FAMILY, IX— SYMBRANCHID^. 657 



a band tapering towards the angle of the moutli : the palatine band resembles those in the jaws. K/js— dorsal 

 commences above or a little before the vertical from the vent. CoZowrs— light-greenish, with or without tlark 

 spots; or else the whole body nearly black. 



" This eel is numerous at Chusan, in streamlets, canals and estuaries. As it is a favouritp article of food 

 it is kept by the inhabitants of Chusan in large jars, with fresh water. But it is capable of living- a consider- 

 able time out of water. It is of voracious haJaits, feeding on smaller fishes, and it takes hooks baited witli 

 earth-worms." (Cantor, 1. c.) , . 



HabUat.—TLhis fish is confined to fresh or Ijrackish waters of Burma, the Malay Archipelago and Clnna. 



Genus, 3 — Stmdranchus, Bloch. 

 UnihranchapeHura, Lacepede ; Piieiimuhnntchm and OpMstcrmii, McClelland ; Tetmhrdiichtis, Bleeker. 

 BrawMostegals six. Gill-mevihnuuis not attached to the isthmus, liaviiu/ a siivjh transverse opening.^ Four 

 branchial arches with well-developed gills. Palatine teeth in a band. Scales absent. No accessory breathing sac. 

 Geographical distribiotion.—Yresh and brackish waters of India to the Malay Archipelago and Australia. 

 Also tropical America. 



1. Symhranchus Bengalensis, Plate CLXVII, fig. 2. 



OpUsternon Benqalensls, McClelland, Cal. J. N. H. v, pp. 197, 220, t. 2, f. 1, 2; Kaup, Apod. p. 121, 

 f. 1Q; Bleeker, En. Pise. p. 179. 



SynibrancJms hnmac.ulatus. Cantor, Catal. p. 337. 



rrf(vi&ra»cAM«m!'c;7i2j/ti/(((/»i».y, Bleeker, Borneo, p. 69 Cyoung). 



Symbranchus Bengalensis, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 119, t. 192, f. 1 ; Day, Pishes Malabar, p. 2ol, 



Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 16. ,-, j- i. i * i ;oa 



Length of head 9 to 12 in the distance between the end of snout and anus, i/yes— diameter about IjM 

 of length of head. The girth of the body is equal to about three times its height. Snout anteriorly rounded, 

 lips fle'shy, the upper jaw rather the longer : cleft of mouth extending to some distance behind the orbits. 

 Teeth— in upper jaw fine and pointed, and do not meet at the symphysis, those on either side terminating in 

 a triangular patch, with a narrow edentulous interspace : those in the lower jaw rather larger, with a narrow 

 edentulous interspace between those of each side, laterally they are in a single row : palatine teeth m a band, 

 i^iws-the dorsal commences before the anal, which is situated in the last fourth or fifth of the total len^gtli, 

 the caudal is hardly conspicuous : all the fins are low. LftfcraZ-Zwe— conspicuous. Colours— oi a dull dirty 

 brownish red in estuaries, lightest on the abdomen. In clearer water it is greenish or blackish green, the 

 abdomen being the lightest. »t t j -vr i 



Habitat.— 'Estua.ries and fresh waters within the influence of the tides along the coasts ot India and Malay 

 Archipelago, to the Philippines : attaining to several feet in length. It appears to be more common in Bengal 

 than in Malabar. 



4 P 



