366 



ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Bloch, t. 359 ; 

 162 ; Cuv. and Val. 

 Cantor, Catal. p. 92 ; 

 p. 234;- - 



6. Ophiocephalus striatus. 



Bl. Schn. p. 238 ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. o30 ; Enssell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 47, and Muttah, pi. 

 vii, p. 417, pi. 202, 206 ; Swaiason, Fishes, ii, p. 237 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind, p. 42 - 

 Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, p. 146 ; Gunther, Catal. iii, p. 474 ; K^er, Novara Fische' 

 Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 148. 



Ophiocephalus wrahl, Lacep. iii, p. 552 ; Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 60, 367, pi. 31, f. 17. 

 Ophiocephalus chena, Ham. Buch. I. c. pp. 62, 367. 

 Morrul, Mu/rl, Dheri murl, Hiad. ; 8ol and Ghena, Beng. ; Vera^l and Wrahl, Mai. ; Verarlu and Cwrupu 

 verarl, Tam. ; Sowarah, Tel. ; Sola, Ooriah ; Kooohina murl, Canarese ; Loolla, Singhalese ; Nga-ain-di, Mugh. 



B. V, D. 37-46, P. 17, V. 6, A. 23-26, C. 13, L. 1. 50-57, L. tr. |t^' or ^:|, Vert. 13 | 39. 



Length of head 3i to 4, of caudal 6, height of body 6 to 8 times in the total length. Byes — diameter 

 1/6 to 1/7 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1^ apart. Greatest width of head 1/2 

 to 4/9 of its length, its height equals 1/2 its length excluding the snout. Lower jaw the longer : the maxilla 

 reaches to below the hind edge of the eye, or even 1 diameter behind it. Teeth — an inner row of conical ones 

 in the lower jaw, and cardiform ones on the palatines. Fins — the pectoral does not quite reach to above the 

 origia of the anal. Scales — the plate-like ones on the summit of the head large and irregularly shaped, 

 froiii 18 to 20 rows between the snout and the origin of the dorsal fin : nine rows between the eye and angle of 

 the preopercle. The number of rows between the lateral-line and the dorsal fin appears subject to variation 

 some from the East Indian Archipelago and Philippines having only L. tr. |cf , and fewer rows between the 

 snout and base of the dorsal fin,* have been termed O. vagus, Peters. (Monats. Akad. Berlin, 1868, p. 

 260.) The scales on the head are roughened in lines parallel to their margins, on the body they are arched 

 towards the centre of each. Lateral-line — curves downwards below the twelfth dorsal ray. Colours — dark 

 grayish or blackish superiorly, becoming dirty- white or yellowish- white beneath : cheeks and lower surface of 

 the mouth streaked and spotted with gray : bands of gray or black from the sides to the abdomen. Some spots 

 and bars at the posterior end of the dorsal fin : ventrals and anal grayish, with some whitish lines or 

 spots along the base of the latter. In the young there is occasionally a large black ocellus at the end of the 

 base of the dorsal fin, and the body may be destitute of any marks. 



In Burma the Telaings have a ceremony with one of these fish, said to be very efficacious in cases 

 of sickness. The patient promises that either at the present time or subsequent to his recovery he will propitiate 

 the spirit which he has ofiended. A Nga-yan (Ophiocephalus striatus) is brought, and the sick person has to 

 pass a string through its nostrils in the same way that a cord is passed through the nose of a buUook. A circle 

 is then formed of the relatives, they dance round this fish, which is also dragged after them, and other ofierings 

 are then made. 



Habitat. — Fresh waters throughout the plains of India, Ceylon, Burma, to China and the Philippines, 

 especially delighting in swamps and grassy tanks : they attain 3 feet or more in length. They take a bait 

 very readily, especially a frog, and are said to rise to the salmon fly. 



Stomach jujd Cjecal Appendages op OpMoe^halws striatus. 



*tt'°wt^^r®.IllVi'5??J.''?;''f.^°°^*? P^^"" so™^ of I^r. Bleeker-fl specimens of 0. striatus, they hare either three or four 



SI dorsal ray. Some of mine from India have the same nnmber, others 



enfare and two half rows between the lateral-line and base of first dorsal ray, 

 hare even five and six enture and two half rows at the same spot. 



