OPHIOCEPHALID^. 513 



and Indian Ocean) ; or incisor-like iu both jaws, as in Sicyascs 

 {coast of Chili and West Indies) ; or incisor-like at least in 

 the lower jaw, as in Gobicsox (West Indies and Pacific coasts 

 of South America). In other genera the posterior portion of 

 the adhesive disk has a free anterior margin. Only one of 

 these genera has incisor-like teeth, viz. Dij^locrepis from New 



Fig. 233. — Dijjlocrepis puuiceus. 



Zealand. In the remaining genera, Crcjndogaster (from Tas- 

 mania and Sonth Australia), Traclielochismus (from New 

 Zealand and the Fiji Islands), Lepadogaster, and Lcidto-ptery- 

 gius, the teeth are very small and fine. The two last genera 

 are European, and Lepadogaster at least is common on the 

 Southern British coasts. The three species known as British 

 — L. gouanii, L. candollii, and L. himacidatus — are prettily 

 coloured, but subject to great variation. 



Fifteenth Division — Acanthoptekygii Channiformes. 



Body elongate, covered with scales of moderate size; no 

 spine in any of the fins ; dorsal and anal long. No super- 

 hranchial organ, only a bony p)T"omincnce on the anterior sur- 

 face of the hyomandihtdar. 



These fishes belong to the single family Op>liiocephalida\ 

 Freshwater-fishes characteristic of the Indian region, which, 

 however, have found their way into Africa, where they are 

 represented by one or two species. Thirty-one species are 

 known altogether, most of which are extremely abundant; 

 some attain to a length of more than two feet. Like other 



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