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A SYNOPSIS OF THE FISHES OF CHINA.
PART III-concluded.
The Eels.
By HENRY W. FOWLER.
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, U.S.A.
PISODONOPHIS Kaup.
Pisodonophis Kaup, Archiv Naturg., vol. 22, pt. 1, 1856, p. 47. Type Pisodonophis cancrivorus Kaup, designated by Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Ind. Neerl., vol. 4, 1864, p. 36.
Body elongate, cylindrical. Head conic, moderate. Snout mostly pointed, projects before lower jaw. Eye small, in first third or fourth of head. Mouth cleft reaches to hind eye edge or beyond. Upper lip not fringed. Teeth granular, subequal, in several series; on premaxillary plate in contiguous or separated group. Gill openings moderate or small.
No scales. Lateral line present.
Dorsal and anal not confluent, end shortly before end of tail. Pectorals well developed. Ventral median or post- median.
Rather large serpent eels, mostly of the Indo Pacific. Known chiefly by their granular teeth.
Synopsis of Species.
a. Dorsal origin behind pectoral ends.
b'. Head 31/5 to 33/5 in trunk.
b. Head 4 in trunk.
a. Dorsal origin above middle of pectorals.
c1. Depth 22 to 34.
d. Depth 45.
boro.
micropterus.
cancrivorus.
oligodon.
Pizodonophis boro (Buchanan Hamilton). Ophisurus boro Buchanan-Hamilton, Fishes of Ganges, 1822, pp. 20, 263. Ganges estuaries near Calcutta.
Ophichthys boro Sauvage, Bull. Soc. Philomath., Paris, ser. 7, vol. 5, 1881, p. 107 (Swatow).
Pisoodonophis boro Rutter, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1897, p. 62 (compiled).-Chen, Bull. Biol, Dep. Sun Yat-sen Univ., vol. 1, No. 1, 1929, p. 17, fig. 8 (dentition) (Hoihow),
Pisodonophis boro Wu, Contrib. Biol. Dep. Sci. Soc. China, vol. 5, No. 4, 1929, p. 36, fig. 29 (head) (Amoy).
The Hong Kong Naturalist.
A Synopsis of the Fishes of China
127
Conger microstoma Fydoux and Souleyet, Voy. Bonite, Zool., vol. 1, 1841, p. 205, pl. 5, fig. 3. Macao.
P. 101.
Ophisurus pallens Richardson, Voy. Erebus and Terror, Fishes, 1844,
China.
Pisoodonophis pallens Kaup, Cat. Apodal Fish. Brit. Mus., 1853, P. 17 (type).
Ophichthys pallens Günther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., vol. 8, 1870, p. 61 (type).
(Canton)
Ophisurus harancha Richardson, Ichth. China Japan, 1846, p. 313
Figure 8. Pisodonophis boro (Buchanan-Hamilton).
H.W.F
Depth 32 to 37; head 9 to 122, 3 1/5 to 3 3/5 in trunk, head and trunk about 11⁄2 in tail. Eye 12 to 217% in head, 24 in snout. Mouth cleft 3 to 5 in head, extends far behind eye. Dorsal begins behind gill opening at space equal to or longer than 2 head. Pectoral 4 to 44 in head. Blackish brown above, paler below. Length to 930 mm.
Hoihow, Swatow, Amoy, Macao, Canton (India, East Indies, Philip- pines*, Cochin, Formosa).
Pisodonophis micropterus Bleeker.
Pisoodonophis micropterus Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., vol. 1, 1863, p. 182. Celebes (Makassar).
Pisoodonophis rubicandus Chen, Bull. Biol. Dep, Sun Yat-sen Univ., vol. 1, No. 1, 1929, p. 18, pl. 1, fig. 2 (anterior body and tail end), fig. za (dentition). Hoihow,
May 1932.
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