2490 Bulletin <//, United States National Museum. 



950. OTOPHIDIUM, Gill. 

 Otophidiitm, GILL, iu JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A., 126, 1885 (omostigma) . 



This genus differs from Ophidion, in the form of the air bladder, which 

 is short, thick, and with a large foramen (not examined in O, galeoides). 

 The opercle ends in a concealed spine as in Chilara. Species American, so 

 far as known, (ov$ o?rof, ear; Ophidium.) 



a. Gill rakers 4. 



b. Head long, 4 to 4fc in length ; depth 5 to 6. 



e. Scapular region with a jet-black spot; pseudobranchise little developed; 



veutrals J length of head ; maxillary 1 in head. OMOSTIGMUM, 2860. 



cc. Scapular region without jet-black spot; pseudobranchise well developed; 



veutrals with the inner ray longest, head; body with dark cross 



bands. INDEFATIGABILE, 2861. 



bb. Head moderate, 5$ in body; depth 6; a pale spot before dorsal; pale spots 



along lateral line; ventral i head. ' GALEOIDES, 2862. 



2860. OTOPHIDIUM OMOSTIGMUM (Jordan & Gilbert). 



Head 4 in length ; depth about 6. Body comparatively short, highest 

 at occiput, thence tapering rapidly to tip of tail; upper profile of head 

 very convex; snout blunt; mouth horizontal, the lower jaw included; 

 maxillary not quite reaching posterior border of orbit; teeth in jaws uni- 

 form, strongly incurved, in rather broad bands; a single series of small 

 teeth on voiner, those on palatines minute ; maxillary 1 in head ; eye large, 

 3 in head, much larger than snout, equaling twice interorbital width; 

 opercle terminating in a strong, compressed spine, the length of which is 

 about diameter of pupil; gill rakers very small, 4 below on anterior 

 arch. Longest ventral filament length of head; the shorter f length of 

 longer. Distance from origin of dorsal to tip of snout 3 in total length; 

 distance from origin of anal to snout 2 in total length. Scales minute, 

 embedded. Pseudobranchise probably present (type reexamined by us). 

 Air bladder short, thick, with a large posterior foramen. Color light olive 

 green, silvery on belly, cheeks, and lower side of head; sides above with 

 a few irregular, large, scattered, dark blotches, about 9 of these along 

 base of dorsal fin ; an intensely black, round blotch on scapular region, 

 rather larger than pupil; dorsal with black blotches; anal largely black; 

 upper half of eye black, lower half bright silvery. Gulf of Mexico. A 

 single specimen, 3 inches long, taken from the stomach of a red snapper, 

 at the Snapper Banks off Peusacola. (oJ//o, shoulder; driyju.cx, spot.) 



Genypterus omostigma, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 301, Pensacola 

 Snapper Banks (Coll. Jordan & Steams. Type, 29670, TJ. S. Nat. Mus.) ; JORDAN & 

 GILBERT, Synopsis, 963, 1883. 



Otophidium omostigma, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 345, fig. 305, 1896. 



2861. OTOPHIDIUM IXDEFATIGAB1LE, Jordan & Bollman. 



Head 4f (4 in total) ; depth5f(5f); eye large, 3 in head ; snout 4. Body 

 rather short, compressed, width of nape 2 in head. Mouth large; maxil- 

 lary reaching to opposite posterior margin of pupil, 1 in head; outer row 

 of teeth of each jaw very slightly enlarged. Interorbital space 2 in eye; 

 iiiterorbital area with a thin crest under the skin, this ending in 2 com- 



