Ophicephalus melanoptera Blkr.

Bleeker's drawing of C. melanoptera, taken from his famous ichthyological atlas. If you have it in your channa shelf (several hundred thousands Euros ;-) go for table 398, fig. 2, else thank God, there is an Internet to save this ichthyological memory.

Ophiceph. corpore elongato antice cylindraceo latiore quam alto postice compresso, altitudine 7 circiter in ejus longitudine; capite acuto 5 in longitudine corporis, depresso, genis convexo; altitudine capitis 2 et paulo, latitudine 1 1/2 ad 1 3/5 in ejus longitudine; linea rostro-dorsali rostro convexa, fronte et vertice declivi concaviuscula; oculis diametro 7 circiter in longitudine capitis, diametris 2 et paulo distantibus; maxilla superiore maxilla inferiore vix breviore, longe post oculum desinente, 2 2/5 circiter in longitudine capitis, dentibus multiseriatis intermaxillaribus, vomerinis palatinisque 0omnibus parvis serie interna ex parte dentibus ceteris paulo longioribus, inframaxillaribus parvis internis lateralibus conicis aliquot caninoides; squamis cijeloideis parte libera granulatis, capitis parte postoperculari 8 vel 9, lateribus 55 p. m. in serie longitudinali; linea laterali antice et postice recta sub radio dorsali 12° circiter valde deflexa; singulis squamis tubulo simplice notata; pinna dorsali postice obtusiuscule rotundata, pectoralibus obtusis rotundatis flexuram linea laterali fere attingentibus 6 3/5 circiter, ventralibus acute rotundatis 12 3/5 circiter, caudali 51/2 circiter in longitudine corporis; anali postice acute rotundata dorsali paulo humiliore; colore corpore superne violascente-olivaveo inferne aurantiaco-roseo pinnis ventralibus dilute violaceis; dorsali dimidio posteriore at anali tota vittis obliquis transversis ex parte abruptis pulchre coeruleis. caudali membrana dimidio basali maculis coeruleis in series irregulares transversas dispositis.

Bleeker's drawing of the head shields of c. melanoptera, taken from his famous ichthyological atlas. Drawings of head shields were meant for species identification. Bloch 1793 started with this method and this method is still used.

B.5 D. 1/44 vel 1/45 P. 2/16 V. 1/5 A 1/29 vel 1/30 C. 1/12/1 et lat. brev.

Habit. Pontianak, in flumine Kapuas.

Longitudo specimis unici 601'''.

Aanm. Deze soort is kenbaar aan haar spits eenigzins hol profiel, aan hare groote preoperkel- en operkelshubben, aan hare ongeveer 55 shubben op eene overlangsche rei der zijden, aan hare 45 of 46 rugvin- en 30 of 31 aarsvinstralen, donker violette met fraaije blaauwe banden of vlekken geteekende vertikalen vinnen, veelreijige tanden in de mondholte, afweziheid von hondstanden in de geheeltebeenderen, het sterk gebogen zijn der zijlijn achter den top der bosrtvin, enz.

Acknowledgement and Source(s)

This passage was originally published in: Bleeker, Pieter: Negende bijdrage tot de kennis der ichthyologische fauna van Borneo. Zoetwatervisschen van Pontianak en Bandjermasin. Descriptiones Specierum Diagnosticae. Natuurkd. Tijdschr. Neder. Indié v. 9. pp. 415-430, 1855. The drawings have originally been published in Atlas ichthyologique des Indes orientales néerlandaises; publ. sous les auspices du Gouvernement Colonial néerlandais par Pieter Bleeker Part VIII, table CCCXCVIII, fig. 2, 1878. The publishing on snakeheads.org has been made possible with several very helpful and cooperatives ladies of the Staatsbibliothek Berlin. Thankyou dear ladies of the Stabi, thankyou institution Stabi!

If you know Latin or Dutch and if you are able to translate one of the above, we would be happy for help :-))). Please do translate it for us and send it in English to us.