195 

 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



spine, the second long and confluent with the caudal and anal, which last also consists of in any rays; 

 Pectoral spine moderately strong and denticulated. Branchial aperture large, and divided as far forwards 

 as the eyes: membranes not attached to the isthmus. The branchial arches are without any posterior 

 processes or membrane. 



Plotosus Arab. 



Silurus Arab, ForsMl, p. xvi. No. 3G. 



Ingelee, Russell, pi. 166. 



Plotosus anguillaris, Cantor, Catal. p. 264 ; Gilnther, Catal. v. p. 24. 



Plotosus Arab, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. ii. p. 98, t. 95, f. 2. 



Plotosus lineatus, Guv. & Vol. xv. p. 412. 



? Plotosus castaneus, Guv. & Vol. xv. p. 421. 



Moorghee, Mai. . 



B. xi.-xii. D. ? L|93. Y. 12. A. 66. C. 13. Vert. -if. 



Length of head f, of pectoral J, of caudal ^ 5 , of base of first dorsal T ' 8 , of base of second 

 dorsal above J, of base of anal \ of total length. Height of head \, of body \, of first dorsal \, 

 of second dorsal &, of anal ^, of ventral £ of total length. 



Eyes— Oval, situated near the upper profile. Horizontal diameter £, vertical diameter | of 

 length of head, 2 diameters from end of snout, and the same distance apart. 



Body elongated and compressed : head depressed, obtuse, and widest opposite the opercles, 

 the width forming almost a semicircle. 



Mouth directed forward with fleshy lips : its gape equal to half the length of the head. 

 Numerous papillee on both lips. Upper jaw slightly the longest. The posterior limb of the 

 preopercle slopes a little downwards and forwards : angle rounded. Opercle ending m rather an 

 obtuse point. Summit of head rough, with a lanceolate central longitudinal groove from opposite 

 the orbits to the snout. Nodulated lines exist above the orbits. Occipital process long and very 

 narrow. Four pairs of cirri, the maxillary and external mandibular pairs equal to about half the 

 length of the head : nasal and internal mandibular pairs also equal in length but shorter than the 

 others. Nostrils close to the lips, and near the central line of the head. 



Teeth— Irregularly disposed in three rows, in the intermaxillaries and lower jaw they are 

 large, sharp, pointed, and directed a little backwards : the anterior ones the strongest. Two 

 outer teeth in the upper jaw, large, curved, and directed slightly inwards. There are more teeth 

 in the lower than in the upper jaw. Vomerine teeth rounded, with one or two sharp ones exter- 

 nally. Tongue fleshy, without teeth. 



Fins— First dorsal and pectoral arise on a line : ventral commences opposite the end of the 

 pectoral, and the second dorsal above it : anal begins opposite the end of the ventral. First dorsal 

 pointed, and its rays prolonged; its spine rather strongly toothed on the anterior and posterior 

 margins. The distance between the first dorsal and the second equals two-thirds of the height of 

 the body : it is rather lower in front than towards its centre j it, the caudal, and the anal are 

 united, but as each ends in a point, of which that of the caudal is the shortest, it appears as if 

 two V-shaped notches had been nipped out of the extremity of the caudal fin, which however 

 occasionally is rounded. The pectoral spine is moderately strong, half the length of the lm, 



denticulated on either edge. 



Lateral line-Commences at the upper margin of the opercles, first curves slightly upwards, 



2 c 2 



