154 THE FISHES OF MALABAE. 



Length of head ^> °f pectoral ^g, of caudal ^, of base of first dorsal T 4 y, of base of second 

 dorsal J, of base of anal a little more than - 3 - of total length. Height of head ^ 7 , of body -J, of 

 first dorsal about ■£$, of second dorsal g\, of anal ^ of total length. 



Byes — Horizontal diameter -fe, vertical diameter y 1 ^ of length of head, 2-|- diameters from end 

 of snout, rather more than |- a horizontal diameter apart. 



Body elongated and eel-like, laterally compressed, head pointed. 



Mouth rather oblique, cleft narrow, jaws not protractile, the upper the longest, with a soft 

 elongated snout trilobed at its end, and about equal to one diameter and a quarter of the orbit in 

 length ; lips fleshy. Posterior margin of the maxilla extends to rather behind the anterior margin 

 of the oi'bit. Opercle rounded posteriorly, without any spine. Preopercle with the posterior 

 border short and rather vertical ; the angle and lower limb forming an oblique curve ; at the angle 

 there are two sharp spines directed backwards, the superior nearly twice as long as the inferior. 

 Nostrils large and opposite the centre of the orbit. Two small spines beneath the orbit. 

 Teeth — Villiform, and in several sharp rows. 



Fins — First dorsal commences over the posterior third of the pectoral, and the anal rather 

 in front of the second dorsal and continuous with the caudal. Pectoral short and rounded. The 

 first dorsal consists of a series of sharp spines, — connected in then- posterior lower halves by a 

 short membrane, — increasing very gradually in length from the first to the last, which is strong, 

 rounded, and nearly as long as the rays of the second dorsal. The second dorsal is continuous 

 with the caudal and consists of branched rays. Caudal with a square base and a rather rounded 

 extremity. Anus midway between the posterior border of the opercle and the base of the caudal, 

 behind it there are two spines, the first being short, the second strong and tapering, one third 

 longer than the last dorsal spine, they can be received into a sheath: anteriorly, and nearer 

 to the commencement of the anal fin, there is a third very short sharp spine hidden in the flesh. 

 Scales — Very minute, they cover the opercles and head. 

 Lateral line — Nearly straight. 



Colours — Dark green, marbled in about twenty stripes, and with a yellowish tinge ; the 

 anterior portion of the abdomen dirty white, and the under surface of the throat white. Caudal 

 and pectoral fins barred. 



Air vessel simple, lengthened and pointed at both extremities. 



Common in the rivers of Malabar, and is good eating, especially when curried. It is dangerous 

 to handle on account of its spines. 



Grows to two feet and upwards in length. 



Habitat — Fresh waters of India, Ceylon, and China. 



Mastacemblus Guntheei. Plate XI. 



Ma.^tacemblus Guntheei, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 37. 



B. vi. D. 27-28 | 60-64. P. 15. A. 3 [ 62-64. C. 9. 



Length of head \, of pectoral ^3, of caudal y 1 ^, of base of hard dorsal %, of soft dorsal \, of 

 anal § of total length. Height of head ^ 3 , of body \, of soft dorsal 05, of anal j 1 ^ of total length. 



Eyes — Diameter ^ length of head, rather more than 1 diameter apart, and 4 diameters from 

 end of snout. 



Upper jaw longer than the lower. The soft snout extends one tenth of the length of the 



