DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE HISTORY OF SOME TELEOSTS 
545 
on the valve of a Pectan. The eggs of the last-named species apparently were not 
found in nature, but were deposited in the aquarium on a molluskan shell. 
It would seem quite certain from the knowledge gained from the study of some 
American and European gobies, as shown in the preceding paragraphs, that these 
little fish generally, if indeed not always, attach their eggs to submerged objects, 
where they probably are guarded by the males. In these respects the spawning 
habits of the gobies agree in a large measure with the blennies, as shown in another 
part of this paper. 
Gobiosoma bosci and Gobionellus boleosoma are landlocked, except during extremely 
high storm tides, in the Mullet Pond on Shackleford Banks near Beaufort. The 
water in this pond ranges from brackish to nearly fresh. In fact, it becomes fresh 
enough, at times, to support such fresh water plants as Potamogeton and filamentous 
fresh water algae. Here the two species named evidently carry out their reproduc- 
tive processes, as ripe adults and young fish, less than 10 mm in length, have been 
collected. The bottom of the pond is quite muddy. In places luxurious growths 
of plants are present, and oyster shells, as well as live oysters, are found over some 
parts of the bottom. It would seem necessarv for the gobies to attach their eggs 
either to plants or to oyster shells in this pond, as few other submerged objects are 
present. 
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF THE YOUNG OF THE GENERA GOBIOSOMA, 
MICROGOB JUS, AND GOBIONELLUS. 
The young of the three genera, Gobiosoma, Microgobius, and Gobionellus, dis- 
cussed in the following pages are quite similar, especially when very small. The 
following comparison is offered with the hope that it may be found useful. Myomere 
and vertebrae counts in the three genera are almost identical, the range of vertebrae 
for the three genera (of Gobionellus only boleosoma was examined) being 11 or 12 + 15 
to 17 and cannot be used in separating them and, therefore, are omitted. 
Length 2.0 to 3.5 mm 
GOBIOSOMA 
Body rather deep; depth just 
posterior to vent about equal 
to head. 
Vent typically well behind mid- 
body length. 
Eye small. 
Ventral outline of body usually 
with a few dark spots. 
Soft dorsal and anal bases short, 
the rays developed in some 
specimens, each fin with 11 to 
14 rays. 
MICROGOBIUS 
Body as in Gobiosoma. 
Vent typically at midbody 
length. 
Eye slightly larger. 
Ventral outline usually with 
more numerous black spots, 
and a double row behind vent. 
Length 4-0 to 5.5 mm 
Soft dorsal and anal bases long, 
longer than in Gobiosoma, 
the rays partly undeveloped. 
GOBIONELLUS 
Body extremely slender; depth 
of body posterior to vent 
notably less than length of 
head. 
Vent notably behind midbody 
length. 
Eye small, bulging. 
Pigment spots as in Gobiosoma 
or more usually wanting. 
Soft dorsal and anal bases short, 
the rays partly undeveloped. 
The differences listed for smaller specimens, exclusive of the position of the vent which has 
changed, apply to fish 4.0 to 5.5 mm long. The two rows of dark spots behind the vent in Micro- 
gobius, now lying along the opposite sides of the anal base, have become very definite and serve as 
ready recognition marks. 
