THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 101 



the caudal fin. I should also remark that this can hardly be identical, as Br. Gunther suggests, 

 with Ham. Buchanan's " Pimelodus batasius," pi. 23, f. GO, the figure of which is incorrect, for in 

 the description, pp. 179, 377, it is expressly stated that it has eight cirri shorter than the head, and 

 only grows to about three inches in length. Again it can scarcely be the " Pimelodus carcio" of 

 the same author, which is a pond fish of about three inches in length, from North Bengal, in which 

 the maxillary cirrus does not extend to the posterior extremity of the first dorsal fin, whilst the 

 dorsal spine is said to have a strong prickle barbed behind, &c. &c. 



Common. Grows to at least a foot and a half in length, and is eaten by the poorer classes. 



Habitat — Seas and estuaries of India and Ceylon. 



Group PANGASINI, Sleeker. 

 Sub- Group PANG ASH, Sleeker. 



Genus PSEUDEUTEOPIUS, Bleeher. 



Branchiostegals from (? five) nine to ten. Abdominal profile more convex than that of the back : 

 opercular bones with moveable articulations ; body compressed. Eyes large, situated behind ; occasionally a 

 portion rather below the level of the mouth. Mouth anterior, in some the lower jaw the longest, in others 

 the upper, according to the age of the fish. Head covered with soft skin. Nostrils patent, transverse, the 

 posterior pair nearer to one another than they are to the anterior pair. Cirri eight, one pair to posterior 

 nostrils, one maxillary pair, and two mandibular pairs close to margin of lower jaw. Two dorsals, the 

 anterior placed before the ventral, short with a sharp, often serrated spine, and from four to eight rays : 

 the second adipose, rudimentary, and opposite the anal, which latter is elongate and many-rayed, termi- 

 nating some distance from the caudal which is forked. Ventral with six or seven rays. Pectoral with a 

 serrated spine. Teeth villiform in several rows in intermaxillaries and mandibles, those on vomer and 

 palatines in one undivided transverse band. Branchial aperture wide, interbranchial membrane deeply 

 emarginate. An air bladder present. 



Pseudeutropius Sykesti. 



Schilbe Sykesii, Jerdon, Madras Journal, xv. p. 335. 

 Pseudeutropius Mitchelli, Gunther, Catal. v. p. 59. 



B. viii. or ix. D. i | 0. P. \. V. 6. A. 35. 



Length of head i\, of pectoral \, of caudal \, of base of dorsal -fa, of base of anal more 

 than 1 of total length. Height of head T V, of body ft, of dorsal T V, of ventral T \,-, of anal ^ of 



total length. 



Eyes— Diameter rather exceeding \ of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, 



rather more than 1 diameter apart. 



Body elongated, compressed, decreasing in size from the head to the caudal. Profile of head 

 slightly elevated over the snout and nape, causing the central portion to appear rather concave ; 

 from thence to the caudal the line is nearly straight : the profile of the abdomen is more convex 

 than that of the back. 



Mouth, in young specimens up to about four inches and a half in length the upper jaw is 



