> OPHIOCARA (J5 



Genus 14. OPHIOCARA Gill 



Ophiocara GILL, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 15 (1863) 270. 



The robust, wedge-shaped body more or less cylindrical ante- 

 riorly, and laterally compressed behind; the broad flat head 

 strongly depressed, thickly scaled above and on the sides, without 

 spines; the scales on top of head large, giving it something of 

 the appearance of the Ophicephalidse ; the scales of the trunk 

 ctenoid, 28 to 40 in a longitudinal series; the mouth large, ob- 

 lique, with prominent lower jaw, and six to ten rows of teeth 

 in each jaw; teeth small, no canines, those of outer row in 

 both upper and lower jaws larger than the rest; the posterior 

 margin of preopercle has two to five pores, conspicuous in some 

 species ; the isthmus is broad, the gill openings widely separated. 

 Dorsal VI, 1-8 or 9; anal I, 7 to 9. 



The Philippine species of this genus are very abundant and 

 one of them is of much economic importance in the Islands. The 

 members of the genus range from Madagascar and the east coast 

 of Africa eastward to the Caroline and Pelew islands. 



Key to the Philippine species of Ophiocara, 



a. 1 . Only two preopercular pores, rarely conspicuous; two dark diagonal 

 bands from eye to opercle; 13 to 17 predorsal scales O. aporos. 



a*. Five preopercular pores, at least three conspicuous; no diagonal oper- 

 cular bands; 22 to 26 predorsal scales O. porocephala. 



23. OPHIOCARA APOROS Bleeker 



PLATE 5, FIG. 2; PLATE 28, FIG. 3 



Eleotris aporos BLEEKER, Nat. Tijd. Ned. Ind. 6 (1854) 59; GUNTHEB, 



Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 109; PETERS, Monatsber. Akad. 



Wiss. Berlin (1868) 268; BOULENGER, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. VI 



15 (1895) 185. 



Ophiocara aporos BLEEKER, Versl. Akad. Amsterdam 11 (1877) 33. 

 Ophiocara aporos JORDAN and RICHARDSON, Bull. Bur. Fisheries 27 



(1908) 274. 

 Eleotris hoedtl BLEEKER, Nat. Tijd. Ned. Ind. 6 (1854) 496; GUNTHER, 



Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 110. 



Ophiocara hoedti BLEEKER, Versl. Akad. Amsterdam 11 (1877) 35. 

 ? Eleotris laglaizei SAUVAGE, Bull. Soc. Philomat. VII 4 (1880) 64. 



Bicol name, labanag; Tagalog, bangayngay; at Lake Taal, 

 palowon; Negrito name at Casiguran, simawar. 



Dorsal VI, 1-8 or 9 ; anal I, 8 to 10 ; there are 30 scales in a 

 longitudinal series and 10 or 11 in a transverse series; usually 

 there are from 13 to 15 scales before the dorsal fin, rarely 16 

 or 17. 



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