FAIMILY, V— CTPRINID^. 605 



22. Aspidoparia. Moutli small, inferior : lower jaw with a sharp crescentic edge but no lip : no barbels. 

 Pharyngeal teetli in two or three rows. Dorsal fin without osseous ray. Scales of moderate size. Sind, India 

 (except southern portion and ilalabar Coast) Assam and Burma, p. 585. 



c. Dorsal fin commencing above the interspace between the ventral and the anal, generally extending to over 

 the latter, tvhich is of moderate lerigth or elongated {7 to 33 branched rays). 



23. Bohtee. Mouth anterior : lips thin. Barbels present or absent. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows. 

 Dorsal fin with an osseous serrated ray : anal elongated. Scales small. Sind, India, and Burma, p. 586. 



24. Banlius. ]\Iouth anterior or oblique, with a deep cleft : jaws compressed : four, two, or no barbels. 

 Pharyngeal teeth in two or three rows. Dorsal fin witliout osseous ray. Scales of moderate or small size. 

 Lateral-line concave. Nile, East Africa, and fresh waters of India, Ceylon, and Burma to the Malay Archipelago, 

 p. 588. 



25. Danio. Mouth directed obliquely upwards : cleft shallow : mandibles rather broad : four, two, or no 

 barbels. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows. Dorsal fin without osseous ray and extending to above a long anal. 

 Scales of moderate size. Lateral-line concave. Continent of India and Burma, -p. 59-i. 



B.— A portion or the whole of the abdominal edge trenchant. 



26. Perilampus. Mouth directed obliquely upwards : no bai'bels. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows. 

 Dorsal fin without osseous ray, inserted over the anterior anal rays. Scales of moderate size. Lateral-line 

 concave. India and Burma, p. 598. 



27. Chela. Mouth directed upwards with a knob above the symphysis of the lower jaw : no barbels. 

 Pharyngeal teeth in two or three rows. Dorsal fin without osseous ray, a portion or the whole of it situated 

 above the anal : pectorals long. Scales of moderate or small size. Lateral-line concave. India and Burma to 

 the Malay Archipelago, p. 599. 



B. Sub-Family, II— Cobitidina. 



Pseudobranchiae absent. Body elongated, oblong, compressed or cylindrical, but never depressed. 

 Snout and lips fleshy. Mouth small, inferior, and furnished with from six to twelve barbels. Pharyngeal 

 teeth few and in one row. Vertical fins spineless. Dorsal fin with a varying number of rays (8-30) ; anal 

 with few (7-8) ; ventrals present or absent. Scales small and cycloid when present, and usually immersed in 

 mucus : rarely present on the head. Lateral-line single. Air-vessel entirely, or partially, enclosed in a bony 

 capsule. 



Geographical distribution. — Loaches are found in tanks and rivers throughout the hills and plains of India 

 and Burma, but apparently are absent from the Andaman islands. These fish are mostly captured by baling 

 out tanks commencing to dry up, but as they move about in the mud, they are usually difiicult to capture. 



Uses. — They are all good for food. 



SYNOPSIS OP GENERA. 



A. — With an erectile sptine near the orbit. 



1. Botia. Six to eight barbels, four rostral, two maxillary, and sometimes two mandibular. Spine 

 suborbital. No scales on head. Dorsal fin (10 to 15 rays) commencing somewhat before the origin of the 

 ventral : caudal forked. Air-bladder in two portions, the anterior being partially enclosed in bone. Sind, 

 Valley of Ganges, Himalayas, Assam, Burma to the Malay Archipelago, p. 606. 



2. Acanthopsis. Eight barbels, two being mandibular. Spine before the orbit. Dorsal fin (12 rays) 

 opposite the ventrals : caudal forked. No scales on head. Burma to the Malay Archipelago, p. 608. 



3. Somileptes. Six barbels, none on mandibles. Eyes prominent. Spine suborbital. Dorsal fin (10 

 rays) commences slightly behind the ventrals : caudal entire. No scales on the head. Himalayas, Khasia 

 hills, and Assam, p. 608. 



4. Lepidocepihalichthys. Eight or more barbels, four rostral, two maxillary, tlie rest mandibular. Spine 

 suborbital. Dorsal fin short, commences nearly opposite the ventrals : caudal entire or slightly emarginate. 

 Scales on the head. Continent of India, Ceylon, Assam, Burma to the Malay Archipelago, p. 609. 



5. Acanthophthalmus. Six barbels, one rostral, and two maxillary pairs. Spine suborbital. Dorsal fin 

 short, in the last third of the body, but anterior to the anal : ventrals present. N. E. India, Assam, and upper 

 Burma, p. 010. 



6. Ajma. Eight barbels, one rostral, two maxillary and one mandibular pairs. Spine suborbital. 

 Dorsal fin short (8 rays) in the last third of the body, but anterior to the anal : no ventrals. Burma, p. 611. 



7. Jerdonia. Eight barbels, two being mandibular. Spine suborbital. Dorsal fin long (30 rays) 

 commencing anterior to the ventral. I\Iadras, p. 611. 



B. — Witho^it an erectile spine near the orbit. 



8. Nemachilichthys. Six barbels, two rostral, and one maxillary pairs. Snout elongated. Eyes elevated. 

 Dorsal fin of moderate length (13 rays) above the ventrals : caudal forked. Deccan, p. 611. 



9. Neniacheilus. Six barbels, t\\o rostral and one maxillary pairs. Dorsal of moderate length or short 

 (8 to 17 rays) commencing opposite the ventrals. Sind, India, Ceylon, Assam, Burma, and the Malay 

 Archipelago, p. 612. 



