21. OPHICHTHTS. 85 



62. Ophichthys moluccensis. 



Dalophia moluccensis, Bleek. Nat. Tydschr. Ned. Ind. v. p. 246 ; or 



Verhand. Bat. Gen. xxv. Murcen. p. 70. 

 Sphagebranchus moluccensis, Kaup,A.pod. p. 26 ; Bleek. Atl. IcMhyol. 



Murcen. p. 68, tab. 11. fig. 1. 



The length of the head is two-ninths of the distance between the 

 gill-opening and the vent ; tail scarcely a little longer than the 

 bodj'. Cleft of the mouth rather narrow, extending behind the eye. 

 Snout pointed. Teeth pointed ; those of the intermaxillary and 

 anterior part of the vomer biserial, the others uniserial. Pectoral 

 fin none ; the dorsal is well developed, and commences at some 

 distance behind the gill-opening. Coloration uniform. 



Batjan, Ceram. 



a. Type of the species. From Dr. Bleeker's Collection. 



63. Ophichthys fascus. 



Mursena fusca, Ziiiew, Nov. Act. Ac. Sc. Petrop. vii. 1793, p. 296, 



tab. 7. fig. 1. _ 



Sphagebranchus brevirostris, Peters, Wiegm. Arch. 1855, p. 273; 



Kaup, Abhandl. Ntrtoiss. Verein. Hamburg, iv. 2. 1860, p. 16. 



The length of the head is contained thrice and two-thirds in the 

 distance between the gill-opening and the vent; tail longer than 

 the body. Cleft of the mouth vride, more than one-third of the 

 length of the head, the eye being situated above its anterior half. 

 Snout pointed. Teeth pointed, uniserial, except those of the inter- 

 maxillary, which are in a double series. Pectoral fin none ; the dor- 

 sal is low, and commences at some distance behind the gill-opening. 

 Coloration uniform. 



Madagascar. 



a-g. Adult and half-grown. Madagascar. Collected by Mr. Plant. 



64. Ophichthys macrodon. 



Sphagebranchus macrodon, Bleek. Ned. Tydschr. Dierk. i. p. 184; 

 or Atl. Ichth. Mur. p. CO, tab. 12. fig. 1. 



The length of the head is two-sevenths of the distance between the 

 gill-opening and the vent ; tail somewhat longer than the body. 

 Cleft of the mouth rather wide, one-third of the length of the head, 

 the eye being situated above its' middle. Snout pointed. Teeth 

 pointed, uniserial, except those of the intermaxillary, which are in a 

 double series. Pectoral fin none ; the dorsal is moderately developed, 

 and commences at a short distance behind the gill-opening. Colo- 

 ration uniform. {BlJcr.) 



Coasts of Borneo and Kotti. 



65. Ophichthys polyophthalmus. 



? Coecula pterygera, Vahl, Skrivt. Natwh. Selsk. iii. 1794, p. 149, 



taf. 13. 

 l^alophis polyophthalmus, Bleek. Xat. Tydschr. Ned. Ind. iv, p. 299 ; 



or Verh. Bat. Gen. xxv. Murcen. p. 69. 



