The 



Fishes of South Africa. 



thau longest dorsal spine, soft portion of fin similar to soft dorsal. 

 Caudal rounded ; caudal peduncle 1^ times as deep as long. Scales 

 ctenoid, 31f ; lateral lines -f|. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), dark uniform brown, scales on 

 upper two-thirds of body and head blackish in the centre. 



One specimen, 126 mm. in length, from Livingstone, Rhodesia (Mr. 

 A. Stephenson). 



OPISTHOMT. 



FAMILY MASTACEMBELIDAE. 



MASTACEMBELUS. 



G-ronov., Zoophyl., p. 133 (1781), part, ; Giinth., Cat. Fish., iii, p. 540 

 (1861) ; Bouleug., Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 490 (1901), Fish. Nile, 

 p. 540 (1907), Journ. Ac. Pliilad. (2), xv, 1912, p. 197, and 

 Freshw. Fish. Africa, iv, p. 112 (1916). 



" Eostral appendage not striated inferiorly. Dorsal with 7 to 39 

 spines, anal with 1 to 3. 



South-eastern Asia, China, Euphrates, Oxus, and Tropical Africa. 



In all the African species the caudal fin is confluent with the dorsal 

 and anal/ 



MASTACEMBELUS MELLANDI, Blgr. 



Bouleng., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), iv, 1914, p. 386, and Freshw, 

 Fish. Africa, iv, p. 135, fig. 89 (1916). 



Flo. 161. Mastacembelus mellandi. Type. ^. 



Depth of body 12 times in total length, length of head 8 times. 

 Vent nearly equally distant from head and from caudal, its distance 



