OPHIOCEPHALIDiE. 513 



and Indian Ocean) ; or incisor-like in both jaws, as ia Sicyases 

 (coast of Chili and West Indies) ; or incisor-liie at least in 

 the lower jaw, as in Odbiesox (West Indies and Pacific coasts 

 of South America). In other genera the posterior portion of 

 the adhesive disk has a free anterior margin. Only one of 

 these genera has incisor-lite teeth, viz. Diplocrepis from Few 



rig. 233 . — ^Diplocrepis puniceus. 



Zealand. In the remaining genera, Grepidogaster (from Tas- 

 mania and South Australia), Trachelochismus (from New 

 Zealand and the Piji Islands), Lepadogaster, and Leptoptery- 

 giits, the teeth are very small and fine. The two last genera 

 are European, and Lepadogaster at least is common on the 

 Southern British coasts. The three species known as British 

 — L. gouanii, L. candoUii, and Z. himaculatus — are prettily 

 coloured, but subject to great variation. 



Fifteenth Division — Aoanthopteeygii Channifoemes. 



Body elongate, covered with scales of moderate size; no 

 spine in any of the fins ; dorsal and anal long. No super- 

 hranchial organ, only a tony prominence on the anterior sur- 

 face of the hyomandilular. 



These fishes belong to the single family Ophiocephalidce, 

 Freshwater-fishes characteristic of the Indian region, which, 

 however, have found their way into Africa, where they are 

 represented by one or two species. Thirty-one species are 

 known altogether, most of which are extremely abundant; 

 some attain to a length of more than two feet. Like other 



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