70 



OPHIOCEPHALIDiE. 



which is 6 to 8 times in length of head and 1J to 2| times in inter- 

 orbital width ; maxillary extending beyond vertical of posterior border 

 of eye ; a few large canines on each side of lower jaw ; nasal tentacle 

 § to 1 diameter of eye ; 11 or 12 series of scales between eye and angle 

 of prseoperculum. 10 or 11 very short gill-rakers on lower part of 

 anterior arch. Dorsal 42-49, longest rays ^ to \ length of head. Anal 

 30-34. Pectoral \ to f length of head, longer than ventral. Caudal 

 subacuminate. Caudal peduncle \\ to 2 times as deep as long. Scales 

 striated, cycloid, 74-82 above lateral line, j^jg below first dorsal ray ; 

 lateral-line tubes 26-36. Olive-brown above, greyish beneath, with a 

 lateral series of large dark brown or blackish spots, with or without 

 oblique bands above and below them, forming chevrons on the sides; 

 a broad blackish band along each side of the head, behind the eye, 



Fig. 43. 



\gP 



Ojjhiocejjhalus africanus. 

 Type, after Steindachner {I. c). \. 



followed by a large spot on the gill-cover ; lower surface of head spotted 

 or marbled with whitish ; fins greyish or dark olive, spotted with black, 

 pectoral with dark bars. Young yellowish, with a broad blackish lateral 

 band extending on the caudal fin. 



Total length 320 millim. 



Lagos to Calabar. — Type in Stuttgart Museum. 



1. Ad. Lagos. Sir A. Moloney (P.). 



2-5. Ad., hgr., & yg. Assay, Lower Niger. J. S. Budgett, Esq. (P.). 



6. Hgr. Old Calabar. Dr. J. A. Smith (P.). 



2. OPHIOCEPHALUS OBSCUPUS. 



Giinth. Cat. Fish. iii. p. 476 (1861), and Petherick's Trav. ii. p. 215, pi. ii. fig. B 

 (1869) ; Steind. Sitzb. Ak. Wien, lxxxiii. i. 1881, p. 197, and Notes Leyd. 

 Mus. xvi. 1894, p. 36 ; Bouleng. Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 368 (1901), and 

 Fish. Nile, p. 438, pi. lxxxii. (1907) ; Steind. Denkschr. Ak. Wien, lxxxix. 

 1913, p. 48; Pellegr. Poiss. Bass. Tchad, p. 119, fig. (1914). 



