336 ACAis^THOPTERYGII. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Andamia expansa, D. i-|, A, 25-26. Olive, banded with darker. Andamans and Nicobars to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



1. Andamia expansa, Plate LXXI, fig. 2. 



Anflamm expansa, Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1858, p. 270; Guntber, Catal. iii, p. 294; Day, Proc. Zool. 

 Soc. ISm, p. 618. 



Salarias cpquipinnis, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 253. 



B. vi, D. 16 I 18, P. 14-15, V. 3, A. 26-26, C. 14. 



Length of bead 6J to 7, of pectoral Q\, of caudal h\ to 5f, height of body 8 to 9 in the total length. 

 Breadth of head equals its length. Etjes — elevated, diameter 1/4 of length of bead, 1 to If diameters from end 

 of snout, and 1 apart. Body sub-cylindrical, compressed. Head compressed : snout rounded anteriorly : a 

 short tentacle over the posterior thii'd of the orbit, which^divides into several. A small simple extension forming 

 a sort of tentacle at both nostrils : lips thick, the upper being continuous with the lower one, which below the 

 symphysis of the mandible forms a broad adhesive sucker. GiU-ojjenings — wide, extending on to the lower 

 surface of the head. Teeth — in a fine single row implanted in the gums of both jaws : no canines. Fins — dorsal 

 fin not notched, it commences a short distance behind the occiput. The spines are free to a greater or less 

 extent, in some the second is the longest. The soft dorsal about equals in height the posterior part of the first 

 dorsal. In some specimens the two dorsal fins are continuous, and in others the second dorsal is higher than 

 the first, but it never appears to exceed the height of the body : anal lower than the dorsal, all its rays free in 

 their lower halves. Pectoral with its outer half horizontal, and its inner vertical, its rays are free at their 

 extremities : caudal with rays undivided and free at their extremities. Colours — olive, banded with a darker 

 shade : head spotted. Fins with dark edges, except the anal, which has a white margin. 



Hnliitat. — Andamans and Nicobars to Amboina. It attains 3 or 4 inches in length. The one figured 

 (bfe-size) is from the Andamans. It appears to be nearly related to Salarias or Alticus heferojiterus, Bleeker, 

 which however is said to have D. 14 | 21, A. 26-27, and no mention is made of the labial sucker. There are 

 specimens from Amboina both in the British and Berlin Museums. Some of those in the former are the types 

 of Salarias mquipinnis, Giinther. 



Genus, 5 — Teipteetgium, Bisso. 



Branchiosfegals six : pseudohrancliim. Body moderately elongated. Snout of medium extent. Villiform 

 teeth in jawn, also piresent on palate. Three dorsal fins, the two first consisting of spines, the first fin eontaining 

 less spines than the second, which is also of greater extent than the third rayed fin. Ventrals jugular, icith two rays. 

 Scales present, small or of medium, size. 



Geographical distrilution. — Mediterranean, Bay of Bengal, Malay Archipelago to New Zealand. 



I have never obtained any species of this Genus in India, nor seen specimens from thence. That it exists 

 there however is certain, as amongst Sir W. Elliot's drawings coloured illustrations of a male and female of one 

 species are given, and which may be the following. 



1. Tripterygium trigloides. 



? Bleeker, Biliton, iv, p. 234 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 279. 



D. 3 I 13-14 I 10, P. 16, V. 2, A. 18-20, C. 21. 



Length of head 3i to 4, of caudal 6 to 6|-, height of body 6 in the total length. Eyes — high up, profile 

 in front of eyes oblique, upper jaw the longer. A fringed tentacle over the orbit and another at the nostrils. 

 Fins — the three diflerent portions of the dorsal fins are notched to their bases : caudal rounded. Colours — ^light 

 bro-n-n, with vertical bars on the body, and fine black spots. In the male the upper sm-face of the head is 

 orange, the lower half Prussian blue. A dark blue ocellus, having an orange margin, on the base of the 

 pectoral fin. First dorsal orange. In the female the lower surface of the head is light blue, and the ocellus on 

 the pectoral less distinctly marked. 



B(dittat. — Found amongst the rocks at Waltair. Specimens were packed to be brought to Europe by 

 Sir W. ElHot, but destroyed in a storm along wdth many other interesting objects of Natural History. 



B. No molar teeth. Caudal continuous with vertical fins. 



Genus, 6 — Xiphasia, Swainson. 

 Nemophis, Kaup. : Xiphogadus, Giinther. 

 Jjranchiostegals six. Body elongated, eel-like, and posteriorly compressed. Suborbital hone rough. Eyes 



