FAMILY, XXXVII— OPHIOCEPHILID^. 3C7 



7. Ophiocephalus Stewartii, Plate LXXVII, fig. 3. 



Ophioeephalus Stewartii, Playfair, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 14, pi. 3. 



Sen-ga-lee, Assam. 



B. V, D. 39-40, P. 17, V. 6, A. 27, C. 14, L. 1. 47-50, L. tr. *f5-''. 



Length of head 4, of caudal 5^, height of body 7 to 8 in the total length. %es— diameter 6i in length 

 of head 1^ diameters from end of snout, and 2 apart. The greatest width of the head equals its length behmd 

 the eyes, and its height equals 4/9 of its length. The maxilla reaches to rather beyond the hind edge 

 of the eye. Teeth—some conical ones in the lower jaw, also on the vomer and palate. Fms—the dorsal 

 commences over the base of the pectoral fin, is 2/3 as high as the body and higher than the anal. Pectoral as 

 lono- as the postoi-bital length of the head, and extends to nearly or quite above the commencement of the anal ; 

 ventral about 1/3 as long as pectoral. Scales— the plate-like ones on the upper surface of the head rather large, 

 13 rows between the snout and the base of the dorsal fin, five between the eye and angle of the preopercle : 

 those on the upper surface of the head roughened by lines almost surroundmg a central spot, whilst 

 those on the body are arched. Co/okcs— purplish-black superiorly, becoming lighter on the sides and beneath : 

 many of the scales on the body with a round black mark. Fins dark, the pectoral m the young yellow m its 

 lower half with a blue basal spot, external to which it has several vertical black bands, dorsal edged 



with yellow. . -, ^ ■ ^ ■ ^ ,i m, 



Habitat— Cuchav and Assam, in both running and standing water, to about 10 inches m length, ihe 



specimen figured (life-size) is from Assam. 



8. Ophioeephalus gachua. 



Ophioeephalus hora motta, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 49. 



Ophioc.ei,hali,s gachua, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 68, 367, pi. 21, f. 21 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind, 

 p. 42; Giintber, Catal. iii, p. 471; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 233; Day, Fish. Mai. p. 149; Peters. 

 Monats. Akad. Berlin, 1868, p. 2G2, (var. ilIa7acceHSi>;. ,, tt i c io.q i^c 



Ophioeephalus cora-mota et fiisciis, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 4]4 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and be. 1«4H, p. 14,b. 



Ophioeephalus marginatus,'Cav. and Val. vii, p. 411 ; Val. in Jacq. Voy. Ind. On. pi. 13, f. 2 ; Jerdon, 

 M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, p. 145. 



Ophioeephalus limhatus, Cuv. and Val. vii, pi. 201 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 23/. 



Ophioeephalus montanus, McClell. C. J. K H. ii,^p. 583 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hmd. p. 42. 



OpMoeephalus helaartii, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 472. /-> - , 



Bheri dhoh. Hind. ; Kaniru, Mai. ; Para korava. Tarn. ; Mah korava, Can. ; Chenga or ( hayung, Oonah ; 

 Boarrah, Punj. ; Chen-gah, Assam. 



B. V, D. 32-37, P. 15, V. 6, A. 21-23, C. 12, L. 1. 40-45, L. tr. frf. 



Lencrth of head 3^ to 4^, of caudal 5i to 6, height of body 6 in the total length. ^Bi/es— diameter 1/6 of 

 leno-th of head, ] diameter fi-om end of snout, and from \\ to Ii apart. The greatest width of the head equals 

 its "^length behind the eyes, and its height equals 4/9 of its length. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 hind edge of the orbit. Teeth— atl inner row of widely separated conical ones in the lower jaw, some also <iu 

 vomer and palatines. Firas— pectoral as long as the head behind the eyes, ventral 2/5 length of pectoral. _ 

 Scales— hron-A and irregular on the summit of the head : four or five rows between the orbit and the angle of 

 the preopercle: 12 between snout and base of dorsal fin. Those on the head roughened by circular 

 liijes, which externally are parallel with their outer edge, whUst the lines on the scales of the body are m the 

 form' of arches. LateraUine-heuAs downwards after proceeding about 12 scales. 6'o?o«cs— difi'er materially, 

 according to the water in which they reside : usually greenish, lighter beneath : dorsal, caudal, and an:i,I 

 slate-coloured, with an orange margin: pectoral with a black base, transversely barred (except m some 

 Andaman specimens), and having a slight reddish or orange edge. In the young there is often a large ocellus 

 with a light edge on the last five dorsal rays : caudal barred. Occasionally it is spotted with white, or even 

 orange, (0. aurantiacus). Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 69, 368, pi. 23, f. 22. 



0. Kelmvrti :— Giinther cUvided this Ceylon form from 0. gachua, " difiering from it by its longer caudal 

 fin," (it is 5f in the total length). Dr. Giinther (Zool. Record. 1865, p. 194), observed " O. Kelaartn is not the 

 young of 0. 5ra.c/(((a as suggested" : which assertion I think is eiToneous. r< j 



Hahitat.—Fresh waters throughout India, Ceylon, Burma, and the Andamans, also near Gwadur on the 

 Meckran coast. This fish is often found thriving at the bottom of wells, and in fact may be taken from the 

 waters of the plains to those in very high elevations. It attains at least 13 inches in length, is very voracious, 

 and may often be captured in little watercourses, into which it has pursued the Eaplochlli and other small fish. 



9. Ophioeephalus punetatus, Plate LXXVIII, fig. 1 {variety). 

 Bloch, t. 358 ; Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 404 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 42 , Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, 

 p. 145 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 469 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 233 ; Day, Fish. Mai. p. 151. 

 Ophioeephalus karrouvei, Lacep. iii, p. 552. 



Ophioeephalus lata. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 63, 637, pi. 34, f. 18. 

 Ophioeephalus Indicus, McClell. Cal. Journ. N. H. ii, p. 583 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind, p. 42. 



