HAPLOBLEPHARUS. 101 



total, narrow, depressed forward. Snout blunt, short, as long as the orbit or 

 the distance between the nostrils, rounded at the end. Nostrils small, half as 

 far from the mouth as from the end of the snout, without posterior valves, with- 

 out cirri; anterior valves reaching the mouth, in rounded lobes, separated by a 

 considerable median attachment in front of the symphysis. Mouth large, with 

 long labial folds around the angles. Eyes large, with a decided fold in the lower 

 lid, which is more or less transparent; orbit long. Spiracles small, close to the 

 eye. Gill openings wide, two thirds of the orbit, hindmost much narrower, 

 above the pectoral. Fins all small; angles of dorsals and anal produced; pecto- 

 rals rounded. Origin of the first dorsal above the middle of the ventral, of the 

 second above the forward half of the anal, interdorsal space twice the length of 

 the base of the first dorsal. Anal smaller than the second dorsal. Subcaudal 

 short, not deep. Claspers of the male long, slender, styliform. Scales small, 

 sharp, with a strong median cusp, and with rudimentary lateral cusps. 



Light brownish ; young with about twelve transverse bands of brown on the 

 back, separated by pairs of white spots or light blotches, fins with dark brown 

 blotches and white ends; lower surfaces whitish. Adults are darker, more 

 irregularly spotted and blotched with brown, less banded, and retain spots of 

 the white as brown-edged ocelli. Fully adult males, from Penang and Singapore, 

 measure eighteen and three fourths inches, females an inch more. 



India; Malay Archipelago. 



Haploblepharus, gen. nov. 



Shape resembling that of Halaelurus or Cephaloscyllium, body short, cau- 

 dal section longer. Head broad, flattened. Snout short, rather pointed. Eye 

 medium; orbit elongate; lower lid not attached within the upper lid, but closing 

 against it, without a fold. Spiracle small, close to the eye. Nostrils nearer to 

 the mouth than to the end of the snout, with a nasoral groove, without cirri, 

 without posterior valves; anterior valves reaching the mouth in a wide angular 

 flap, forming a broad lip narrowly attached in the middle. Mouth medium, 

 with strong labial folds around the angle. Teeth minute, numerous, each tooth 

 with a strong median and weaker lateral cusps. Gill openings medium, hind- 

 most narrow, above the pectoral. Subcaudal small, without a prominent lobe. 

 Hind angles of dorsals and anal not produced, 



Off southern Africa. 



