448 Annals of the South African Museum. 



band, sharply defined in front, shading off to yellow or red behind ; 

 adipose dorsal fin often blackish at the end. 



Total length 720 millim. 



Nile, Omo, Niger, Congo, Zambesi." 



3. PLOTOSUS. 



Plotosus, Lacep., Hist. Poiss., v., p. 129 (1803) ; Gunth., Cat. Pish., 

 v., p. 23 (1864) ; Vaill., Bui. Mus. Paris, 1903, p. 119 ; Bouleng., Cat. 

 Fresh. Pish. Air., ii., p. 278 (1911). 



Platystacus, part., Bloch, Ausl. Fische, viii., p. 52 (1793). 



Body elongate, compressed, tapering to a point behind ; a short 

 dorsal fin in front, with a pungent spine ; a second dorsal and a 

 long anal, united with the caudal ; head feebly depressed ; 4 pairs of 

 barbels one nasal, one maxillary, two mandibular. Eye with free 

 orbital margin. Jaws with a band of obtusely conical teeth ; a group 

 of large granular teeth on vomer. Gill-membranes free from isthmus, 

 deeply notched in the middle. 



Coasts of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, sometimes 

 entering fresh waters. One species has been found in fresh waters 

 in East Africa. 



PLOTOSUS ANGUILLARIS, Bl. 



Silurns, sp. d., Forsk., Descr. Anim., p. xvi (1775). 



Platijstacus anguillaris, Bloch, Ausl. Fische, viii., p. 60, pi. ccclxxiii., 

 fig. 1 (1793). 



Plotosus anguillaris, Lacep., Hist. Poiss., v., p. 129 (1803) ; Giinth., 

 Cat. Fish., v., p. 24 (1864) ; Bouleng., Cat. Fresh. Fish. Afr., ii., 

 p. 278, tig. 229 (1911). 



Plotosus ikapor, Less. Voy. Coquille, Zool., ii., p. 132, pi. xxxi., 

 fig. 3 (1830). 



Plotosus marginatus, Bennett, Life of Raffles, p. 691 (1830). 



Plotosus lineatus, Guv. and Val., Hist. Poiss., xv., p. 412 (1840). 



Plotosus castaneus, Bleek, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind., ii., 1851, 

 p. 490. 



Plotosus arab, Bleek, Atl. Ichth., ii., p. 98, pi. xcv., fig. 2 (1862) ; 

 Day, Fish. Ind., p. 483, pi. cxii., fig. 4 (1878). 



Depth of body 5i to 6f times in total length excluding caudal, 

 length of head 4f to 5 times. Snout rounded, feebly projecting 

 beyond mouth, 2| to 2f times in length of head, interorbital width 

 2| to 3 times ; eye supero-lateral, 6f to 7| times in length of head ; 

 lips papillose ; teeth large ; nasal barbel f length of head ; maxillary 



