140 



Annul* of the South African 



occipital process angular ; frontal fontanelle 2J to 4|- times as long 

 as broad, 3^ to 4J times in length of head ; occipital fontanelle very 

 small, in advance of occipital process; eye very small, 3 to 4^ times 

 in length of snout and 4| to 7 times in interorbital width; width of 

 mouth about equal to interorbital width, | to J length of head ; band 

 of premaxillary teeth 5 to 7 times as long as broad ; vomerine teeth 

 mostly conical, or granular sub-conical, forming a crescentic band 

 which may be slightly interrupted in the middle, where it is nearly 

 as broad as or narrower than the premaxillary band ; nasal barbel ^ 

 to -| length of head ; maxillary barbel shorter than head in adult (a 



FIG. 95. Clarias </<irii'i>iints. ^. 



little longer in young), reaching to base or last third of pectoral 

 spine; outer mandibular barbel 1* to ly^ times as long as inner, 

 which measures to ?- length of head. Gill-rakers on anterior arch 

 fine and closely set, 26-65 in number. Clavicles not exposed. 



Dorsal 65-80 ; its distance from occipital process | to -^ length of 

 head, its distance from caudal ll to 3 times diameter of eye. Anal 

 50-60, not reaching caudal. Pectoral -?- to i length of head, the 

 spine serrated on the outer border and I to i the length of the fin. 

 Ventrals nearly equally distant from point of snout and root of caudal 

 or a little nearer to the former. Caudal about | length of head. 



