198 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Sub-Pam. SACCOBRANCHIFORMES, Bleeher. 

 Genus SACCOBEANCHUS, Guv. and Vol. 

 Heteeopneustes, Midler. 



Branchiostegals, from six to eight. Eyes small. Opercular bones articulated together, moveable. Upper 

 and lateral part of head osseous, or covered by a very thin skin. Cleft of mouth transverse, moderate, anterior. 

 Gill cavity with an accessory posterior sac, extending backwards between the muscles on either side of the 

 vertebral column, to beneath the dorsal fin. Cirri eight, two nasal, two maxillary and four mandibular. 

 One dorsal, short, and composed of few rays : no adipose fin. Pectoral spine moderately strong. Ventral 

 of six rays, situated behind or below the dorsal. Jaws with bands of villifonn teeth, disposed on the 

 vomer in two oblong widely separated patches. 



Saccobranchus SINGIO. 



Silurus singio, Ham. Buck. pp. 147, 347, pi. 37, f. 46. 



Saccobranchus singio, Guv. & Vol. xv. p. 400, pi. 448 ; Giinther, Catal. v. p. 30. 



Saccobranchus fossilis, Jerdon, Madras Journal, xv. p. 342. 



Kahree meen, Mai. 



B. vi-vii. D. 7. P. £. V. 6. A. 68-72. C. 15. 



Length of head |, of pectoral j-^, of caudal ^, of base of dorsal about g^, of base of anal f 

 of total length. Height of head *fe, of body J, of dorsal -j^, of ventral ^, of anal T \f of total 

 length. 



Eyes — In the adult are situated on the external margin of the head, and directed upwards and 

 outwards. Diameter £ of length of head, from If to 2 diameters from end of snout, and rather 

 more than 3 diameters apart. In immature specimens the eyes are directed more laterally, and are 

 proportionately larger. 



Body long and compressed. Head broad and strongly depressed, its width being equal to 

 the height of the body. A slight rise occurs from the snout towards the occiput. 



Mouth anterior, with wide transverse nearly semicircular gape, but narrow cleft ; its lips fleshy, 

 and surrounded by four pairs of cirri. Maxillary cirri with fleshy bases ; they extend to the termi- 

 nation of the pectoral fin, or sometimes slightly beyond it : nasal cirri small, extending to opposite 

 the posterior third of the pectoral : the two pairs of mandibular cirri are of equal size, the external 

 reaching to the posterior third of the pectoral, whilst the internal are slightly shorter ; but it must 

 be remarked, that these cirri vary irregularly in different specimens ; in one ten inches in length 

 the maxillary pair reach the commencement of the anal fin, and the remainder are comparatively 

 produced to what is observable in the adult. On the summit of the head, which is rugose, osseous, 

 or but slightly covered with skin, there is, between and rather behind the orbits, a smooth lanceo- 

 late depression, directed forwards, broader and shorter in the adult than in the immature. In the 

 central bne, and on the posterior extremity of the cranium, there is another smooth oval depression, 

 about the size of the orbit in the adult, but larger in the immature. Nostrils in front and rather 

 internal to the orbit, the anterior one tubular, the posterior oblong, and midway between the orbit 

 and jaws. 



Teeth — In crowded villiform bands in each jaw, and a semicircle of the same character on the 

 vomer and palate. Tongue smooth. 



Fins — Dorsal small, rounded, and rather expanded above, situated over the ventral and oppo- 

 site the posterior extremity of the pectoral ; it has a strong spine having a slightly convex external 



