Physoclistic. Cylindrical and elongate or compressed and oblong. Mouth large or small. Intermaxillaries protractile, excluding the edentulous maxillaries from the oral border. The jaws with fixed, conical teeth; in one case ( Helostoma ) only movable ones on lips. Vomer and palatines with or without teeth. Teeth on parasphenoid present. Scales large or moderate, cycloid or ctenoid. Lateral line present and continuous, or interrupted, or vestigial, or absent. The single dorsal fin long, inserted above base of pectorals, longer than anal fin, or shorter than it and beginning behind base of pectorals. Dorsal and anal with or without spines, the rays branched or not. Pectorals situated below middle of height. Ventrals thoracic, subabdominal or absent, composed of six rays, the outer of which is unbranched or spine-like; the rays may be reduced to one. Pelvic bones remote from cleithra or attached to them. Parietal bones are separated by the supraoccipital, an orbitosphenoid wanting. Four gills. Pseudobranchiae none or rudimentary. A suprabranchial organ constituted by a system of labyrinthic lamellar processes from the outside of the epibranchial of the first branchial arch, enclosed in an accessory cavity, separate from the pharyngeal cavity, but in communication with the branchial cavity, by an opening above the two anterior gillslits. In Ophiocephalidae the suprabranchial cavity is more like a diverticulum of the pharyngeal cavity, as it is in open communication with it. It is also without a labyrinthiform organ but covered by a mucous membran fit for accessory respiration.
Elongate, more or less cylindrical, compressed posteriorly. Fins without spines. Dorsal and anal fins long. Pectorals present. Ventrals present or absent, inserted not far behind pectorals. Pelvic bones connected to the symphysis of the cleithra by a ligament. Mouth large, protractile; the maxillaries excluded from the oral border. Curved teeth on intermaxillaries, mandibles, vomer and palatines. Canine teeth always present in lower jaw, sometimes also on vomer and palatines. Scales, moderate, cycloid, striated, very large and shield-like on upper surface of head. Lateral line present, with a more or less developed curve in its anterior half or interrupted. Airbladder present, continued into 4 prolongation of the abdominal cavity in the tail. Anterior ribs sessile, the remainder inserted on parapophyses. Four gills, gillrakers present. No pseudobranchiae. An accessory superbranchial cavity present, but no labyrinthiform organ 1 . Gillmembranes free from isthmus, but connected with each other.
Distribution: Freshwater of eastern and south-eastern Asia, indo-australian Archipelago as far as Halmahera to the east, and tropical Africa.
Ventrals present. For other characters and for distribution of the genus, see those of suborders
D. 46 -47; A. 30 - 3 1 ; P. 18; V. 6; L.I. 5 5 - 5 8; L.tr. (3 1/2 /1)/10
Cylindrical, compressed posteriorly. Height 6, 7.2 in length with caudal. Head 3.1, 3.7 in length with caudal. Head depressed, flat above, the profile sloping in a straight line from nape to snout. Eye 6.5, 1.6 in interorbital space and about equal to snout. Cleft of mouth somewhat oblique. Maxillary reaching to behind eye. Jaws equal. A pluriserial band of small equal teeth in the upper jaw. A /-shaped band of teeth on anterior part of vomer, subcontinuous with the broader bands on the palatines. A pluriserial band of small teeth near the symphysis in the lower jaw, laterally tapering to one row of small teeth, with which distant blunt caninoids are intermingled. 5 rows of scales between eye and praeoperculum, 3 or 4 on operculum. Lateral line with an abrupt curve downwards at the 18th perforated scale. Dorsal beginning scarcely behind origin of pectorals, and ending somewhat behind end of anal; its origin separated by about 13 scales from snout. Origin of anal below 16th dorsal ray. Pectorals about equal to postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating behind origin of dorsal, equal to head without snout. Dark brown, somewhat lighter below. Fins brownish blue, ventrals dusky. A black white-edged ocellus at the upper part of the base of the caudal. Length 270 mm.
Habitat: Sumatra (Deli!, Djambi!), Borneo (Sambas, Bankayan). In rivers and ponds.
In rivers and ponds.
Cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Height 5.9 - 6.3, 7 - 7.2 in length with caudal. Head 3.5 - 3.8, 4 - 4.6 in length with caudal. Head depressed, its upper profile sloping in a nearly straight line from occiput to snout. Eye 7 - 8.2, about 2.5 in interorbitall space. Snout less than twice length of eye, its tip about in the horizontal through middle of eye. Cleft of mouth somewhat oblique. Maxillary reaching behind eye. Lower jaw somewhat prominent. Bands of small teeth in both jaws and on palatines and -anterior part of vomer, those of palatines and that of vomer subcontinuous. No enlarged teeth except a row of distant, strong but short canines in the lower jaw, behind the band of small teeth, which is only well developed near the symphysis and consists of only two rows or even one row laterally. About 5 rows of scales between eye and hindborder of praeoperculum, 3 or 4 on operculum. Lateral line with an abrupt curve downwards at about the 16th perforated scale. Dorsal beginning behind base of pectorals and ending somewhat behind end of anal, its origin separated by 13 - 15 scales from snout. Origin of anal about below 16th dorsal ray. Pectorals about equal to postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating below origin of dorsal, more than half as long as pectorals. Dark brown or bluish above, lighter below; along the sides, just below the lateral line, there are groups of about 6 scales which are black, forming a longitudinal series of irregular dark patches. Dorsal, anal, pectorals and caudal blackish; dorsal and anal somewhat freckled with whitish. Ventrals more or less dusky, as also sometimes the pectorals. Length 650 mm.
Habitat: Sumatra (Palembang! Indragiri, Gunung, Sahilan!, Djambi!, Deli?); Borneo (Pontianak)). 2
D. 38 - 43; A. 23 - 27; P. 15 - 17; V. 6; L.l. 52 - 57; L. tr. ((4 (4 1/2 - 5)/1)/8 - 10.
Cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Height 5 - 6, 6 - 7.3 in length with caudal. Head 3 - 3.2, 3.6 in length with caudal. Head depressed, its upper profile somewhat convex, interorbital space flat. Eye 5 (in specimen of 80 mm.) - 8 (in specimen of 340 mm.), twice (or less in small specimens) in interorbital space. Snout less than twice length of eye, its tip in the horizontal through middle of eye. Cleft of mouth oblique. Maxillary reaching behind eye, in young specimens not so far. Lower jaw slightly prominent. In the intermaxillaries bands of about 5 or 6 rows of teeth anteriorly, tapering posteriorly. These teeth are pointed and curved backwards, the postsymphysial ones longer and canine-like. In the mandibles the teeth are placed in several rows near the symphysis, in one row laterally. They are about equal to those in the intermaxillaries. In the lateral row there are on each side about 5 equidistant canines. Teeth on vomer and palatines slender, curved backwards, in several rows, those of the posterior row the longer. On the vomer they form a A-shaped patch; on the palatines an elongate band. There are 6 or 7 rows of scales between the eye and the hindborder of the preoperculum and 4 rows on the operculum. Lateral line with an abrupt curve downwards at about the 17th-20th perforated scale. Dorsal beginning behind base of pectorals and ending somewhat behind end of anal. Its origin separated by about 15 scales from tip of snout. Origin of anal about below 17th dorsal ray. Pectorals shorter than postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating about below origin of dorsal, equal to distance between hindborder of eye and hindborder of praeoperculum. Greenish or brownish above to almost black, white or silvery or light brown below. Upper parts with dark streaks and blotches, more or less arranged in oblique bars running forwards, lower parts with similar blotches and streaks, at right angles with those of the upper parts. In older specimens the upper parts are, generally so dark as to make these markings obsolete. Lower surface of head and belly white, more or less freckled with brown. A dark band running from corner of mouth to suboperculum, sometimes very faint or absent in old specimens. Pectorals brownish to dark brown. Ventrals white, generally freckled with brown. Dorsal and anal generally freckled or streaked with brown and white. In young individuals there is sometimes a black ocellus at the end of the dorsal fin. Caudal brownish with obsolete dark bands. Length over 900 mm.
Nom. indig.: Gabus (Malay. Javan.), Rajong (Sundan.), Deluk, Kuto (Javan. Madura), Bado (Gaju), Batje (Atjeh), Se Punkat (Palembang), Haruan (Banjermassin).
Habitat: Rivers, lakes and ponds of Sumatra!, Pulu Weh!, Singapore, Banka, Singkep!, Borneo!, Java!, Madura, Celebes!, Bali, Lombok!, Flores!, Ambon!, Batjan, Halmahera. - Philippines, Pinang, Malay Peninsula, Siam, China, British India and Ceylon. Introduced in the Hawaiian Islands.
Note: Numerous specimens of this very common food fish seen by us. According to SUNDARA RAJ ( l.c. p. 271 ): « the nest consists of a circular clearing in grassy swamps or in the weedy edges of ponds and rivers. Both parents, the male in particular, keep guard. The eggs, which are large (1.25 mm.) and float at the surface, are never numerous but vary from a few hundreds to a few thousands according to the size of the fish. Dr. A. Willey gives a full description of the nest, egg and young of this species in Spolia Zeylanica, Vol. VI, pp. 108-123 . » Ophiocephalus cyanospilus is known from the type specimen only, when we except 2 specimens mentioned by VOLZ ( Revue Suisse de Zoologie XII. 1904, p. 460 ) with a ? behind that name. This type specimen is a young fish of 102 mm. and differs according to BLEEKER , from O. striatus by the presence of small bluish or mother-of-pearl coloured ocelli on the ventral side of the trunk. The origin of the dorsal is situated «circiter» above that of the pectorals and the maxillary reaches only to below hindborder of eye. Lastnamed character is due to the young age of the specimen, the other differences from O. striatus are so slight, that it seems to us justified to range O. cyanospilus - although with a? - under the synonyms of O. striatus . The type of O. cyanospilus , which came from Telokbetong, Sumatra, is apparently lost, as it is neither in the Leiden nor in the British Museum.
D. 37 - 41; A. 21 - 25 ; P. 14 - 15; V. 6; L.I. 50 - 52; L.tr. (4 - 4 1/2 )/1/(8 - 9).
Cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Height 5 - 5.8, 5.9 - 7.2 in length with caudal. Head 3.1 - 3.3, 3.8 - 4.2 in length with caudal. Head depressed, its upper profile straight, interorbital space flat. Eye 5.7 (in specimen of 168 mm.) - 7 (in spec. of 285 mm.), about twice or a little less, in small specimens, in interorbital space. Snout less than twice diameter of eye, its tip in the horizontal through lower half of eye. Cleft of mouth rather oblique. Maxillary reaching far behind eye Or to hindborder of eye in small specimens. Lower jaw slightly prominent. A rather broad villiform band of teeth in the intermaxillaries, teeth coarser in the symphysial part, especially the hindermost. In the lower jaw several rows of teeth near the symphysis, laterally only one row, behind which equidistant strong canines. A A-formed patch of moderate strong teeth on vomer and an elongate band of strong teeth on the palatines, the innermost row the largest and caninoid. All the teeth curved backwards. There are 5 or 6 scales in a row between the eye and the hindborder of the praeoperculum and 3 - 4 rows on the operculum. Lateral line with an abrupt curve downwards of 3 scales at about the 14th or 15th perforated scale. Dorsal beginning behind base of pectorals and ending somewhat behind end of anal. Its origin separated by 15-16 scales from tip of snout. Origin of anal below 14th dorsal ray. Pectorals about as long as postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating about below origin of dorsal, about equal to distance between hindborder of eye and hindborder of praeoperculurn. Colour of alcohol specimens dark greenish or bluish above, yellowish or reddish brown below. A rather inconspicuous dark oblique stripe behind corner of mouth. Underparts of head sometimes with yellow spots. Pectorals and dorsal and caudal dark, ventrals of the colour of the lower parts, sometimes striped in their hinderpart. Anal light, with a subterminal dark band. In young specimens (always?) a red lateral band from snout to caudal. Length 285 min. [Type of O. baramensis Steind. in the Vienna Museum seen by us].
Habitat: Sumatra (Palembang, Lahat, Gunung Sahilan!, - Banka; Borneo (MaRinggat!, Laut Tador, Lower Langkat), rawang, Toboali, uppercourse of river Kapuas, Sadong, Gambas, Sarawak, Baram river!). - Palawan Archipelago, Tonkin, Siam.
Note. Ophiocephalus rhodotaenia is based on a single specimen of 59 mm. long. A second one, still smaIler (41 mm.) has been recorded by Steindachner. The differences from O. melanosoma (the presence of a lateral red band and the maxillaries reaching only below hinderpart of eye) are referable to the young age of the specimens. We unite O. rhodotaenia therefore with O. melanosoma.
Body somewhat cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Height 5.5 - 6.5, 6.7 - 8.3 in length with caudal. Head 3.1 - 3.5, 4 - 4.3 in length with caudal. Head depressed, flat above, its upper profile sloping down in a nearly straight line or somewhat convex. Eye 5 (in specimen of 65 mm.) - 8 (in specimen of 142 mm.), in large specimens more than twice, in small specimens less than twice in the interorbital space, about 1 - 1.5 in snout. Tip of snout in the horizontal through middle or upper part of eye. Cleft of mouth oblique. Maxillary reaching to vertical through hindborder of eye, in small specimens not so far. Lower jaw somewhat prominent. A band of small teeth in the intermaxillaries. Teeth on the palatines and on the foremost part of the vomer forming a continuous biserial curved band, the outer teeth smaller, the inner teeth canines or caninoid. A band of small teeth, tapering laterally, in the lower jaw, the most interior row consisting of caninoid or canine teeth. About 5 rows of scales between eye and posterior border of praeoperculum and about 3 rows on operculum. Lateral line curving one scale downward,behind the 11th - 13th perforated scale. Dorsal beginning behind origin of pectorals and ending somewhat behind anal, its origin separated by 13 - 14 scales from tip of snout. Origin of anal about below 9th - 11th dorsal ray. Pectorals somewhat more or less than postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating somewhat before origin of dorsal, about half as long as pectorals. Colour brownish, darker above, lighter below, with traces of darker crossbars, more conspicuous in young specimens and often quite obsolete in adult ones. In young specimens there are often some black spots scattered over the body. Dorsal, anal and caudal with a white margin, the rest of the fins uniformly dark bluish black or lighter, striped with black. Ventrals hyaline, with a dusky streak. Pectorals. black at the base, the black area bordered behind by a white band. Generally this band is followed by other ones distally, the bands being about their breadth apart and giving to the fin a striped appearance. Length over 300 mm.
Nom. indig.: Gabus (Malay. Batavia.), Boga, Heedjo gaddo (Sund.), Kuto and Kuto bengo (Javan.).
Habitat: Common in rivers, lakes and ponds and entering brackish water of: Singapore, Nias!, Sumatra!, Banka, Biliton, Borneo!, Java!, Bawean, Madura. - Malay Peninsula, Siam, Andamans, Ceylon, British India, Balutchistan and Afghanistan.
Cylindrical, compressed posteriorly, 5.7 - 6.5, 7 - 8 in length with caudal. Head 2.8, 3.5 in length with caudal. Head depressed, above flat end covered with large scales. Eye 4.5 - 5, one diameter apart and somewhat longer than snout. Cleft of mouth oblique. Maxillary not reaching to the vertical through hindborder of eye. Lower jaw somewhat prominent. Small equal teeth in a pluriserial band in the upper jaw as also in the symphysial part of the lower jaw; the rami of the lower jaw with one or two series of small teeth and distant canines. Palatines and anterior part of vomer with a subcontinuous series of small teeth and a row of distant canines. About eleven rows of scales between eye and praeoperculum and 4 or 5 rows of scales on operculum. Lateral line with an abrupt curve downwards at about the 18th scale. Dorsal beginning scarcely behind pectorals, ending behind end of anal, its origin separated by about 17 scales from snout. Pectorals shorter than postorbital part of head, ventrals not much shorter than pectorals. Light brownish above, lighter below. Two black longitudinal narrow bands, one above and one below the lateral line, the upper one beginning behind eye, running along upper margin of operculum, the lower one be-inning at snout, running through eye and through base of pectorals, both bands continued on the caudal fin. Length 60 mm.
Habitat: Borneo (Balikpapan!, Sarawak). In rivers.
Note. The 6 specimens of Károli, measuring from 50 - 60 mm. and our 3 specimens from Sungei Manggar, Balikpapan, which are about of the same length, are the only ones known of this species. It is possible that they represent the young age of O. lucius, with which they seem to be most related.
Compressed. Height 6, 7 in length with caudal. Head 3.4, 4 in length with caudal. Head not depressed, rounded above, its upper profile somewhat convex. Eye 5.5 - 7.5, 1.5 - 2,in somewhat convex interorbital space. Snout as long as or slightly longer than eye, its tip in the horizontal through upper half of eye. Cleft of mouth very oblique. Maxillaries reaching to vertical through hindborder of eye, not so far in small specimens. Lower jaw somewhat prominent. A comparatively narrow band of villiform teeth in the intermaxillaries. A band of a few rows of similar teeth in the lower jaw, with a row of equidistant canines behind it. On vomer and palatines a single or double row of strong canines of unequal size. There are 8 or 9 scales in a row between hindborder of eye and that of praeoperculum and about 5 rows of scales on the operculum. Lateral line with a gentle curve downwards at about the Igth perforated scale. Dorsal beginning scarcely behind origin of pectorals and ending above end of anal. Its origin separated by 16 - 17 scales from tip of snout. Origin of anal below 12th dorsal ray. Pectorals much shorter than postorbital part of head, about twice in bead. Ventrals originating behind origin of dorsal, less than distance between hindborder of eye and hindborder of praeoperculum. Colour of alcohol, specimens of BLEEKER'S collection brown, somewhat lighter below. Fins brown, more or less variegated with darker. In younger specimens there are three dark oblique streaks behind eye and a dark patch on operculum. A lateral band, consisting of separate dark patches, bordered by yellowish. Pectorals with some light spots. Length 235 mm. [Specimens of BLEEKER's collection in the Amsterdam and British Museum seen by us].
Habitat: Banka, Borneo (Banjermasin, mouth and middle course of river Kapuas, Danau Sriang).
In rivers and ponds.
D. 40 - 43; A. 28 - 31 ; P. 17 - 18; V. 6; L.l. 57 - 58; L.tr. 5 1/2 /1/11.
Body cylindrical, somewhat compressed, more so posteriorly. Height 4.5 to nearly 5, 5.5 to nearly 6 in length with caudal. Head 2.8 - 3, 3.5 - 3.8 in length with caudal. Head compressed, rather pointed, its upper profile straight, interorbital space flat. Eye 5.5 to nearly 7, less than 1.5 to somewhat more than 1.5 in the interorbital space and 1.3-1.5 in snout. Tip of snout in the horizontal through middle of eye. Cleft of mouth somewhat oblique. Maxillaries reaching below hindborder of eye or not so far. Lower jaw prominent, much so in old specimens. A band of about 4 rows of small teeth in the in term axillaries, those near the symphysis longer, especially in the hindermost row. Few caninoid teeth in the frontpart of the vomer, in. one row, forming a /. A row of small teeth on the palatines, with a series of distant canines, about 4 or 5 on each side. In the mandibles a band of about 4 rows of small teeth in front, tapering laterally and with a series of distant canines. About 10 - 12 rows of scales between eye and hindborder of praeoperculum, 5 or 6 rows of scales on operculum. Linea lateralis running in a straight line, without any abrupt curve or interruption. Dorsal beginning above origin of pectorals and ending scarcely behind anal, its origin scparated by 17 - 20 scales from tip of snout. Origin of anal below 13th dorsal ray. Pectorals about one eye-diameter shorterthan postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating behind origin of dorsal, somewhat shorter than pectorals. Brownish above, yellowish white below. Two dark parallel bands running from the hindborder of the eye somewhat obliquely downwards to the interoperculum. Four or 5 black ocelli, surrounded by a yellowish ring and larger than the eye: the first partly on pracoperculum, partly on operculum, the following three at some distance of each other on the lateral line, the second, which may be absent, above the anus, the third about below the middle of the dorsal and the fourth below the last third of dorsal , the fifth in the middle of the base of the caudal fin. Dorsal, anal and caudal with indistinct light and dark crossbars. Pectorals and, ventrals more or less dusky, base of pectorals brown. Length almost 400 mm.3).
Habitat: Sumatra (Palembang!, Djambi!, Padang?), Borneo (Banjermassin, river Kapuas, Srebrunga, Knapei, Matanv, Danau, Sriang, Pulu Matjan).
In rivers.
D. 38 - 41; A. 27 - 29; P. 16 -18; V. 6; L. l. 58 - 65; L. tr. 5 1/2 /1/ (10 - 11).
Cylindrical, compressed posteriorly. Height 4.3 - 5, more than 5 to more than 6 in length with caudal. Head 3 - 3.2, 3.2 - 4 in length with caudal. Head depressed, its upper profile sloping down in a more or less concave line, varying according to the individuals and less pronounced in small specimens. Eye 5 1/2 , (in specimen of 85 mm.) - 10 (in specimen of 360 mm.). Less than twice to nearly 3 in flat or slightly convex interorbital space, 1.3 to twice in snout. Tip of snout in the horizontal through upper part of eye. Cleft of mouth oblique, reaching to vertical through hindborder of eye or not so far. Lower jaw prominent. A band of small teeth in the intermaxillaries. On vomer and palatines a single row of canines, between which smaller teeth are inserted. A band of small teeth in the mandibles, tapering posteriorly and having an inner series of distant canines. 10 - 13 rows of scales between eye and praeoperculum and 4 - 6 rows on operculum. Lateral line curving downwards 2 rows of scales at about the 18th - 20th scale. Dorsal beginning above pectorals and ending above end of anal, its origin separated by 18 - 19 scales from tip of snout. Origin of anal below 11th or 12th dorsal ray. Pectorals equal to distance between eye and hindborder of praeoperculum or longer, but considerably shorter than postorbital part of head. Ventrals not much shorter than pectorals, originating behind origin of dorsal. Colour variable. In young specimens brownish above, yellowish below, with a black lateral interrupted band running from the hindborder of the eye to base of caudal and forming a series of large spots, along the side of the body. In the interspaces between those spots there is more dorsally a similar row of less dark spots, these two alternating rows of spots covering almost the whole sides of.the body and leaving a light zic-zac lateral line between them. The centre of each spot of the upper row is formed by a darker oblique streak, which is at right angles with similar streaks on the ventral half of the body. In older specimens the whole fish is much darker and the markings on the body are more or less obsolete, the oblique streaks on the belly, which is lighter, remaining more conspicuous, but often completely vanishing in old specimens. Sometimes there are round black spots, irregularly arranged, on upper part of head and body. Dorsal, anal and caudal spotted or streaked with rows of blackish or whitish spots. Similar spots are often conspicuous on the ventral side of the head. Pectorals white, barred with brown; ventrals freckled or indistinctly barred with brown. Length 360 mm.
Nom. indig.: Gabus tjina (Malay. Batavia.), Mudju mudju (Korintji, Sumatra).
Habitat: Sumatra (Padang, Lake Singkarah!, Solok, Palembang!, Lahat, Taluk!, Muara Kompeh, Lower Langkat, Laut Tador, Lake Korintji!, Indragiri, Djapura, Djambi!, Deli); Banka; Biliton; Singkep!; Java (Batavia, Bekassi!, Buitenzorg!, Tjibiliong, LcIles, Semarang, Megamendok); Madura; Borneo (river Kajan!, river Mahakkam and its affluents Howong!, Bluu!, Bo!; Prabukarto, Banjermassin, river Kahajan, river Kapuas: Pontianak, Sebruang, Knapei, Putus Genting and river Raun!; Mandhor, Montrado, Sambas, river Baram, river Serawak). Siam, China.
In rivers, lakes and ponds.
Note. O. polylepis is based on a single specimen of 114 mm., now preserved in the Leiden Museum and in such a bad state, that it is impossible to describe it properly. According to BLEEKER's description , the only difference of importance between O. polylepis and lucius would be that lastnamed species has one row of scales more above the lateral line than O. polylepis . In his diagnosis however BLEEKER states of the scales in the l.tr.« quarum 4 vel 5? supra lineam lateralem .» All the specimens afterwards labelled by different authors as O. polylepis and which we examined, turned out to be O. lucius . We have not seen the specimens of O. polylepis mentioned by VOLZ (Revue Suisse Zool. XII. 1904, p. 460) which is a pity, as VOLZ records O. lucius on the same page, from the same locality. Probably the last ones are large specimens, with concave profile, which differ considerably in aspect from the young ones, which he therefore referred to O. polylepis .
D. 42 - 47; A. 25 - 28; P. 18 - 20; V. 1,5; L.l. 82 - 91; L. tr. (5 1/2 - 6 1/2 )/1/(15 - 16).
Cylindrical, compressed posteriorly. Height 5.1 - 5.5, 6.1 - 6.7 in length with caudal. Head 2.6 - 2.8, 3.1 - 3.4 in length with caudal. Head depressed, rather pointed, flat above, the profile from occiput to snout sloping in a straight line. Eye 6 1/2 -7 1/2 , twice to 2.5 in the interorbital space and about 4.5 in the postorbital part of the head. Snout longer than, but not twice as long as eye, its tip in the horizontal through middle of eye. Cleft of mouth oblique. Maxillary reaching to behind eye. Lower jaw somewhat prominent. In the upper jaw a pluriserial band of small teeth. On the palatines and the anterior part of the vomer a continuous row of small teeth and immediately behind this a row of distant strong canines. Small teeth in several rows near the symphysis in the lower jaw, laterally in one or two rows. Immediately behind these a row of distant strong canines. There are 15 - 17 rows of scales between the eye and the hindborder of the pracoperculum and about 8 rows on the operculum. Lateral line without abrupt curve, but sloping down in a more or less regular way in the fore part of its course. Dorsal beginning above or even somewhat before base of pectorals and ending scarcely behind end of anal; its origin separated by about 28 scales from snout. None of those scales on the head very much larger than the others. Origin of anal below 16th - 17th dorsal ray. Pectorals about 1.5 or somewhat more in postorbital part of head. Ventrals originating at some distance behind pectorals and only a little shorter than lastnamed fins. Dark brown or bluish above, whitish below; two black parallel longitudinal bands, the upper one running from point of snout through eye to end of caudal, the lower one beginning somewhat above corner of mouth, running through base of pectoral and also continued to end of caudal, the interspace between these bands brick-red in living specimens, but generally faded in preserved ones. In older specimens the black bands break up into irregular blotches and quite disappear in old specimens. Dorsal fin dusky or with irregular longitudinal bands in older specimens. Caudal dusky, with exception of the two dark bands and the red interspace in younger specimeiis. Pectorals, ventrals and anal whitish, the lastnamed fin with a black lonoitudinal band in old specimens. Length 640 mm.
Nom. indig.: Gabus Tobang (Malay), Ikan toman (lake Toba).
Habitat: Sumatra (Palembang!, Lahat, Muara Kompeh, Gunung Sahilan!, Djambi!, Laut Tador, Danau kota, Danau baru, Lake Toba!); Banka; Biliton; Java (Batavia, Tjibiliong, Lelles, Semarang); Madura; Borneo (Prabukarto, Banjermassin, river Kapuas: Pontianak, Sintang, Knapei, Putus Genting!, Danau Sriang; Montrado, Sambas). - Siam, Indo-China, Malabar and Western coast of India.
In rivers and ponds.
Ophiocephalus punctatus Bl. a species from British India, but not known frorn Siam or Malakka, has been recorded by KNER from Java ( Fische Novara Exp. I. 1865-1867, P. 233 ) BLEEKER ( Verh. Akad. Amsterdam XIX. 1879, Poissons pharyng. labyr. p. 36 ) supposes, that the locality « Java »is erroneous. We agree with BLEEKER, as KNER often made mistakes in the records of localities. KAROLI (Termesz. Füzetek V. 1882, p. 25) records O. punctatus besides from Ceylon, from Borneo (Matang, Sarawak), Java (Palabuan, Sindanglaja) and under the name of O. affinis Gthr. , which is according to DAY a synonym of O. punctatus , also from Singapore. Already the fact, that KAROLI mentions this species from so many localities in the Indo-australian Archipelago, whereas it has never been recorded by other authors from there, makes it probable that KAROLI made a mistake.
[ ... ]
1 For particulars see Max Rauther, Ergebnisse und Fortschritte der Zoologie II . Heft 4, 1910, p. 522-531. Back
2 According to Bean & Weed (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 42, 1912, p. 607) , this species is also found on Java (Buitenzorg, Palabuan Ratu). We suppose that some mistake is made, as it is hardly believable that BLEEKER and so many other ichthyologist after him, who collected at Buitenzorg, would have overlooked this species. Back
3 O. spiritalis Fowler , from Padang, is intermediate in many respects between O. pleurophthalmus and O. lucius . The number of scales in the L.l. (55), the fin formula (D. 29, A. 28) do not give any definite clue to which of the two species O. spiritalis belongs, although the low number of scales points to O. pleurophthalmus. According to the figure the profile of the head is somewhat concave, but not so much as in O. lucius. The blotches on opercle and body correspond fairly well with the ocelli of O. pleurophthalmus, but they miss the light rings of the latter. The bars on the pectorals are again exactly what we see in specimens of O. lucius. O. spiritalis may be a hybrid of the two species, although we are not aware that hybridisation is known in Ophiocephalus . Back
This passage was originally published in: Weber, M. & L. F. de Beaufort, 1922. The Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago . Vol. 4, pp. 312-330.
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