal fin, extending forwards as far as the eye; those on body 

 angular. Colour light brown, a little darker along the back and 

 upper surface of the head, a black spot at posterior upper angle 

 of opercle ; head and upper two thirds of body with numerous ver- 

 miculated black lines and spots ; dorsal fin with three or four rows 

 of spots forming bars, and sometimes a dark mark in the outer 

 half from fifth spine to end of fin. Anal with a white outer edge. 

 Caudal with five or six angular bars or irregularly placed spots. 



Hab. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, apparently pre- 

 ferring estuaries and backwaters. The colour appears subject to 

 considerable variation. 



1045. (27.) Gobins malabaricns. 



Gobius malabaricus, Day, P. Z. S. 18G5, p. 27 ; Fish. India, p. 293 

 (see synon.). 



D. 6 | 1/10. P. 13. V.l/5. A. 1/10. C.13. L.I. 50. L.tr.9. 



Length of head 5, of caudal fin 4, height of body 5 in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 6 in length of head, 1 diam. from end of 

 snout, | apart. Height of head f of its length, snout obtuse ; cleft 

 of mouth oblique, lower jaw the longer ; maxilla extends to beneath 

 anterior third of orbit. Teeth no canines. Fins dorsal spines 

 weak, not filiform, not quite so long as second dorsal, the last rays 

 of which reach base of caudal, which is rounded, with the middle 

 rays rather the longest. Scales ctenoid, angular, none on the 

 head. Colonr light brown, with irregular dusky bands on the 

 back and sides, a dark band descends from the eye, and some brown 



