﻿142 GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



very short, and rather before the middle. It contains a strong 

 sharp prickle, indented on the fore side, and three soft rays. 

 The pectoral fins are small and rounded, each having about nine 

 rays, of which the first is a very sti-ong sharp prickle, having 

 the outer edge covered with tubercles. The ventral fins are 

 larger than the pectorals, and remote from each other, a little 

 behind the back fin. Each contains eight rays. The fin, 

 placed half way between the vent and end of the tail, is very 

 short and rounded, and contains eight rays. The tail fin, on 

 the upper side, extends beyond the vent fin, but below reaches 

 only near it. It is rounded at the extremity, and contains 

 about thirty-eight rays. 



II. Genus. — Plotosus. 

 Fishes of the fifth order, with a smooth slimy skin, desti* 

 tute of scales, with a mouth surrounded by tendrils, with the 

 hinder back, tail, and vent fins, united ; and with the tail much 

 longer than the head and body. 



1st Species. — Plotosus canius. 



A plotosus with the back of an uniform colour, and with the 

 prickle of the back fin smooth. 



Plotosus anguillaris, La Cepede, Hist, des Poissotis, Tome V. 

 p. 130? 



Platystacus anguillaris, Bloch, Ichth. Tome XI. p. 49, PI. 

 CCCLXXIII. fig. 1 ? 



Ingeelee, Russell's Indian Fishes, Vol. II. No. 166? 



In the fishes described by these three authors, the sides are 



marked by longitudinal white stripes, which are wanting in the 



Canius. The two first authors mention five stripes in all on a 



purplish brown ground ; while they state, that the prickle in 



the back fin is smooth, and the tendrils longer than the head, 



as in our fish ; but theirs has a much longer and slenderer tail 



1 



