2490 Didhtin ^y, United States National Museum. 



950. OTOPHIDIUM, Gill. 

 Otophidmm, Gill, iu Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. A., 126, 1885 (omostiijma) . 



This genus differs from Ophidion, in the form of the air bladder, which 

 is short, thick, and with a large foramen (not examined in O. gaJcotdcs). 

 The opercle ends in a concealed spine as in Chilara. Sjiecies American, so 

 far as known, (ovi (broi, ear; Ophidium.) 



a. Gill rakers 4. 



b. Head long, 4J to ^ in length ; depth 5J to 6. 



c. Scapular rogion with a jet-black spot; pseudobranchia' little developed; 



ventral.s J length of bead; maxillary 1| in head. omostigmum, 28C0. 



cc. Scapular region without jet-black spot; pseudobranchiie well developed; 



veutrals with the inner ray longest, i head; body with dark cross 



bands. indefatigabile, 2861. 



66. Head moderate, 5i in body; depth G; a pale spot before dorsal; pale spots 



along lateral line ; ventral ^ head. galeoides, 2862. 



2860. OTOPHIDIUM OMOSTIGMUM (Jordan & Gilbert). 



Head 4J iu length; depth about 6. Body comparatively short, highest 

 at occiput, thence tapering rapidly to tip of tail ; upper profile of head 

 very convex; snout blunt; mouth horizontal, the lower jaw included; 

 maxillary not quite reaching posterior border of orbit; teeth in jaws uni- 

 form, strongly incurved, in rather broad bands; a single series of small 

 teeth on vomer, those on palatines minute ; maxillary 1| in head ; eye large, 

 3 in head, much larger than snout, equaling twice interorbital width; 

 opercle terminating iu a strong, compressed spine, the length of which is 

 about I diameter of pupil; gill rakers very small, 4 below on anterior 

 arch. Longest ventral tilanieut i length of head; the shorter J length of 

 longer. Distance from origin of dorsal to tip of snout 3^ in total length ; 

 distance from origin of anal to snout 2j^ in total length. Scales minute, 

 embedded. Pseudobrauchi;c probably present (type reexamined by us). 

 Air Itladder short, thick, with a large posterior foramen. Color light olive 

 green, silvery on belly, cheeks, and lower side of head; sides above with 

 a few irregular, large, scattered, dark blotches, about 9 of these along 

 base of dorsal fin ; an intensely black, round blotch on scapular region, 

 rather larger than pupil; dorsal with black blotches; anal largely black; 

 upper half of eye black, lower half bright silvery. Gulf of Mexico. A 

 single specimen, 3A inches long, taken from the stomach of a red snapper, 

 at the Snapper Banks oft" Pensacola. (oJ/iog, shoulder; driyjua, spot.) 



Genypterug omoatigma, Jordan i: Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 301, Pensacola 

 Snapper Banks (Coll. Jordan & Stearns. Type, 29670, U. S. Nat. Mus.); Jordan & 

 Gilbert, Synopsis, 963, 1883. 



Otophidmm omostigina, Goode & Bean, ( )ceanic Ichthyology, 345, tig. 305, 1896. 



2861. OTOPHIDIUM IXDEFATIGABILE, Jordan & BoUman. 



Head 4* (^* in total) ; depth 5f(5T); eye large, 3 in head ; snout 4. Body 

 rather short, compressed, width of nape 2A^ in head. Mouth large; maxil- 

 lary reaching to opposite posterior margin of pupil, IJ in head ; outer row 

 of teeth of each jaw very slightly enlarged. Interorbital space 2 in eye; 

 interorbital area with a thin crest under the skin, this ending in 2 com- 



