282 



border of upper lip '). Teeth pointed, recurved, uniserial. Gill- 

 openings small, ventral, vertical, transversally connected by 

 a furrow. 



Distribution of the single specimen known: Indo-austra- 

 lian Archipelago. 



Note: This genus differs from Sphagebranchus by the posterior 

 nostrils, situated above the upper lip, below and behind the 

 eye; it is by this arrangement that this genus is distinguished 

 in the family of the Ophichthyidae, as there is only in Ophi- 

 surus serpens (L.) a comparable arrangement. In this species 

 the anterior nostrils are situated in the middle between eye 

 and tip of snout, at some distance above the upper lip; the 

 posterior nostrils are oblique slits before the vertical through 

 the frontborder of the eye, slightly above the border of the 

 upper lip. 



i. Hemerorhinus heyningi (M. Web.). [Fig. 128, p. 281]. 



Sphagebranchus Heyningi Max Weber, Siboga-Expeditie, Fische 1913, p. 46. 



Height about 55; head 13; 6 times in trunk; tail 1.3 times 

 in head and trunk. Eye about 13, more than twice in snout, 

 situated above the second third of cleft of mouth. Posterior 

 nostrils a long slit, longer than eye and situated below its 

 hindmost third and behind it; anterior nostrils a short tube 

 directed backward, at the edge of the upper lip, below front- 

 border of eye. Snout pointed, its conical part projecting beyond 

 the lower jaw by more than one eyediameter. Cleft of mouth 

 thrice in length of head, reaching far behind eye. Origin of dorsal 

 somewhat behind that of anal. Dorsal and especially anal very 

 low. Gillopenings longer than eye, situated ventrally, and trans- 

 versally connected by a furrow. Head and neighbouring parts 

 of back with light and dark marmorations, otherwise back 

 with dark points continued downward as dark patches between 

 the light round blotches along the lateral line. Length of single 

 specimen known 167 mm. [Type of the species in the Zoological 

 Museum of Amsterdam]. 



Habitat: Flores : Strait Molo, sandy bottom, 699 1 M. depth!. 



i) This is at least our interpretation of the rather long slit. We are not able 

 to make out in the single small specimen at our disposition, that this slit is 

 really in communication with the nasal cavity, but as there is no other posterior 

 nostril, we take this slit for the posterior nostril. 



