APODAL FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 619 
Ophichthys pardalis Gunther, vm, 82, 1870 (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Cspe Verde 
Islands, West Indies) j (not Ophisurus pardalis Valenciennes.) 
Habitat: West Indies and islands of eastern Atlantic. 
Etymology: Latin, having eye-like markings. 
This species, generally distributed through the tropical Atlantic, is 
well distinguished by its coloration, most of the dark spots having 
conspicuous white centers. This is undoubtedly the oculatus of Kaup 
and the latimaculatus of Poey, but the pardalis of Valenciennes must be 
different, being similar in coloration to tigrinus. The specimen before 
us is from Barbadoes. 
52. MYRICHTHYS ACUMINATUS. 
Murcena acuminata Gronow, Fishes Brit. Mus., 21, 1854 (“In Insula Divi Eustachii in 
America”). 
Ophichthys acuminatus Gunther, vm, 83, 1870 (Cuba, Barbadoes). 
Ophisurus acuminatus Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. A., 53, 1885. 
Pisoodonopliis guttulatus Kaup, Apodes, 21, fig. 10, 1857 (Martinique). 
Ophisurus longus Poey, Repertorio, II, 254, 1867 (Cuba); Poey, Synopsis, 425, 1868. 
Ophisurus longus Poey, Anal. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat., 253, 1880. 
Pisoodonopliis longus Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. F. N. A., 899, 1883 (Florida). 
Ophichthys pisavarius Poey, Anal. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat., 196, 1875 (Cuba) ; Poey, 1. c., 
253, 1880. 
Habitat: West Indian fauna, north to Florida Keys. 
Etymology: Latin, acuminate. 
This species, well distinguished by its pale spots, is not rare in the 
West Indies. Our description is taken from a specimen in the National 
Museum from the Florida Keys. 
The name acuminatus seems to belong to this species, and has pri- 
ority over longus. 
We have referred the nominal species, longus , guttulatus, and pisa- 
varius to the synonymy of acuminatus , thinking that the alleged differ 
ences are matters of individual variation. Longus is said to have, in 
the center of each pale spot, a yellow speck, surrounded by a dark circle. 
The others are said to lack this central spot, but it may be that it fades 
in alcohol. Longus is said to have the edge of the dorsal darker than 
the fiu. In guttulatus and pisavarius it is said to be paler. 
Genus PISOODONOPHIS. 
Pisoodonopliis Kaup, Apodal Fishes, 1854, 17 (boro). 
Fisodontophis, Gunther, vm, 55, 1870 (boro : corrected orthography). 
Type : Ophisurus boro Hamilton-Buchanan. 
Etymology: Tliaov, pea; 6d<6;, tooth ; o<pt<;, snake. 
Small eels, mostly of the Old World, intermediate between Myrichthys 
and Ophichthus , having the blunt teeth of Myrichthys and the backward 
dorsal of Ophichthus . The species are slender, plainly colored, and rather 
small. One of them is doubtfully recorded from the West Indies. 
