﻿134 GANGETic FISHES. Order IV, 



of La Cepede, {Hist, des Poissons, Tome II. p. 344,) as the dif- 

 ferences in the position of the spines on the head, and in the 

 number of rays, would seem to indicate, it has the utmost affi- 

 nity to that fish, whicli is the Callionymiis indicus of Linnaeus, 

 Bonnaterre, ( Tabl. Encycl. p. 44,) and Russell, (Indian Fishes, 

 Vol. I. No. 46.) Bloch was sensible of its belonging to a very 

 different genus from the Callionymus, and called it Platycej)halus 

 spathula, {Ichth. Tome XII. p. 90, Blanche CCCCXXIV.) La 

 Cepede was of the same opinion ; but, with his usual desire of 

 appearing new, changed Bloch's name into one more objection- 

 able, and gave it a wrong place in his system ; for, as Dr Rus- 

 sell justly observes, the ventral fins are not placed before, but 

 opposite to the pectorals ; and, although it has an affinity with 

 the Callionymus Uranoscopus, and Trachirms, as Linnseus rightly 

 observes, it also strongly resembles the Cottus. It has also 

 some resemblance to the genus Gobius ; and one of its native 

 names signifies that it is a flattened Gobius ; while another that 

 I have adopted denotes its affinity to the next fish that will be 

 described, although that belongs to the order of abdominal 

 fishes. 



The Chaca is a rough long flattened fish, with its tail ending- 

 like a wedge. Above it is of a green colour, clouded with broad 

 irregular black bars. Beneath it is whitish. The fins of the 

 back and tail are variegated with black. 



The head is blunt, wedge-shaped, a little wider than the 

 body, horizontal above, much depressed, rough, and covered 

 with scales. Along it run nine ridges, of which that in the 

 midst, after a short interruption, is divided into three at its 

 fore part ; the two next run from above the eyes to the nape ; 

 the two next from the posterior angles of the eyes to the be- 

 ginning of the lateral lines ; and two run from each corner of 

 the mouth to the end of the cheek-bones. Above the anterior 



