THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 175 



Order PHYSOSTOMI. 

 Sub-Order SILUEIDJ5. 



Fam. SILUROIDEI, Bleeker. 

 Sub-Fam. BAGRIFORMES, Bleeker. 

 Group BAGRINI, Bleeker. 

 Sub-Group ARII, Bleeker. 



Genus NETUMA, Bleeker. 

 Arius, pt. Cuv. & Val. 



Branchiostegals, five or six. Opercular bones with moveable articulations. No lateral groove on the 

 head : bones on summit of head granulated, roughened, and covered with very thin skin. Mouth anterior : 

 the upper jaw generally the longest. Eyes with free orbital margin. Cirri six, one maxillary and two 

 mandibular pairs. Nostrils approximating, the posterior provided with a valve. Teeth in jaws villiform ; 

 also present (usually villiform) on vomer and palate, disposed in six patches, which may be either distinct 

 or confluent : four of these patches form an anterior row, two of them being on the vomer, whilst the pos- 

 terior row is composed of one pair, which are behind the internal portion of the anterior palatine row. 

 Two dorsals, the first with one strong serrated spine and seven rays j it is situated above or before the 

 ventrals : second dorsal adipose, well developed or moderate. Pectoral spine strong and serrated. Caudal 

 forked or emarginate. An air bladder. 



NETUMA NETUMA. 



Arius netuma, Cuv. & Val. xiv. p. 438, pi. 417 ; Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 292.' 



B. vi. D. \ | 0. P. T L V. 6. A. 19. C. 17. 



Length of head \, of pectoral J, of caudal \, of base of dorsal ^, of base of adipose dorsal \, of 

 base of anal \ of the total length. Height of head £, of body §, of first dorsal \, of second dorsal ^ 

 of ventral -^, of anal | of the total length. 



Eyes — Oval, situated in the anterior half of the head: horizontal diameter ^ 3 , vertical 

 diameter Jj- in length of head, 2 horizontal diameters from end of snout, 3 horizontal diameters 

 apart. 



Gape of mouth wide and semi-elliptical, upper jaw rather the longest : the maxillary pair of 

 cirri extend to the root of the pectoral, and the two pairs of mandibular two-thirds the length of 

 the maxillary. Opercular bones roughened in lines, shoulder bones in numerous small circular or 

 oval depressions : the whole of the upper surface of the head nodulated as far forwards as orbits. 

 Occipital process broader at its base than it is long, slightly keeled along its centre : basal 

 bone of dorsal spine strong, the central longitudinal groove widest opposite the posterior 

 margin of orbit, but does not extend much beyond the posterior margin of preopercle, 



