76 



Distribution : West Indies, Madeira and neighbouring parts of Atlantic, 

 Mediterranean : India, Australia, Japan. 



Key to the Indian species of the genus Physiculus. 



I. First ray of the dorsal fin prolonged : the longest ventral ray 



reaches only just beyond the origin of the anal ... ... P. roseus. 



II. Dorsal fin not prolonged : the longest ventral ray reaches far beyond 



the origin of the anal ... ... ... ... P. argyropastus. 



57. Physiculus roseus, Alcock. 



Physiculus roseus, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 1891. p. 28 : Illustrations of the Zoology op the 

 Investigator, Fishes, pl. XI. fig. 2 : Joarn. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. LXIII. pt. 2, 1894, p. 122. 



B. 7. D. 6-7/57. A. 55. V. 7. 



Head and trunk broad ; tail compressed, higher than the trunk anteriorly. 

 Length of the head very nearly one-fourth of the total, including the caudal ; 

 greatest height of the body, just behind the origin of the dorsal fin, about one- 

 sixth of the total. 



Snout depressed, broader than long, obtusely rounded ; its length, which is 

 equal to the major diameter of the eye and slightly exceeds the width of the flat 

 interorbital space, is one-fourth that of the head. Nostrils superior, situated 

 immediately in front of the orbit. 



Mouth wide, oblique, with the upper jaw overlapping the lower ; the maxilla 

 reaches beyond the vertical through the middle of the orbit. Teeth villiform, 

 in broadish bands in the jaws only. 



Barbel stout, about as long as the eye. 



Gill-openings very wide. Small glandular pseudobranchia3. 



Body and head covered with a thick mucilaginous skin, which is invested 

 everywhere with small deciduous scales, of which there appear to be six rows 

 between the first dorsal fin and the lateral line. The dorsal and anal fins, which 

 are invested with a fold of thick scaleless skin, extend to within an eye-length 

 of the caudal. The first dorsal, which is separated from the second only by a 

 notch, begins in the vertical through the base of the pectoral ; its first ray is 

 prolonged and nearly equals the postrostral portion of the head in length. The 

 ventrals arise on flattened bases ; their outer ray is prolonged only j ust beyond 

 the origin of the anal. The pointed pectorals arise on oblique bases ; their 

 length is about equal to that of the head behind the eye. 



The vent is situated well in advance of the origin of the anal fin, but behind 

 the base of the pectorals, and there is a small postanal papilla. A large simple 

 air-bladder. 



Colours in life uniform rose-red. 



