FAIIILY, XXXVII— OPHIOCEPHALID^. 363 



amongst the vegetation just beneath the surface of the water. As soon as clean water is given them 

 they become excited as if they imagined the time had arrived when they should change their abode. 



Amongst the fish which I have personally seen exhumed from the mud, where a tank had dried up, were 

 some Ophiocephali, whilst they are also among the fish recorded by the natives of India as descending with the 

 downpours of rain. ^ 



Geographical distrihution.— Fresh-water fishes distributed throughout India, Burma, Ceylon, and the 

 east, from elevated localities, and the most inland districts, to within the influence of the tides. They inhabit 

 both ponds and rivers, and are able to change their place of abode by traversing moist pieces of _ ground 

 intervening between one piece of water and another. They possess an accessory cavity to the gills, and 

 are able to respire direct from the atmosphere. 



p-jes.— All these fishes are useful as food, those which inhabit rivers being better flavoured than the 

 others which live in sluggish or stagnant water. Some classes however object to them on account of 

 the resemblance their heads bear to those of serpents, (see p. 346 ante.). 



Genus, 1 — Ophiocefhalus, Bloch. 



Ventral fins present. Pyloric appendages ttvo. Definition otherwise as in the family. 



Although I have given nine species of Ophiocephalus as found in India, I am doubtful whether two, viz., 

 0. leucopunctcSus* and perhaps 0. pseudomardius might not be considered as varieties of 0. marulius. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES, 



1. Ophiocephalus maruUu.s, D. 45-55, A. 28-36, L. 1. 60-70, L. tr. {\ or ft Orange, banded, having white 

 spots and a black light-edged ocellus at root of caudal fin. Throughout India to Chma. 



2. Ophiocephalus leucopunctatus, D. 47-53, A. 28-35, L. 1. 59-60, L. tr. j*-^ or -^. Orange, banded, having 

 white spots, no caudal ocellus. Dcccan and sea coasts of India to China. 



3. Ophiocephalus pseadomarulius, D. 52, A. 35, L. 1. 64, L. tr. j%. Orange, banded, a black spot at 



base of caudal. India. , r./r ,. i L^ c i. ^ 



4. Ophiocephalus harca, D. 47-52, A. 34-36, L. 1. 60-65, L. tr. ^V- Central 2/5 of length of pectoral. 

 Dark violet, spotted, as are also the fins. Large rivers of Bengal. 



6. OpUocephalus micropeltes, D. 43-46, A. 27-30, L. 1. 95-110, L. tr. Jj- Young scarlet with two black 

 bands, adults gray spotted with black. Western coast of India to Siam and the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Ophimephalus striatus, D. 37-45, A. 23-26, L. 1. 50-57, L. tr. t^ or ^l Dark gray, passing m stripes 

 into the white of the abdomen. India to China. 



7. Ophiocephalus Stewartii, D. 39-40, A. 27, L. 1. 47-50, L. tr. a4. Ventrals 1/3 as long as pectoral. 

 Purplish, spotted with black. Cachar and Assam. 



8. Ophiocephalus gachva, D. 32-37, A. 21-23, L. 1. 40-45, L. tr. f . Ventrals 2/5 as long as pectoral. 

 Pectoral fin banded, vertical fins edited with red. India, Burma, and Andamans. 



9. Ophiocephalus punctatus, D. 29-32, A. 21-23, L. 1. 37-40, L. tr. V- Spotted or banded, vertical fans 

 dark with a light edge. India and Burma. 



1. Ophiocephalus marulius, Plate LXXVI, fig. 4 (young). 



Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 65, 367, pi. 17, f. 19 ; Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 432 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind, 

 p. 42 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, p. 146 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 478 ; Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 146. 



.'' Ophiocephalus Theophrasti, Val. in Jacq. Voy. Ind. Or. pi. xiii, f. 1. 



Ophiocephalus aurolineatus. Day, Proc. Z. S. 1870, p. 99 (young). 



Eoovina murl, Can. ; Pu verarl, Tarn. ; Pu nmrl. Hind. ; Pula chapa, Tel. ; Choaree verarl and Ourami, 

 Mai. ; Kuhrah, 8awl and Dotvlah, Punj. ; Nga-yan-dyne, Burm. ; Ha-al, Assam. 



B. V, D. 45-55, P. 18, V. 6, A. 28-36, C. 14, L. 1. 60-70, L. tr. J-^"^ ",- Jill. 



1 3-1 1 



Length of head from 4 to 5, of caudal 6 to 7i, height of body 7 to 7i in the total length. Eyes-- 

 diameter 1/7 (1/5 in the young) of length of head, 1 to U diameters from end of snout, and also apart. The 

 greatest width of the head equals 1/2 or 2/3 of its length, and its height equals 1/2 its length excluding 

 the snout. The maxilla extends 1/2 a diameter of the eye behind the orbit. Teeth— in numerous vilhform rows 

 in jaws, vomer, and palate, whilst a posterior row of about 12 large conical teeth exists on either ramus 

 of the mandibles. J'ms— dorsal and anal somewhat lowest anteriorly. Pectoral rather more than 1/2 as long 

 as the head but not reaching to above origin of anal: ventral 2/3 as long as pectoral. /SV-rtJes— about 

 ten rows between the orbit and the angle of the preopercle. The plate-like ones on the summit of the head of 

 moderate size : 16 rows between snout and base of dorsal fin : 10 between eye and angle of preopercle. 

 Scales on the head are roughened by raised lines, which surround in an angular course a central spot, on the 

 body the outer edge of the scales are smooth. Lateral-line— ^rst passes along 16 or 18 rows of scales, 

 then descends for two rows, and subsequently passes direct to the centre of the caudal. Colours— Ya\-j both 

 with age and the water they reside in. Back grayish green, the immature with a brilliant orange band passing 



* Sec remarks respecting hybrids, p. 364. , 



3 A 2 



