THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



1 17 



Scales— Cover body, operoles, and the summit of the head. Between the orbits and I 

 posterior margin of the preopercles is a large irregularly quadrangular Bcale, with a semicircular 

 one posterior to it ; and anteriorly from its outer third a very irregularly shaped scale enlarging 



exteriorly; the whole of the scales on the head arc of very irregular shapes, being lineated with 

 roughened tubercular lines, and having numerous glandular openings. 



Lateral line— In agroove along each side, it first passes along aboul sixteen rows, then bends 

 downwards along two rows, and from thence passes straight to the centre of the caudal, but .., 

 this deflection the scales alter so much that the second portion of the lateral Hue is only one scale 

 below where the upper portion would have been had its course been unchanged. The rows hoM - 

 ever are irregular, and not the same in all the specimens examined. 



Colours— These vary with the waters in which it is captured. Back greenish grey, passing 

 downwards in five or six digitations below the lateral line. Abdomen (when from clear and rather 

 shallow streams) of a bright orange, with some dusky markings at the bases of the scales. On 1 1 le 

 posterior third of the body, of the dorsal and anal fins, and on the whole of the caudal are some 

 fine pearly white spots. Dorsal, caudal, anal and pectoral grey : ventral orange. 



In some specimens, especially in the young, the dorsal fin is barred, and there is an ocellus at 

 its extremity : the same also sometimes exists on the root of the caudal. In the very young an 

 orange stripe runs from the eye to the caudal fin, whilst the dorsal fin has pale stripes directed 



backwards. 



This is considered the best of the genus for the table, because as it resides in streams it rarely 



has the muddy flavour of the 0. striatus. 

 It grows to about two feet in length. 

 Habitat — Rivers of India, Ceylon and China. 



Ophiocephalus diplogeamme, Plate X. 



Ophiocephalus diplogeamme, Dmj, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 36. 



B. v. D. 43. P. 15. V. 6. A. 27. C. 15. L. 1. 84. L. tr. r |;^. 



Length of head about f , of pectoral fa, of base of dorsal \, of base of anal }, of base of 

 caudal f of total length. Height of body J> of head fa of dorsal fa of ventral fa, of anal ^ of 



total length. 



Eyes— Diameter T \ of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, nearly 1J diameters apart. 



Body anteriorly subcylindrical, head depressed above, and laterally : orbit close to profile. 



Cleft of mouth wide, the maxilla extends to below the posterior third of orbit : lower jaw the 

 longest. Thirteen rows of scales between orbit and angle of preopercle. Interorbital space flat, 

 covered with six rows of irregularly rounded scales, having raised margins. Nostrils rather wide 

 apart, the superior the largest. A spinous process on either side of the occipital space. The 

 labyrinthiform cavity above the gills large. 



Teeth— Several rows of sharp villiform teeth in lower jaw, with some larger ones internal to 

 them. Some bands of sharp teeth in upper jaw, but without larger ones. The same on vomer 

 and palate, interspersed posteriorly with larger ones. 



Colours— Back grey, sides scarlet, abdomen white. A black band passes through the eye 

 direct to the upper half of caudal, a second from the angle of the mouth to the lower half of 

 caudal. Dorsal grey. Caudal scarlet, with two black horizontal stripes. Ventral and anal yell (Ir- 

 ish, with dark grey bases. Pectoral yellowish. 



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