OPHIDIID^. 327 



OpMdium Iroussonetii and rochii, Miill. 1. o. t. iT, f . 2 aud 3 (air-bladder) ; 

 Giinther, I.e. p. 377 ; Giglioli, I.e. p. 37. 



Bearded ophidium, Couch, Fishes of Brit. Isles, iii, p. 131, pi. civ. 



B. vii, D. 130-140, P. 20-23, V. 1, A. 100-120. 



Length of head 6i to 6, height of body 7i to 9 in the total length. Eye — 

 diameters 4 to 5 in the length of the head, 1 j diameters from the end of the snout, 

 and li apart. The snout rather overhangs the mouth : the maxilla reaches 

 posteriorly to beneath the hind edge of the eye : the upper jaw is slightly longer than 

 the lower. The greatest width of the head scarcely equals half its length : while 

 its height equals the length of its postorbital portion. The outer ventral filament 

 the longer. Teeth — villiform, and of about equal size in the jaws, vomer, and 

 palatine bones. Fins — The dorsal commences above the last third of the pectoral 

 fin ; and the anal below about the fifteenth dorsal ray : they are both low and 

 conjoined posteriorly to the caudal. Scales — small and cycloid, in the example 

 figured none exist upon the head. Lateral-line — nearer the dorsal than the 

 abdominal profile. The vent is situated just before the commencement of the 

 anal fin. Colours — ^brownish or gray, sometimes tinged with yellow, vertical fins 

 with or without a black edge. 



Varieties. — This species has been divided into several, but we are still in want 

 of evidence whether such are not merely varieties. That the black edge to the 

 vertical fins is no criterion may be seen in the British Museum example of 

 0. hroussoneti, having such. 0. barbatwn is said to possess two bones, directed 

 downwards, superiorly attached to the first vertebra, and inferiorly to a large 

 crescentic bone, fitting into the front end of the air-bladder, and placed between a 

 pair of thick processes of the fourth vertebra. The lower branch of the outer 

 branchial arch with five or six gill-rakers, and a curved, hook-like process on the 

 end of the ethmoid. 0. hroussonetii with no separate .bone fitting into the front 

 end of the air-bladder. The lower branch of the outer branchial arch with four 

 gill-rakers. 0. roohii, a cuneiform bone at the anterior extremity of the air-bladder, 

 which is contracted anteriorly, and posteriorly having a round foramen merely 

 closed behind by the mucous membrane. 0. vassali, air-bladder globular, without 

 any bone anteriorly, but possessing the round posterior foramen. The lower branch 

 of the outer branchial arch with four gill-rakers. 



Hahits. — Unknown. It feeds on small fishes and crustaceans. 



Breeding. — In the Mediterranean about the end of the spring. 



As food. — It is inferior and coarse. 



Habitat. — Along the northern coasts of France, common throughout the 

 Mediterranean and Adriatic. This fish was first included in the list of British 

 forms by Berkenhout, next by Dr. Broussonet in 1781 : a single example from 

 our shores appears to exist. 



The example figured is from a specimen in the British Museum. It came 

 from Padstow, on the north coast of Cornwall, and is Dr. Giinther's type of 

 0. broiissoneti. It is said to attam to at least 10 inches in length. 



