Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 383 



627. OPHICHTHUS KETROPINNIS (Eigunmanu). 



Sides of body with round whitish spots between darker areas ; color 

 light olivaceous, with about 20 oblong dark blotches along the median line 

 of body and tail, the interspaces between these each a round pale spot 

 about as large as eye. Dorsal inserted 1| length of pectorals behind the 

 tips of pectorals ; pectorals 2 in distance from snout to their base; eye 1& 

 in snout, equal to interorbital space ; cleft of mouth 3 in head ; head 9 in 

 length; gill opening 5 in head; maxillary biserial; mandibular teeth uni- 

 serial ; voiner with about 15 teeth. Snapper Banks off Pensacola. Close 

 to 0. ocellatus, but the dentition different, (retropinnis, having backward 

 fins.) 



Ophidttliys retropinnis, KIUENMANN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1887, 116, Snapper Banks off Pen- 



sacola. (Type, No. 38054. Coll. Stearns.) 

 Ophichlhus retropinnis, JORDAN & DAVIS, /. c., 630. 



Subgenus MUR.ENOPSIS, Kaup. 



628. OPHICHTHUS OUTTIFER (Bean & Dresel). 



Teeth in both jaws biserial ; the teeth of the inner series sometimes 

 small and turned inward. Vomerine teeth in one row ; anterior teeth of 

 jaws or voiner sometimes a little enlarged. Dorsal beginning behind the 

 tip of the pectoral, at a distance equal to diameter of eye. Head 2& in 

 trunk, 4f in tail ; pectoral fin shorter than in ocellatus, 3i in head ; eye 1 

 in snout ; cleft of mouth 2& in head. Color very much as in ocellatus, but 

 paler; rather light brown above, pale below, with about 20 round pale 

 spots along the lateral line ; lower jaw and throat rather pale, dusted with 

 brown dots ; pectoral pale, with a dusky border ; a line of small white 

 spots across the occiput, and a shorter but similar row on each side of 

 head. Snapper Banks off Pensacola, Florida ; close to 0. ocellatus, the 

 dentition the same, the dorsal farther back, (gulta, spot ; fero, I bear.) 



Ophichthys guUifer, BEAN & DRESEL, Proc. Biol.Soc. Wash., 1882, 100, Snapper Banks ; JORDAN, 



Cat. Fish.N. A., 53, 1885. (Typo, No. 32647. Coll. Stearns.) 

 Ophichthus guUifer, JORDAN & DAVIS, I. c., 630. 



629. OPHICHTHUS OCELLATUS (Le Sueur), 



Teeth in both jaws biserial, those in front a little enlarged; vornerine 

 teeth in one row. Dorsal fin beginning over or just before tip of pectoral. 

 Color rather dark brown above, lighter below, with about 20 round whit- 

 ish spots along the side, averaging more than half diameter of eye; dorsal 

 fin commencing over or a little before tip of pectoral, light-colored, with 

 a narrow dark margin ; anal light yellow ; a row of small white spots 

 across the top of head, sometimes coalescent into a band, and one or 

 more similar but shorter rows on each side of head ; pectoral decidedly 

 dusky ; jaws, throat, and chin dusted with brown dots. Vomer with 

 about 15 teeth, the anterior inclined to form a double series; tail ia 

 head's length longer than head and trunk ; head 2$ in trunk ; eye If in 

 snout ; snout 5^ in head ; cleft of mouth 2^ in head ; pectoral 2| in head. 

 West Indian Fauna, south to Brazil, north to Peusacola; rather common. 

 (ocellatus, with eye-like spots.) 



