Jordan and Evermann. Pishes of North America. 381 



Ophichthus eviontlms, JORDAN & BOLLMAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. MUB., 188!), 164, Hood Island, Gala- 

 pagos Archipelago. (Type, No. 41476. Coll. Albatross.) 

 Quassiremus evionthas, JOBDAN & DAVIS, I. c., 623. 



183. OPHICHTHUS, Thunberg&Ahl. 



Ophichthna, TnuNBEKQ & AHL, Do Mursena ct Opbichtho, 1789, (ophis). 



O /./>.<, RAKINESQUE, Caratteri, etc., 62, 1810, (maculatus). 



Oirfiitunts, SWAINSON, Nat. Hist. Classn. Anim., n, 334, 1839, (pi<;hu = macnlutut). (Not of 



LACPDE ; the type of LACPEDE, as restricted by Risso, being serpent.) 

 Ci'iitntmphis, KAUP, Apodes, 2, 1856, (spadiccus). 

 l\fcilt>ccpJndus, KAUP, 1. c., 5, (bonapartci). 

 Microdonophis, KAUP, 1. c., G, (altipinnis). 

 G'dlopJiis, KAIT, /. c., 6, (compar). 

 Herpetoichthys, KAUP, 1. c., 7, (ornatissimus). 

 Elapgopsis, KAUP, 1. c., 9, (versicolor). 



nfurinxtysis, KAUP, I.e., 11, (ocellalns). (The name wrongly accredited to LE SUEUR.) 

 Scylalophis, KAUP, 1. c., 13, (magnioculis). 

 1,1'litorhinophiit, KAUP, 1. c., 14, (gomesif). 

 Cryploptenis, KAUP, Aale Hamburg, 1859, (puncticeps). 

 UranicJUltys, POEY, Repertorio, II, 256, 1867, (havannensis). 

 Oryodontii-hthys, POEY, Anales Soc. Nat. Hist. Esp., 254, 1880, (macrurus). 

 Ophichthys, BLEEKER, GUNTIIER, and of recent authors generally. 



This genus contains all the Ophisuroid eels which have sharp teeth, no 

 marked canines, well-developed pectoral fins, and the dorsal inserted 

 behind the head. The species are very numerous in the tropical seas, and 

 many attempts have been made to split the group into smaller genera. 

 Notwithstanding the great differences when extremes are compared, these 

 small genera can not be well denned. (6<^f, snake; l^Ov^, fish; hence more 

 correctly written Ophichthys. ) 

 a. Teeth of upper jaw in 2 or 3 series. 



b. Teeth of lower jaw uniserial or nearly so ; vomerine teeth in 1 series or slightly biserial 



in front. 



CBYPTOPTERUS, (/cpuirros, concealed ; Trrepov, fin) : 



c. Coloration uniform or nearly so j^teeth of lower jaw not quite uniserial ; tail half 

 longer than rest of body. PUNCTICEPS, 625. 



OPHICHTHUS : 



cc. Coloration not uniform; anterior teeth slightly enlarged; eye rather large, 

 nearly median. 



d. Sides of body with large, round, black spots ; head with smaller ones ; dorsal 



inserted opposite tip of pectorals. HAVANNENSIS, 626. 



dd. Sides of body with large, round, whitish spots ; dorsal inserted behind tip of 



pectorals. RETROPINNIS, 627. 



66. Teeth of lower jaw in 2 to 4 series. 



MUR-*:NOPSIS, (Mursena ; o/u?, appearance) : 



e. Vomerine teeth in one row ; anterior teeth of jaws or vomer sometimes enlarged ; 

 teeth in both jaws biserial, those of the inner series sometimes small and turned 

 inward. 

 /. Spots on sides of body large and whitish, never black. 



g. Dorsal beginning an eye's diameter behind tip of pectoral. OUTTIFEB, 628. 

 gg. Dorsal beginning over or just before tip of pectoral. OCELLATUS, 629. 



ff. Spots on sides of body large and black ; tail half longer than rest of body. 



TRISERIALIS, 630. 



SCYTALOPHIS, (o-KVTaATj, viper ; 5<i?, snake) : 



ee. Vomerine teeth biserial throughout ; teeth in both jaws biserial, subequal ; no 

 canines. Color plain brownish. 



