248 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Genus PISOODONOPHIS, Kaup. 



Branchiostegals from twenty-one to thirty-one. Body eel-like or vermiform, greatly elongated, its 

 heiglit from one twenty-second to one forty-sixth in its length. Caudal portion not much longer than the 

 trunk. Head acutely convex, cleft of mouth moderate. Lips not fringed. Posterior nostril perforating 

 the upper lip on its internal or lower aspect. Teeth obtuse and granular, in many rows on the nasal, 

 palatine, vomer, and mandibular bones. Dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins present, none at the end of tail. 

 Dorsal commences behind the branchial aperture, which is single, semi-lunar, and on either side. Pectoral 

 well developed. 



PlSOODONOPHIS BORO. 



Ophisurus boro, Ham. Buck. pp. 20, 363 ; Gray, 111. I. Z. i. pi. 95, f. 1 ; McClelland, 



Cal. J. N. H. v. pp. 185, 211. 

 Ophisurus harancha, Ham. Buck. pp. 21, 363; Gray, 111. I. Z. i. pi. 95, f. 2; 



McClelland, Cal. J. N. H. v. p. 211, pi. 12, f. 4. 

 Ophisurus caudatus, McClelland, Cal. J. N. H. v. p. 185, pi. 12, f. 3. 

 Ophisurus boro, Cantor, Catal. p. 322, pi. 5, f. 2 (teeth). 

 Pisoodonophis boro, Kaup, Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 17 ; Sleeker, Atl. Icli. iv. p. 62, 1. 164, f. 3. 



B. xxix-xxxi. D. 315-402. P. 12-13. A. 205-270. 



Length of head -f§ to ^ in the total length, and ^ of the distance between the snout and the 

 anus. Height of body 3 ^ to 3V3 of the total length. 



Eyes — Diameter -j^ to T V in the length of the head, 2 to 2J diameters from end of snout, 

 2 diameters apart. 



Body cylindrical and much elongated, compressed and tapering in its posterior sixth or seventh. 



Snout longer than wide at its base, its apex rather fleshy, and one diameter of the eye longer 

 than the lower jaw : the distance from the snout to the angle of the mouth equals two-sevenths of 

 the length of the head : the cleft extends behind the eye. The anterior nasal aperture opens close 

 to the symphysis in a tube rather shorter than the diameter of the orbit : the posterior aperture 

 perforates the lower surface of the lip. From between the orbits on either side is a line of fine pores 

 extending to the muzzle, whilst there are three behind the eyes, and other rows along the jaws and 

 behind the occiput. 



Teeth — The nasal teeth cover a small oblong space, they consist of three or four rows, are from 

 sixteen to eighteen in number, of rather irregular sizes, and have globular crowns : the vomerine 

 teeth are placed on an elongated oval patch which extends further posteriorly than do the pala- 

 tines : the palatine patch is longest in front and extends close to the nasal teeth, their crowns are 

 rounded ; the mandibular teeth are placed in a band broadest in front, and there is a small eden- 

 tulous interspace on the symphysis between those of either side, the anterior ones are the longest, 

 and larger than the corresponding ones in the palatines. 



Fins — The dorsal commences a short distance behind the apex of the pectoral, and half the 

 length of the head or even more behind the branchial aperture. Pectoral rounded, and from one- 

 fourth to one-fifth of the length of the head. Dorsal rays one-third of the height of the body, 

 there is a groove along the base of the fin. Anal rays about the same length as those of the 

 dorsal, a groove also along its base. 



Lateral line — At first in the upper third of the body, it reaches the centre opposite the anus 

 and is thus continued to the caudal : it consists of minute pores. 



