36S ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



OjMocephaJws affinis, Giintlier, Catal. iii, ]i. 470. 



Fhool dhoh. Hind. : Korava, Tam. : Beli-liorava, Canarese : Muttah, Tel. : Gorissa and Gitrrie, Ooriah and 

 Assam: Dulloonrja, Punj. : Nga-ain, Mugli. : JJhoalee, Sind: Blach caboose, of Europeans. 



B. V, D. 29-32, P. 17, V. 6, A. 21-23, C. 12, L. 1. 37-40, L. tr. V h 



Length of head 3^ to 3f, of caudal 5^ to Gl, height of body Si to 7 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 7 to 8-1- in length of head, 1 to 1|^ diameters from end of snout, and If to 2 apart. The greatest width of the 

 head equals from 3/5 to 4/7 of its length, its lieight equals half its length. Lower jaw the longer, the maxilla 

 reaches to below or behind the hind edge of the eye. Teeth — a posterior row of four or hve conical ones in the 

 lower jaw. Fins — pectoral equals half the length of the liea'd or even more, and reaches to above the origin of 

 the anal : ventral is 3/4 as long as the pectoral. The dorsal is 2/3 the height of the body, and a little higher 

 than the anal. Scales — on the summit of the head large and of irregidar shapes : 12 rows between snout and 

 origin of dorsal fin : five rows between the eye and the angle of the opercle. Those which are on the top of the 

 liead are roughened in lines which are parallel with their outer edges, but on the body they are more horizontal. 

 Lateral-line — with a slight curve above the fourth anal ray. Colours — vary with the water they reside in. Back 

 irreenish, becoming yellow on the sides and abdomen, with a dark stripe along the side of the head : sevei-al 

 hands from the back pass downwards to the middle of the body. Fins spotted, the caudal and the vertical ones 

 witii a naiTow light edge, and dark basal band : ventrals white or gi'ay. Some have scattered black spots over 

 the body and head, and this appears most common near the sea, and in the breeding season, whilst they are 

 absent from the young. 



Those without spots, but having more or less oblique bands,* sometimes short at other times more 

 continuous, have been termed 0. kurrouvei, Lacep. 0. Indicus, McClelland, and 0. affinis, Giinther. Jerdon, I. c. 

 observed, " I have not seen au}- spotted in the manner described by authors." 



Personally I have found that placing those with spots in an aquarium, these marks have frequently faded 

 away, on the other hand, in some banded ones, spots have appeared subsequent to their confinement in a globe of 

 water. I have taken females (spotted and unspotted) containing well developed ova. 



Habitat. — Fresh-waters, generally in the plains, preferring the stagnant to the running. They attain to 

 about a foot or a little more in length. I found a female, in Februarj-, contained upwards of 4,700 large besides 

 some small ova. The one figui-ed (life-size) is from Calcutta, and is of purplish colour, due to the brackish 

 water from which it was taken. 



Genus, 2 — CniNXA, Gronovius. 



Differs from Ophiocephalus in being deficient in ventral fins, and having no cacal appendages. 



Geographical distribution. — Ceylon and China. 



It is not uncommon in India to find specimens of Ophiooephalus gachiia having a ventral fin deficient, but 

 I have not observed both wanting. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Channa Orientalis, D. 34, A. 22, L. 1. 41. Dull green, with spots and a barred pectoral fin. Ceylon. 



1. Channa Orientalis, Plate LXXVIII, fig. 2. 



Channa, Sp. Gronov. p. 135, t. 9, f. 1. 



Channa Orientalis, Bl. Schn. p. 496, t. 90, f . 2 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 483. 



Channa Indica, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 100. 



B. v, D. 34, P. 14, A. 22, C. 14, L. 1. 41, L. tr. ^'4^ Cffic. pyl. 0.^ 



Length of head 3| to 4J, of caudal 5^, height of body 6i to 8 times in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 1/5 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1^ apart. The greatest width of the head equals its 

 length behind the middle of the eyes, and its height equals half its length. The posterior extremity of the maxilla 

 reaches to behind the orbit. Teeth — some enlarged ones in the lower jaw. Fins — the pectoral equals the 

 length of the postorhital portion of the head. Scales — wath longitudinal striated and raised lines. Colours — of 

 a dirty greenish superiorly, becoming dull white or brown on the sides and beneath, there appear to be some 

 darkish spots on the body and fins. Pectoral with vertical bars on its basal third. 



Habitat. — Fresh-waters of Ceylon. The one figured (life-size) is from the collection in the British 

 Museum. 



* I have specimens of an almost uniform colour. 



