OPHIOCEPHALID.E. 361 



pearly-white spots. There is generally a large black ocellus at 

 upper part of base of caudal fin, which is grey ; ventrals orange. 



Hab. Fresh waters, principally rivers, from Ceylon and India 

 to China ; attaining as much as four feet in length. These fish 

 take a live bait pretty well. 



I airi doubtful whether the two next species, 0. leucopunctatus 

 and 0. pseudomarulius, might not be considered varieties of 

 0. marulius. 



1199. (2.) Ophiocephalus leucopunctatus. 



Ophiocephalus leucopunctatus, St/kes, Tr. Z. S. ii, p. 352, pi. 60, fig. 3 ; 



Dai/, Fish. India, p. 304, pi. Ixxvii, fig. 1 (see synon.). 

 Sowarah, Tel. ; Maral, Marathi. 



D. 47-53. A. 28-35. L.I. 59-60. L.tr.4|-6|/13-ll or 5-8/13-11. 



Length of head 4, height of body 7 to 7 5 in the total length. 

 Eyes diameter 8 in length of head, \\ diam. from end of snout, 

 and 1| to 2 apart. Teeth about ten conical, widely separated 

 teeth in lower jaw. Fins dorsal commences over end of opercle ; 

 ventral | as long as pectoral. Scales as in 0. marulius. Colour 

 back greyish green, descending in bars on to an orange abdomen ; 

 numerous white spots on body, sometimes with black margins ; 

 caudal and posterior portions of dorsal and anal black, with 

 numerous white spots. 



Hab. Coromandel and Western coasts of India, some of the 

 rivers in the Deccan and the Cauvery in Mysore. This species is 

 also said to be found in China. It attains 3 feet or more in length. 



1200. (3.) Ophiocephalus pseudomarulius. 



Ophiocephalus pseudomarulius, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 478 j Day, 

 Fish. India, p. 364. 



D. 52. P. 17. V. 6. A. 35. C. 15. L. 1. 64. L. tr. 6-7/14-10. 



Length of head 3|, height of body 4| in the total length to base 

 of caudal fin. Eyes diameter 7 in length of head, 1 diam. from 

 end of snout, and If apart. Teeth an inner row of six or eight, 

 rather widely separated and conical, in the lower jaw. Fins 

 dorsal commences above base of pectoral. Pectoral | as long as 

 head ; venlral | of pectoral. Scales 16 rows between snout and 

 base of dorsal fin; 10 between eye and angle of preopercle. 

 Colour grey superiorly, lighter along the sides and beneath. " A 

 black, white-edged ocellus superiorly on the basal portion of the 

 caudal fin " (Giinther, I. c.). 



Hab. India. 



1201. (4.) Ophiocephalus barca. (Fig. 118.) 



>. 67, 3< 



i (see synon.). 



Ophiocephalus barca, Ham. Buck. Fish. Ganges, pp. 67, 367, pi. 35, 

 fig. 20; Day, Fish. India, p. 365, pi. Ixxvii, fig. 2 ( 



