624 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
Herpetoichthys Kaup, 1. c., 7 ( ornatissimus ). 
Elapsopsis Kaup, 1. c., 9 (versicolor). 
Muraenopsis* (“Le Sueur”) Kaup, 1. c., 11 (ocellatus). 
Scytalophis Kaup, 1. c., 13 (magnioculis). 
Leptorhinophis Kaup, 1. c., 14 ( gomesi .) 
Cryptopterus Kaup, Aale Hamburg. Museum, 1859 (puncticeps). 
Uranichthys Poey, Rep. Fis. Nat. Cuba, n, 256, 1867 ( liavannensis ). 
Oxyodontichthys Poey, Anales Soc. Nat. Hist. Esp., 254, 1880 (macrurus). 
Ophichthys Bleeker, Gunther, and of recent authors generally. 
Type : Murcena opliis L. 
Etymology: snake; fish ; hence more correctly written 
Ophichthys. 
We adopt the genus Ophichtlius , in the same sense as the Ophichthys of 
Bleeker, for those Opkisuroid eels which have sharp teeth, no marked 
canines, well-developed pectoral fins, and the dorsal inserted behind the 
head. The species are very numerous in the tropical seas, and many 
attempts have been made to split the group into smaller genera. Not- 
withstanding the great differences when extremes are compared, these 
small genera do not seem well defined. We adopt the original spelling, 
Ophichtlius , though Ophichthys is the more correct form of the word. 
ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SPECIES OF OPHICHTHUS. 
a. Teeth of upper jaw uniserial; end of tail more or less sharp ( Gogrus Rafinesque). 
b. Tail very slender, more than twice as long as rest of body. Pectoral fin rather 
small, contained 3 to 5 times in the length of head; 
body very long and slender ; head small, the gape 
narrow and the jaws very weak; teeth in jaws 
uniserial, on vomer biserial, some of the front teeth 
above very slightly enlarged ; gill-openings lateral, 
vertical, about equal to isthmus; dorsal fin begin- 
ning about half the length of the head behind the 
base of the pectorals ; head 4£ in trunk ; head and 
trunk in tail ; cleft of mouth 4 in head ; eye 2 in 
snout, anterior edge about over middle of gape; 
pectoral fin 4 in head. Uniform brown above, 
lighter below ; fins light brown HisrANUS, 59. 
hi). Tail not twice as long as rest of body. 
c. [Pectoral fin short, about one-fourth head ; head 4£ in trunk ; gape 3 in bead; 
teeth all uniserial ; dossal beginning at some dis- 
tance behind pectorals. Color yellowish brown 
with black dots.] (Kaup.) Brasiliensis, 60. 
cc. [Pectoral fin long, about 2^- in head; dorsal commencing at a moderate dis- 
tance from tip of pectoral ; head 4 in trunk ; tail 
rather longer than rest of body ; dorsal and anal 
fin with whitish or brownish spots along base; 
deep scars on the fore part of head. Body above 
brownish with numerous dark specks, below more 
dotted with gray; a transverse line of small 
whitish warts on occiput.] (Kaup.) 
Maculatus, 61. 
* There is no genus u Muraenopsis Le Sueur.” Le Sueur used Lac^pede’s name, 
Murcenophis, for Murcena. This name was somew 7 here misprinted il Muramopsis.” 
