BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM, 315 



Never having seen a specimen of this fishj Colonel Mon- 

 tagu's figure and description are here given, with some addi- 

 tions to be hereafter explained. 



" Length about three inches ; depth about a quarter of an 

 inch. The head is very obtuse, and rounded in front : eyes 

 large, placed forward and lateral ; irides dark, with a circle of 

 silver round the pupil : mouth, when closed, inclines oblique- 

 ly upwards ; the lips are marginated : the gill-membranes 

 inflated beneath. The body is ensiform, considerably com- 

 pressed towards the tail, and in shape is not imlike that of 

 Cepola rubescens, vol. i. page 195, of this work; the lateral 

 line is nearly in the middle, originating at the angle of the 

 operculum to the gills, but rather obscure : vent nearly in 

 the middle : the pectoral fin is rounded : the dorsal fin com- 

 mences immediately above the base of the pectoral, and is at 

 first not so broad, and usually not so erect, as the other part : 

 the anal fin commences at the vent, and, together with the 

 dorsal, unites with the caudal fin, which is cuneiform, but 

 obtusely pointed. The colovir is purplish brown, disposed 

 in minute speckles ; and along the base of the anal fin are 

 about ten small bluish-white spots regularly placed, but 

 scarcely discernible without a lens, and possibly peculiar to 

 younger fishes : all the fins are like the body in colour, ex- 

 cept the pectoral and caudal ; the first is pale, the last is 

 yellowish." The fin-rays in number are — 



D. 77 : P. 11 : A. 44 : C. 18 or 20. 



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