﻿315 



2. Brachysomophis (Brachysomophis) cirrhochilus (Blkr.). 

 [Fig. 148, p. 313]. 



Ophisurus cirrhocheilos Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sc. Indo-neerland. II. 1859, 8. Bijdr. 



vischfauna Ambon, p. 89. 

 Brachysomophis cirrhochihis Bleeker, Atl. Ichth. IV. 1864, p. 38. 

 Ophichthys cirrochilus Gunther, Cat. Brit. Mus. VIII. 1870, p. 65. 



Height 26; head 8-^/3 — 9^/5, thrice to three and a half in trunk. 

 Head and body about equal to tail or tail somewhat longer. 

 Eye about 14 — 31, 1^/2 — 3^3 in snout, situated in the anterior 

 fifth of the length of the head. Snout short and rather flattened; 

 the lower jaw slightly prominent. Cleft of mouth 2 7g — 2'/, in 

 length of head. Lips fringed with 

 numerous, generally bifid filaments. 

 Vertical fins well developed, more 

 than thrice lower than height of 

 body, ending at a distance from tip 

 of tail somewhat more or less than 

 length of pectorals. Dorsal beginning 

 behind the gillopenings at a distance 

 equal to two thirds or less of the 

 length of the head. Pectorals about 

 4 — 5 times in head. Maxillary teeth 

 in a double, mandibulary teeth in 

 a single series; teeth widely set, 

 caniniform, the hindermost smaller. 

 The vomerine teeth still larger, in a 

 single series; those of the inter- 

 maxillary plate anteriorly smaller and in a semicircle, followed 

 by 2 large canines, one behind the other, which are continuous 

 with the vomerine series. Gillopenings wide. Brownish, with 

 large, irregular, dark, transverse spots and bands; fins yellowishT' 

 edged with br6wn. Length 1240 mm. [After BLEEKER and a 

 ^specimen of 550 mm. length in the Leiden Museum]. 



Habitat: Ambon!. — Formosa; Muscat (Arabia). 



Fig. 149. Dentition of Brachyso- 

 mophis cirrhochilus (Blkr.). 

 a intermaxillary, m maxillary, 

 w^/ mandibulary, v vomerine teeth. 

 (After Bleeker). 



2. Subgenus Achirophichthys Bleeker. 

 (Bleeker, Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. II. 1864, p. 41). 

 Lips not fringed or only with one row of minute tubercular 

 papillae. Maxillary teeth in a single or double series. No 

 pectorals. Anus behind the middle of the length. 

 Distribution: Indo-australian Archipelago. 



