NO. 1239. APODAL FISHES OF JAPAX— JORDAN AXD SNYDER. 87 1 



all agree in the general coloration, the very long trunk, the forward 

 insertion of the pectorals, and the uni.serial teeth. {Fraho or Eraho 

 nnagi^ the name of the venomou.s .sea snake, Platuras fasciatus^ of the 

 bays of South Japan.) 



20. OPHICHTHUS Ahl. 



Opliichthas Ahl, De Muniena et Ophichtho, 1789 {opiiia). 



Opldsurus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 1800, p. 98 {oplm). 



Couf/r«s Kafinesque, Caratteri, etc., 1810, p. 62 {maculaUm). 



Ophisurus Swainsox, Nat. Hist. Classn. Anim., II, 1839, p. 334 {picUin-nKicnhttnx). 



(Not of Lacepede. ) 

 C'eritruropMs Kaup, Apodes, 1856, p. 2 (spadiceus). 

 Pcccilocephahis Kaup, Apodes, p. 5 {bvnapartei). 

 dxciloplm Kaup, Apodes, p. 6 (compar). 

 HerpetoicJttlujs Kaup, Apodes, p. 7 {ornatissiimis). 

 Elapsopiii!!! Kaup, Apodes, ji. 9 {versicolor). 

 Muraenopsis Kaup, Apodes, p. 11 {ocdlatnx). (The name wronirly accredited to 



Le Sueur. ) 

 Scytalophis Kaup, Ajjodes, p. 13 (inagniocuHx). 

 LeptorhinojMs Kaup, Apodes, p. 14 {goinesii). 

 Cryptopterus Kaup, Aale Hamburg, 1859 {pundiceps). 

 Uranichthys Poey, Repertorio, II, 1867, p. 256 {havannensis) . 

 Oxyodontlchthys Poey, Anales Soc. Nat. Hist. Esp., 1880, p. 254 {macrurus) . 

 Oj)Iiicltf]iys Bueeker, Giinther, and of recent authors generally (corrected sjiell- 



ing) . 



This genu.s contains all the Ophichthyoid eels which have sharp 

 teeth, no marked canines, well-developed pectoral tins, and the dorsal 

 inserted behind the head. The species are very numerous in tropical 

 seas, and man}' attempts have been made to split the group into .smaller 

 genera. Notwithstanding the great differences when extremes are 

 compared, these small genera can not be well defined. The generic 

 name, Ophisurus^ often used for other groups, was an exact synonym 

 of Opldchthus. {o4>i5, snake; ^X^^s", tish; hence more correctly writ- 

 ten O^fh (C'Ji tJiys. ) 



'I. Centrtrrvphis Kaup. Teeth above in a single, sometimes irregular series; lower 

 teeth uniserial. 

 h. Color not uniform light brown; nape with a l)roa<l l)lackish l)ai', edged ))efore 

 and behind with pale; dorsal and anal with a me<lian dusk\' stripe; dorsal 



inserted above end of pectoral ccphalozona. 31. 



lib. Color uniform light brown; no bands on head; dorsal and anal pale, edged with 

 white. 

 r. Dorsal fin inserted behind pectoral at a distance from gill opening nearly half 



head; dorsal and anal elevated on tail urolopltus. 32. 



re. Dorsal fin inserted over middle of pectoral at a distance from gill opening 



less than one-fifth head; fins not elevated on the tail umkuifa-. 33. 



au. Hcrpetoichthys Kaup. Teeth above distinctly biserial; coloration uniform light 

 brown, the fins pale. 

 (/. Body rather stout, the dei)th 2..^ in head; lower teetli uniserial; dorsal 



inserted over tip of pectoral tsuclddn'. 34. 



dd. Body very slender, the dentli rarely one-fourth the head; lower teeth 

 biserial; dorsal inserted well behind jicctoral stenopU-ruK. 35. 



