THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



221 



high as tho third, the last being half as high as the front of the fin. Caudal cleft in its posterior 

 two-thirds, the lobes pointed. 



Scales — None on the bases of the fins. 



Lateral line— Commences opposite the upper margin of the operclc, and curves downwards 

 until it reaches the fifth scale, from whence it follows the curve of the abdomen to the lower half 



of the caudal. 



Colours— Back greenish. A narrow streak of yellow passes from the eye to about the centre 

 of the caudal fin, and beneath this there is a broad leaden-coloured line. The whole of the fish 

 has a purplish reflection. Fins reddish orange. Caudal tipped with black. 



Very common in the rivers, small streams, and tanks of Malabar. It takes a fly or bait 



readily. 



Habitat — Malabar. 



Fam. CYPRINODONTOIDES, Bleeker. 

 Sub-Fam. APLOCHEILIFORMES, Bleeker. 



Genus PANCHAX, Cuv. and Vol. 



Branehiostegals, from five to six: pseudobranchias absent. Body elongated, sides compressed, upper 

 surface of head and muzzle broad and depressed ; jaws protractile. Maxilla thrown behind the descending 

 branch of the intermaxillary, so that only the lower part contributes to form the angle of the mouth. 

 Teeth in jaws in several rows, of which the external is the largest : a narrow band of minute teeth on the 

 vomer. Dorsal fin short, a portion of it being placed opposite to the commencement of an elongated anal. 

 Scales large or of moderate size, extended over the head. 



PANCHAX LINEATUM. 



Panchax lineatum, Cuv. & 'Vol. xviii. p. 381, pi. 346. 



Aplocheilus cheysostigmus, McClelland, J. A. S. xix. p. 301. 



Aplocheilus vittatus, rubrostigma et affinis, Jerdon, Madras Journal, xv. pp. 330, 



331. 

 B v-vi D. 8-9. P. 15. V. 6. A. 15-17. C. 19. L. 1. 34. L. tr. 9. 

 Len-th of head \, of pectoral T 2 T , of caudal nearly \, of base of dorsal ^ ° f base ° f anal TT 

 of total length. Height of head \, of body ft, of dorsal ,% of ventral ft, of anal J of total 



^Eyes-Oval, upper margins close to the profile. Horizontal diameter J, and vertical diameter 

 i- of length of head, 2 diameters apart, lj diameters from end of snout. 



Body elongated, laterally compressed. Upper surface of head broadly depressed. Profile 

 straight from the end of the upper jaw along the back, but that of the abdomen more curved. 



Mouth large, broad anteriorly, its gape extending quite across the head. Snout semi-oval 

 anteriorly, formed by the anterior margin of the intermaxillaries, which are large, semi-circular, 

 flat above, very protractile, and slightly moveable up and down like lids. Jaws of equal length No 

 lips Maxilla extending posteriorly to theanterior margin of the orbit. Lower jaw the widest, and 



