50 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



9. Ambassis gyinnocephalus. D. 7/s-to. -^- t-to. L. 1. 27-29. Double lower edge of preopercle serrated : 

 interopercle entire : preorbital serrated : two rows of scales on suborbitals. Lateral-line interrupted. Silvery, 

 with a burnished lateral band. Seas of India, ascending estuaries and rivers. 



10. Amhassis undcpnia. D. 7/-5-_V<y. -^- ¥-ro' ^- 1- 27-28. Double lower edge of preopercle serrated : 

 interopercle entire : preorbital serrated : one row of scales on the suborbitals. Lateral-line entire. Silvei-y, with 

 a burnished lateral band. Seychelles, Andamans, to the Malay Archipelago. 



Ainono-st the preceding 10 Indian species, the interopercle is serrated in A. TJiomassi, L. 1. 35-41 ; ^1. 

 naliM, L. 1. 27-28; A. interrupta, L. 1. 28 and an interrupted lateral-line, and A. l)mji,h. 1. 30. The sis which 

 have the interopercle entire are, .4. woTOa with curved canines: ^. ?-a/i(/((, L. 1. 00-70: A. haculis, 1j. 1.80: A. 

 Commersonii, L. 1. 30-33: A. ijijmnocephalus, L. 1. 27-29, and an interrupted lateral-line, and A. iirotcenia,!!. 1. 2.'^. 



1. Ambassis nama, Plate XIV, fig. -5. 



CJianda nama, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 100, 371, pi. 39, f. 37. 

 Chanda pliida et hogoda, Ham. Buch. 1. c. pp. Ill, 371. 



Amhassis nama, phula et hoyoda, Cuv. and Val. ii, pp. 18-5, 186, 187 ; Day, Proc. Zuol. Soc. 1869, p. 298. 

 Amhassis ohlonga, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 18.5 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 228. 

 /Amhassis Indica, McClell. Cal. Journ. Nat. Hist, ii, p. 585. 

 Bogoda nama, Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 89. 

 Amhassis hogoda, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 228. 



Mucknee and Ghed-du-ah, Punj. : 8on-dah, Assam. : Pud-da and Ptd-tu-lah, Sind. : Ak-Jcu-rati, Tel. : 

 Buck-ra and Pom-pi-ah, N. W. Prov. : Cart-kana and Goa-chappi, Ooriah. 



B. yi, D. 7 I „'Ty, P- 13, V. 1/5, A. „3^, G. 17. 



Length of head 1/4 to 2/9, of caudal 1/4 to 2/9, height of body from 4/11 to 1/3 of the total length. 

 ]i]yes — diameter aboiit 1/3 of length of head, 2/3 to 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and also apart. Body 

 compressed, the dorsal and abdominal profiles equally convex, a considerable rise from the occiput to the base of 

 the first dorsal fin. Lower jaw much longer than the upper. The maxilla reaches to below the anterior third 

 of the orbit. Preorbital with three denticulations along its posterior-superior margin : also a denticulation 

 behind them at the middle of the front edge of the orbit, and another at its posterior-superior angle. Vertical 

 limb of preopercle entire, except near its angle, where there are two or three denticulations which become 

 blunted with age : the double border, very slightly denticulated at its lower edge in the young, often entire. 

 Sub- and inter-opercles entire. Teeth — two or three large and crooked canines directed forwards on either side 

 of the symphysis of the lower jaw : an outer and an inner enlarged row in both jaws : fine ones on the vomer 

 and palatines. Fivs — dorsal spines of moderate strength, a recumbent one anterior to the fin, the second spine 

 the longest (in a few specimens the third) and equal in length to the head behind the anterior edge or middle of 

 the eye, or to about half the height of the body below it, the seventh dorsal spine somewhat longer than the sixth : 

 the spine of the second dorsal as long as the first ray, the rays gradually decrease in height : ventral reaches a 

 little beyond the anus but not so far as the anal fin : the third anal spine the longest and strongest equalling the 

 height of the longest in the dorsal fin : caudal deeply forked, the lobes of equal length. Scales — minute, 

 scarcely visible on the head ; in young specimens captured from stagnant pieces of water, the mucous often causes_ 

 the scales to be overlooked. Lateral-line — is always indistinct, in some specimens it is entire, in others it ceases 

 after proceeding a short way, or it may even be absent. Pseudohranchice — well developed. Colours — yellowish- 

 olive covered all over with minute black dots which on the shoulder are collected into an oblong patch, having 

 its longest diameter vertical : summit of the head and top of the eyes black. Pins orange, the upper half of the 

 first dorsal deep black : a dark upper edge to the second dorsal : caudal dark with a light outer margin : anal 

 v\ath a black mark over the bases of the spines. In some specimens taken at Hurdah, in Bombay, the caudal 

 was black tipped. 



This fish shows considerable local variations, which have caused its being described under more than one 

 name. Buchanan observed of the phula, that it is "devoid of scales," " strongly resembles the 7uima,hi\t 

 seldom exceeds two inches," " nor indeed, excejit in the number of the rays which support the fins, is there any 

 considerable difference between the two species." In nama, D. 7/^, A. f\- : m phida, D. 7/^5-, -A-. tV> are the 

 numbers he records. 



As regards the hogoda, he observes it has 16 soft rays in the dorsal and 17 in the anal fin, and "a long 

 transparent body devoid of scales," " but that it diflers in nothing remarkable from the two former (nama 

 and phula) except in the number of soft rays contained in the back and vent fins, and in that contained in the 

 pectorals, each of which has twelve." 



Amongst Buchanan's MSS. di-awings in Calcutta, is one lyV inches long, termed Centropomus 

 phulchanda, which his notes show to be the phula, and a second 2^ inches long of the hogoda. 



Having brought together upwards of thirty specimens from different localities of Intlia and Burma, I find 

 that this species is subject to variation, but some points remain the same in all. Although the comparative 

 length of the longest dorsal spine varies, it retains its proportion to the third of the anal, which ajjpears to be 

 invariably the longest in that fin : the last dorsal and anal rays are divided to their bases, (counting each as 1) 

 and the following numbers exist in my specimens, D. 7 Ixs-TH-TS-Tr^ ^- tt-Ts -to-tt, certainly the most common is 

 D. 7/tV, ^- tg : "^'■^*' of course if we count the last dorsal and anal rays divided to their bases as two, which 



