Ophichthid Eels — GOSLINE 
299 
OSTEOLOGY 
The most diverse of the Hawaiian ophich- 
thids were selected for osteological study. In 
general the heads, branchial arches, and pec- 
toral girdles were stained with alizarin and 
dissected; in Brachysomophis henshawi the right 
side of the head of the only available speci- 
men (and apparently the third known) was 
dissected without staining. The bodies of the 
fishes studied were X-rayed, though some 
specimens were stained and rather unsuccess- 
fully cleared. The species studied in this 
manner were as follows: 
Subfamily MYROPHINAE 
Muraenichthys {Muraenichthys) cookei (Figs. 
3, 10a, 12^, 13). 
Subfamily OPHICHTHINAE 
Caecula {Sphagebranchus) platyrhyncha (Figs. 1, 
lAb,d). 
Myrichthys maculosus (Figs. 5, 1-9, l‘5b). 
Cirrhimuraena macgregori (Figs. 6, 10b, 16). 
Leiuranus semicinctus (Figs. 4, 17c). 
Brachysomophis henshawi (Figs. 2, 18). 
LATERAL LINE SYSTEM OF HEAD AND ASSO- 
CIATED BONES. The pattern of the lateral line 
system of the head in the Ophichthidae has 
already been described in considerable detail 
for '"Ophichthys serpens' by Allis (1903: 126) 
and is illustrated here in Figures 1 and 15. It 
is quite uniform in the species studied. 
On the other hand, the degree of develop- 
ment of many of the bones through which 
the canals pass varies considerably. The 
canals are enclosed in a series of bony ossicles 
except where they penetrate the pterotics, 
frontals, and dentary. These ossicles may be 
small, separate, bony cylinders; they may be 
united into more or less elongate tubes; or 
such a tube may be expanded into a bone of 
considerable extent. In Brachysomophis the 
ossification of the lateral line system is the 
most complete (Fig. 2a). In that genus the 
nasal as usual is well developed; in addition 
the postorbitals form a strong strut for the 
support of the maxillary, the suborbitals form 
a tube closely appressed against the maxillary, 
the preopercle is laminated, and a small 
Fig. 1. Caecula {Sphagebranchus) platyrhyncha. a. 
Right side of head, showing lateral line canals and 
pores. Canals passing through bony ossicles dotted; 
canals passing through head bones dashed and the 
outlines of such bones indicated, aa, Articular-angular; 
de, dentary; ey, eye; fr, frontal; na, nasal; po, pre- 
opercle; pt, pterotic. b, Right side of cranium. Teeth 
omitted in this and most of the following figures, as, 
Alisphenoid; bo, basioccipital; eo, exoccipital; ep, 
epiotic; fr, frontal; if, interorbital opening; ob, otic 
bulla; os, orbitosphenoid; pa, parietal; pr, prootic; 
ps, parasphenoid; pt, pterotic; pv, premaxillary-ethmo- 
vomer; so, supraoccipital; sp, sphenotic. c. Cranium 
from above. Lateral line canals of cranial bones drawn 
in. The nasal (na) is included on the right side, the 
maxillary (ma) on the left, and the rostral cartilages 
(rc) in front. Other labels as in Fig. lb. d. Skull from 
rear. Bones labeled as in Fig. lb. fm, Foramen mag- 
num; vs, socket for centrum of first vertebra. 
