14. ELEOTRIS. 107 



^. Palate entirely smooth : Eleotris (part.), Bleek. 

 40. E. urophthalmus. 41. E. uroplithalmoides. 43. E. macrodon. 

 42. E. siamensis. 



2. Some of the dorsal spines produced into filaments: Valenciennm, 



Bleek., or Meotriodes (part.), Bleek. 

 44. E. muralis. 45. E. sexguttata. 46. E. strigata. 



3. Some of the caudal rays produced into filaments : Meotriodes 



(part,), Bleek, 



47. E. helsdingenii. 



II. More than twenty rays in the soft dorsal and anal fins : Eleotriodes 

 (part.), Bleek. 



48. E. heteroptera. 49, E. microlepis. 



A. Scales of moderate size, less than fifty in a longitudinal series. 



I. Snout short, broad, flat, depressed, the form of the head approach- 

 ing that of Ophiocephalus : Eleotris (part.), Bleek. 



1. Eleotris ophiocephalus. 



Eleotris ophiocephalus, {Kuhl^- v. Hass.) Cuv. l^ Val. xii. p. 239; Bleek. 



Verhand. Batav, Genootsch, xxii., Blenn. en Gob. p. 22 ; Cantor, 



Catal. p. 196. 



porocephalus, Ciw. ?f Val. xii. p. 237 (not Cant, or Bleek.). 



margaritacea, Ctiv. Sr Val. xii. p. 240. 



D. 6 ||. A. y. L. lat. 34-36. Vert, 12/14. 



Twelve series of scales between the origin of the posterior dorsal 

 fin and the anal. Head entirely scaly, except the foremost part of 

 the snout ; scales on the upper surface of the head rather larger than 

 those on the body. The height of the body is one-sixth of the total 

 length, the length of the head one-fourth. Head obtuse, flat, de- 

 pressed. The diameter of the eye is one-fifth of the length of the 

 head, two-thirds of that of the snout, and four-ninths of the width 

 of the interorbital space. The cleft of the mouth extends to below 

 the middle of the eye. Teeth in viUiform bands. Brownish : the 

 scales with a rather darker centre ; iiTcgular series of pearl-coloured 

 spots along the lower part of the sides, sometimes disappearing in 

 preserved specimens ; vertical fins with whitish margins, the second 

 dorsal and the caudal with light spots. 



Fresh waters of the Seychelles and New Ireland. Sea of Pinang. 

 East Indian Archipelago. Philippines. 



a. Adult : skin. Sea of Pinang. From Dr. Cantor's Collection. — 



Type of E. ophiocephahis, Cant. 



b. Adult : bad state. Moluccas. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



c. Adult. Amboyna. 



d. Half-grown. Amboyna. 



e. Adult. Borneo. 



/. Adult. Philippine Islands. 



<j. Adult male : skeleton. Amboyna. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



