The Freshwater Fishes of South Africa. 449 



and outer mandibular barbels nearly or quite equal, f to ^ length of 

 head ; inner mandibular barbel J to f length of head. Gill-rakers 

 rather long, closely set, about 20 on lower part of anterior arch. 



Dorsal i 5, 85 ; spine strong, serrated in front and behind, y 1 ,, to 

 f length of head. Anal 70. Pectoral | to 4 length of head, with a 

 strong but short spine serrated on both sides. Ventral 1^ to 1-=^ 

 times as distant from caudal as from end of snout. 



FIG. 101. Ploloxus anguillaris. &. 



Colour (of preserved specimens), dark brown above, lighter below ; 



3 more or less distinct pale bluish longitudinal streaks on body ; fins 

 light-coloured ; outer edge of dorsal and of posterior half of anal 

 dark. 



Four specimens, ranging from 151-164 mm. in length respectively, 

 from Natal (Eomer Robinson). 



It is also reported from the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, as 

 far North as Japan. 



4. EUTROPIUS. 



Mull, and Frosch., Hor. Ichthyol., iii., p. 6 (1849) ; Giinth., Cat. Fish., 

 v.,p. 52 (1864); Bouleng., Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 266 (1901), Fish. 

 Nile p. 306 (1907), Cat. Fresh. Fish. Afr., ii., p. 279 (1911). 



Dorsal fin short, adipose dorsal very small, anal much elongate ; 



4 pairs of barbels one nasal, one maxillary, two mentals or mandi- 

 bulars. Nostrils widely separated. Eye large, with a free border. 

 Jaws with a band of villiform teeth ; a band of villiform vomero- 

 palatine teeth. Gill-membranes free, deeply notched. 



EUTROPIUS DEPBESSIROSTKIS, Peters. 



Bagrus depressirostris, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac., 1852, p. 682. 

 Eutropius depressirostris, Peters, Arch. f. Nat., 1855, p. 267; Giinth., 

 Cat. Fish., v., p. 54 (1864): Bouleng., Cat. Fresh. Fish. Afr., ii., 

 p. 291, fig. 237 (1911). 



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