172 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



judging from the appearance of numerous specimens I have 

 examined. While they may be a useful diagnostic character, 

 their value as such is not determinative but merely corroborative. 



Key to Philippine species of Ophichthus. 

 a\ Maxillary teeth in one row or posteriorly in two rows. 



b\ A broad black crossband on nape, broadly edged with white or 



yellowish 0- cephalozcma. 



o 2 . Coloration uniform. 



c 1 . Depth less than 40 in length; head less than 3 in trunk. 



<f . Vomerine teeth in two rows 0. grandoculis. 



<P. Vomerine teeth in two rows anteriorly, one row posteriorly. 



0. apicalis. 

 c\ Depth over 40 in length. 



e\ Vomerine teeth anteriorly in two rows; posteriorly in one. 



0. macrochir. 

 e\ Vomerine teeth in two rows or anteriorly in three. 



0. manilensis. 

 a 1 . Maxillary teeth in two rows. 



f 1 . Vomerine teeth in two rows anteriorly, one row posteriorly. Depth 



46 to 50 in length _ 0. rutidodermatoides. 



f . Vomerine teeth in two rows anteriorly, three rowed posteriorly. Depth 

 30 to 36 in length 0. celebicus. 



Ophichthus cephalozona (Bleeker). 



Ophichthys cephalozona Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muraen. 4 (1864) 49, 



pi. 12, fig. 2; GtiNTHER, Fische d. Sudsee 3 (1910) 398; Weber and 



Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 (1916) 303, figs. 143 and 144. 



Ophichthus cephalozona Jordan and Snyder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



23 (1910) 872. 



Depth 28 to 33 in total length, head 10 to 11, and 3.5 to 4.5 



in trunk; head and trunk usually less than tail (contained 1.8 



times in it in my specimen), but according to Giinther the tail 



oo o Q may be either longer or shorter 



V 8 % than body. Eye 10 to 11 in 



o°o% § % head, 1.75 to 2 in snout, which 



/ I % I is bluntly pointed and project- 



| I \b I \ ing and about 5.5 in head ; gape 



/ I \ I • 3 to 3.5 in head and reaching 



^ \c * ° d ° slightly behind eyes; tubes of 



no. 4.° o*t***. cevuaiozona (Bieeker), interior nostrils prominent, pro- 



dentition: . max- jecting downward ; posterior 



illanes; c, vomer; d, mandibles. X 2.5. nos trils just forward Of eyeS, 



with a small papilla before and a minute one behind each ; pec- 

 torals small, from more than 3 to 4 times in head ; one pair of 

 pores on tip of snout followed by four pairs extending back on 



