FAMILY, II— OPHIDIID^. 419 



Family, II— OPHIDIID^, Muller. 



Pseudobranchiae present or absent. Body more or less elongated. Gill-openings wide : the gill 

 membranes not attached to the isthmus. Eyes of moderate size, rudimentary or absent. Barbels present or 

 absent. Sometimes canine teeth in the jaws, the vomerine and palatine ones absent or present. Vertical 

 fins usually confluent, without any distinct anterior dorsal or anal. The dorsal occupies the greatest 

 portion of the length of the back. Pectorals may be absent: ventrals when present rudimentary 

 and jugular, except in BrotulopMs, where they are situated opposite to the pectorals. Scales present or absent : 

 lateral-line when present may be single, double or interrupted. The vent may be at the throat. Air-vessel 

 usually present. Pyloric appendages, when present, in small numbers. 



GeograpMoal distribution.-T-'Fiahes of this family are distributed in the seas and estuaries of nearly all 

 parts of the globe. 



SYNOPSIS OP GENERA. 



Genus, 1 — Brotula. Ventrals present and attached to the humeral arch. Indian Ocean to the Malay 

 Archipelago and beyond. 



Genus, 2 — Ammodytes. No ventral fins, and the vent some distance from the head. Gill-openings wide, 

 the giU membranes not being united. 



Genus, 1 — Beotula, Gwuier. 



Bra/iicjiiostegals dgTit. Body elongated, compressed. Byes of moderate size. Barbels present. VilKform teeth 

 on jaws, vom&r, amd palatines. Vertical fins confluent : ventrals reduced to a single filament, which is sometimes 

 hifwrcated : the fim, is attached to the hmmeral a/rch. Scales present, minute. Air-vessel large, either rounded 

 posteriorly or with two horns. A single pyloric appendage. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



Brotula maeulata, D. 115, V. 1, A. 107. Sis pairs of barbels. Light dirty greenish colour, -with a few 

 reddish brown spots about the body and a dark round mark behind the eye. Muzzle and rostral barbels 

 black. Madras. 



1. Brotula maeulata, Plate XCI, fig. 2, 



Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 196. 

 B. Yiii, D. 115, V. 1, A. 107. 



Length of head 1/6, of pectoral 1/8, of caudal 1/16, height of body 1/6 of the total length. Byes — ■ 

 diameter 1/3 of length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, 1/3 apart. Body eel-like, compressed: 

 the maxiUa extends to beneath the centre of the orbit. A strong spine at the opercle : two smaller ones 

 at the angle of the preopercle. Barhels — two on the snout, and two on either side of the upper jaw : three 

 pairs on the lower jaw, making in all six pairs. 2*66^^^ — ^in fine sharp rows, becoming single posteriorly ; a 

 small patch on the vomer, and a single row on the palate. Fins — not enveloped in skin : dorsal, caudal, and 

 anal joined. Dorsal commences over the base of the pectoral : ventral two-thirds as long as the head, 

 and reaching beyond the base of the pectoral. Scales — -minute, covering body and head. Air-vessel — large, 

 and rojinded posteriorly. Colours — of a light dirty greenish-brown, with a few reddish-brown spots about the 

 body, and a round blackish mark behind the eye. Muzzle and barbels of upper jaw blackish. Fins grayish, 

 external portions deep black. Kather closely approaches Brotula ensiformis, G-iinther, but in that species the 

 snout is longer than the eye, in this one-third shorter. The maxilla in B. maeulata does not extend so far 

 backwards as in the former species. 



JSabitat. — Madras, where the species was captured in November, 1867. The figure is taken from one of 

 the types which are in the British Museum, 



Genus, 2 — Ammodytes, Artedi. 



Bleeheria, Giinther. 



BroMchiostegals six to eight; pseudohrwnchice composed of lamellce. Body low, elongated, and compressed. 

 Gill-openings very wide, the gill-memhranes not being united. Gills four. Byes of moderate size. Barhels absent. 

 Lower jaw usually prominent. Teeth, when present, minute. A single long dorsal fin, composed of feeble rays. 

 Scales, if present, small, when absent the shin may have longitudinal folds along the abdomen. Lateral-Une single. 



Air-vessel absent. Vent remote from the head. 



•' 3 H 2 



