The Fresh \A'ater Fishes of the Island of Formosa. .285 



grayish, palrr below, its membrane with a series of dark spots along 

 the base; caudal tin uniformly gray, with a faint strii)e near the base; 

 anal fin gray, with indications of dark blotches at the posterior half of 

 the base; ventral fins whitish, rays dusky; the pectoral gray. 



Length of bod}' 285 mm. 



Described from a specimen from W'odensho, Taichu, collected by 

 T. Aoki in December, 1916. 



Habitat: Wodensho, Taichu (a single specimen). 



Remarks: The present species is easily distinguished from Ophi- 

 cephalns tadianiis by its lower body; the greater number of scales 

 between orbit and posterior angle of pre-operculum; and the greater 

 number of scales in an oblicjue series between the lateral line and the 

 root of ventral. 



Genus Ch.anna Gronow. 



1763. Channa Gronow, Zoophyl., p. 135. (Type Channa orienlalis Bloch & 

 Schneider.) 



Body elongate, subcylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly; 

 head slightly depressed, covered with plate-like scales. Eyes lateral 

 and anterior. Gill-openings wide, membranes of the two sides con- 

 nected beneath the isthmus. Fine teeth in the jaws, on the vomer, 

 and the palatine bones, intermixed with larger ones in the lower jaw. 

 Pyloric appendages none. One long dorsal and anal fin, without 

 spine; ventral fins none. Lateral line broken anteriorly. 



Distribution: Ceylon; China; Formosa. 



62. Channa formosana Jordan & Evermann. 

 Kotai (Formosa). 



1903. Channa formosana Jordan & Evermann, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., XXV, p. 

 330; Formosa. — Jordan & Richardson, Mem. Cameg. Mas., IV, No. 4. 

 19C9, p. 193; Suwata (after Jordan & Evermann). 



Head 3.4 in length; depth 5; D. 44; A. 27; P. 14; width of head 

 1.6 in its length; eye 7 in head; interorbital space 3.5; snout 5; maxil- 

 lary 2.5; mandible 2.2; pectoral 1.6; fifty-four scales in a lateral 

 series, five scales between origin of dorsal and lateral line, thirteen 

 scales between the latter and the middle of belly, about six scales 

 between orbit and the angle of pre-operculum. 



Body elongate, anterior part subcylindrical, compressed posteriorly; 

 head rather broad, its top depressed; snout short, obtusely rounded 

 anteriorly; mouth large, oblique, its angle extending beyond the 



