326 

 9- Ophiocephalus lucius (K.v. H.) C.V. 



Ophicephaliis lucius (K. v. I J.) Cuvicr & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poissons \'1I. 



1831, p. 416. 

 Ophicephalus lucius Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. XXIII. 1S50, Doolh. Kieuw. p. 13. 

 Ophioccphahcs popylepis Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie III. 1852, p. 578. — 



Atl. ichth. IX. 1877, Tab. 398, fig. 4. — Verh. Akad. Amsterdam XIX. 1879, 



Poissons pharyng. labyr. p. 50. 

 Ophiocephalus lucius Bleeker, Atlas ichth. IX, 1877, Tab. 398, iig. i. — Verh. 



Akad. Amsterdam XIX. 1879, Poissons pharyng. labyr. p. 53. 

 Ophiocephalus polylcpis M. Weber, Zool. Ergebn. Heft 2, 1894, p. 417. 

 Ophicephalus polylepis Vaillant, Notes Leyden Mus. XXIV. 1902, p. 32. 

 Ophiocephalus lucius Volz, Revue Suisse de Zool. XII. 1904, p. 460. 

 ? Ophiocephalus polylepis Volz, 1. c. 

 Ophiocephalus polylepis Fopta, Notes Leyden Mus. XXVII. 1906, p. 5. 



5i 



D. 38—41; A. 27—29; P. 16—18; V. 6; L.l. 58—65; L.tr. i . 



10 — II 



Cylindrical, compressed posteriorly. Height 473 — 5, more 

 than 5 to more than 6 in length with caudal. Head 3 — 3'/.,, 

 3'/2 — 4 in length with caudal. Head depressed, its upper profile 

 sloping down in a more or less concave line, varying according 

 to the individuals and less pronounced in small specimens. 

 Eye 5^2 (in specimen of 85 mm.) — 10 (in specimen of 360 mm.). 

 Less than twice to nearly 3 in flat or slightly convex inter- 

 orbital space, 1.3 to twice in snout. Tip of snout in the horizontal 

 through upper part of eye. Cleft of mouth oblique, reaching 

 to vertical through hindborder of eye or not so far. Lower 

 jaw prominent. A band of small teeth in the intermaxillaries. 

 On vomer and palatines a single row of canines, between which 

 smaller teeth are inserted. A band of small teeth in the man- 

 dibles, tapering posteriorly and having an inner series of distant 

 canines. 10 — 13 rows of scales between eye and praeoperculum 

 and 4 — 6 rows on operculum. Lateral line curving downwards 

 2 rows of scales at about the i8th — 20th scale. Dorsal beginning 

 above pectorals and ending above end of anal, its origin 

 separated by 18 — 19 scales from tip of snout. (Origin of anal 

 below iith or 12th dorsal ray. Pectorals equal to distance be- 

 tween eye and hindborder of praeoperculum or longer, but 

 considerably shorter than postorbital part of head. Ventrals 

 not much shorter than pectorals, originating behind origin of 

 dorsal. Colour variable. In young specimens brownish above, 

 yellowish below, with a black lateral interrupted band running 

 from the hindborder of the eye to base of caudal and forming 



