1310 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes, [Dec. 



former dotted with brown. Iris silvery ; orbital margin black ; pupil 

 circular, black. 



D 251? A 151, Br. XXXI? 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 



Total length : 1 foot, 8 inch. 



The head is comparatively short, terminating in a short conical 

 muzzle ; the eye very minute ; the body is slender, cylindrical, but widens 

 suddenly a little before the termination of the dorsal and anal ; the 

 naked tip of the tail is slightly compressed and much blunter than 

 the muzzle. The head, measured to the gill-openings, is -^ of the total 

 length ; it is contained 1 Of times in the distance from the muzzle to the 

 anus, which is situated at the end of the fourth-seventh of the total length. 

 The very minute eye is situated at the commencement of the second-eight 

 of the head, nearly above the middle of the lip ; its distance from the 

 muzzle is a little more than \ of the head ; the distance between both 

 eyes is a little less. The distance from the muzzle to the angle of the 

 mouth is contained 4J times in the length of the head. Between the 

 muzzle and each eye, on the crown of the head, appear three distant pores 

 and five similar on each branch of the lower jaw. The anterior nasal 

 apertures are tubular and open on each side of the point of the muzzle ; 

 although very small, each tube is double the length of the diameter of 

 the eye ; there are apparently no lobulets ; the posterior nasal apertures 

 open through the lower surface of the upper lip, beneath the eyes, as in 

 Ophiurus. Beneath the tip of the muzzle appears a double series, each 

 of three very minute pointed teeth. At a short distance behind the 

 latter commences the series of the mesial line of the palate ; the ante- 

 rior part is double, each side consisting of fine teeth which are longer 

 than all the rest, the posterior part is single. The teeth of the upper 

 jaw are minute, distant and placed in a single series, which commences 

 a little behind the anterior teeth of the palatal series. The lower jaw 

 is shorter than the upper ; the symphysis is naked ; the teeth are 

 minute, pointed and generally in a single series, but near the symphysis 

 appears on each side a short internal series, consisting of three minute 

 teeth. The tongue is very minute, elongated and tied to the floor of 

 the mouth ; it does not extend beyond the angle of the mouth. From 

 the occiput to the tail the vertical diameter is contained 3 j times in 

 the length of the head ; the tail slowly increases in depth to a little in 



