FAMILY, XXXVII— OPHIOCEPHILID^. 567 



7. Ophiocephalus Stewartii, Plate LXXVII, fig. 3. 

 Ophiocephdlus Stewartii, Playfair, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 14, pi. 3. 

 Sen-ga-lee, Assam. 



B. T, D. 39-40, P. 17, V. 6, A. 27, C. 14, L. 1. 47-50, L. tr. *i:fi. 



Length of head 4, of caudal SI, height of body 7 to 8 in the total length. Hyes — diameter 6i in length 

 of head, 1 J diameters from end of snout, and 2 apart. The greatest width of the head equals its length behind 

 the eyes, and its height equals 4/9 of its length. The maxilla reaches to rather beyond the hind edge 

 of the eye. Teeth. — some conical ones in the lower jaw, also on the vomer and palate. Fins — the dorsal 

 commences over the base of the pectoral fin, is 2/3 as high as the body and higher than the anal. Pectoral as 

 long as the postorbital length of the head, and extends to nearly or quite above the commencement of the anal ; 

 ventral about 1/3 as long as pectoral. Scales— the plate-like ones on the upper surface of the head rather large, 

 13 rows between the snout and the base of the dorsal fin, five between the eye and angle of the preopercle : 

 those on the upper surface of the head roughened by lines almost surrounding a central spot, whilst' 

 those on the body are arched. Oolqws — purplish-black superiorly, becoming lighter on the sides and beneath : 

 many of the scales on the body with a round black mark. Fins dark, the pectoral in the young yellow in its 

 lower half with a blue basal spot, external to which it has several vertical black bands, dorsal edged 

 with yellow. 



Habitat. — Cachar and Assam, in both running and standing water, to about 10 inches in length. The 

 specimen figured (life-size) is -from Assam. 



8. Ophiocephalus gachua. 



Ophiocephalus Tiora motta, Eussell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 49. 



Ophiocephalus gachua, Ham. Buch. Pish. Ganges, pp. 68, 367, pi. 21, f. 21 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind, 

 p. 42 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 471 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 233 ; Day, Fish. Mai. p. 149 ; Peters. 

 Monats. Akad. Berlin, 1868, p. 262, (var. Malaccensis) . 



Ophiocephalus cora-mota etfuscus, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 414 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, p. 146. 



Ophiocephalus marginatus, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 411 ; Val. in Jacq. Voy. Ind. Ori. pi. 13, f. 2 ; Jerdon, 

 M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, p. 145. 



Ophiocephalus limhatus, Cuv. and Val. vii, pi. 201 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 237. 



Ophiocephalus montamus, McClell. C. J. N. H. ii, p. 583 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 42. 



Ophiocephalus kelaartii, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 472. 



Bheri dhok, Hind. ; Ka/ramu, Mai. ; Fa/ra horava, Tarn. ; Mah horava, Can. ; Chenga or Chayimg, Ooriah ; 

 Doarrah, Punj. ; Ghen-gah, Assam. 



B. V, D. 32-37, P. 15, V. 6, A. 21-23, C. 12, L. 1. 40-45, L. tr. f:|. 



Length of head 3| to 4 J, of caudal 5^ to 6, height of body 6 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/6 of 

 length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and from 1:^ to 1^^ apart. The greatest width of the head equals 

 its length beldnd the eyes, and its height equals 4/9 of its length. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 hind edge of the orbit. Teeth — an inner row of widely separated conical ones in the lower jaw, some also on 

 vomer and palatines. Fins — pectoral as long as the head behind the eyes, ventral 2/5 length of pectoral. 

 Scales — broad and irregular on the summit of the head : four or five rows between the orbit and the angle of 

 the preopercle: 12 between snout and base of dorsal fin. Those on the head roughened by circular 

 lines, which externally are parallel with their outer edge, whilst the lines on the scales of the body are in the 

 form of arches. Lateral-line — bends downwards after proceeding about 12 scales. Colours — differ materially, 

 according to the water in which they reside : usually greenish, lighter beneath : dorsal, caudal, and anal 

 slate-coloured, with an orange margin: pectoral with a black base, transversely barred (except ia some 

 Andaman specimens), and havinga slight reddish or orange edge. In the young there is often a large ocellus 

 with a hght edge on the last five dorsal rays : caudal barred. Occasionally it is spotted with white, or even 

 orange, (0. aurantiacus') , Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 69, 368, pi. 23, f. 22. 



0. Kelaarti : — Giinther divided this Ceylon form from 0. gachua, " differing from it by its longer caudal 

 fin," (it is 6f in the total length). Dr. Giinther (Zool. Record. 1865, p. 194), observed " 0. Kelaartii is not the 

 young of 0. gachua as suggested" : which assertion I think is erroneous. 



Habitat. — Fresh waters throughout India, Ceylon, Burma, and the Andamans, also near Gwadur on the 

 Meckran coast. This fish is often found thriving at the bottom of wells, and in fact may be taken frorn the 

 waters of the plains to those in very high elevations. It attains at least 13 inches in length, is very voracious, 

 and may often be captured in Uttle watercourses, into which it has pursued the Haplochili and other small fish. 



9. Ophiocephalus punctatus, Plate LXXVIII, fig. 1 (variety). 

 Bloch, t. 358 ; Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 404 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 42 , Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1848, 

 p. 145 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 469 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 233 ; Day, Fish. Mai. p. 151. 

 Ophiocephalus harrowuei, Lacep. iii, p. 552. 



Ophiocephalus lata. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 63, 637, pi. 34, f. 18. 

 Ophiocephalus Indicus, McClell. Cal. Journ. N. H. ii, p. 683 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind, p. 42. 



