,l08 REI'ORT ON FISHF.S. PART I: rnBITIDAE 



lii^litt-r 1*41 tlic ventral surface. 'I'liere is a series of spots aloni; tlie lateral line and also along 

 tile dorsal surface. The fms are witlumt any colour niarkins.;s. 



Pistribiitioii. Reference has been made above to the .general distributimi nf the s])ccies. 

 Its precise range is, however, difficult to assign till the limits of the forms referred to 

 .V. stolicchae from all over Central Asia are properly elucidated. The \'ale North India 

 ICxpedition obtained specimens from the following localities in June-August, \'^^32: 



Between Tangtse and Mugleb, ca 13,700 ft. (L37). 1 .specimen (S). 



Mig])al-kongma, ca 16,082 ft. (L64). 5 specimens (i). 



Between Chuine-sang and Nyagtsu, ca 15,500 ft. (L()5). 4 specimens (39 +13). 



Nyagtsn, ca 15.324 ft. (L65). 1 s]K'cimen (S). 



Tso-skani, ca 15.800 ft. (L77b). 1 specimen (9). 



Yaye Tso, ca 15,373 ft. (L78). 18 specimens (young). 



Rciimrks. A'cDiachiliis stolicskar can be readily distinguished by the fullowing combina- 

 tion of characters : 



(i) The \entrals extend considerably bexcuid the anal opening. 



(ii) The comiiieiiceiiicut of the dorsal is nearer {<> the base of the caudal than to the 

 tip of the snout. 



(iii) The least height of the caudal jieduiicle is abnut 3-4 times in its length. 



(iv) The lijis are papillated and conliiUK ms ; the posterior li|) is broad and rellecled 

 backwards. 



Bionomics, b'roni its general buikl, position and form of the jjaired fms and the struc- 

 ture of the lips and jaws, N. stolicchac appears to l)e a torrential species. The absence of a 

 functional swim-bladder indicates that it is a stream form and li\i's at the bottom. An 

 examination of the stomach contents has shown that it feeds on insect larvae and algal 

 growths that encrust rocks and stones. Caddis- worms, dipterous larvae, eggs (probably of 

 Trichoptera) and slimy matter have been found in the stomachs of specimens dissected from 

 dififerent localities. The length of the alimentary canal is slightly greater than the length 

 of the fish. Some of tlu- s]ieciniens opened ha\e been found to harbour wdrnis. 



M casiirciiwnls in iiiilliiiuircs 



6 £ S 9 9 9 



Total length including caudal 121 .0 106.0 100.0 102.5 96.9 84.5 



Length of caudal 21 .2 18.S 17.0 18.0 16.2 14.8 



Length of head 21.0 18.0 17.8 18.5 19.0 16.4 



Width of head 15.0 11.5 11.3 12.5 12.1 9.3 



Height of head 11.8 9.2 9.8 10.4 9.0 7.8 



Depth of body 14.0 10.3 10.7 9.8 10.2 10.2 



Lengdi of snout 10.0 8.8 7.8 7.6 8.2 7.0 



Diameter of eye 4.0 2.9 2.8 3.0 . 3.0 2.8 



liiterorbital width 5.5 4.0 4.0 3.9 5.0 3.6 



Length of caudal peduncle 23.6 20.0 20.0 21.0 20.0 18.0 



Least height of caudal peduncle 7.0 6.4 5.5 6.2 5.8 5.0 



Longest ray of dorsal 18.1) 15.1 14.0 15.0 14,8 11.0 



Longest ray of anal 1 5.5 1 3.6 12.0 1 4.0 1 4.0 10.5 



Length of pectoral 18.5 16.0 14.5 1 5.8 15.0 12.0 



Length of ventral 15.6 14.5 13.0 12.5 13.0 11.0 



L66 L64 L6S 



