﻿178 GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



to about three inches in length, and is diaphanous, with black 

 dots on the upper parts of the body and head, while a silver 

 coloured membrane invests the viscera and spine. 



The head is very short, but wider than the body, and rather 

 flat. On the nape is a naked dotted plate, which sends for- 

 ward two ridges, terminating at the end of the nose, and, back- 

 ward, a third ridge, which extends to the commencement of 

 the foremost dorsal fin. The two tendrils between the nos- 

 trils, and the four from under the chin, are a little longer 

 than the head ; while the two from the sides of the upper 

 jaw are longer than the pectoral fins. The mouth is below 

 the end of the nose, extends straight back, and is of mo- 

 derate size. The jaws, in place of teeth, have a roughness on 

 their edges. The eyes are globular, high, and of moderate 

 size. The gill-covers end in a point, and expose their mem- 

 hranes, each of which contains about nine very slender rays. 

 Til ere is no slit under the throat. 



The fore part of the back slopes toward the head. The 

 belly is prominent. The vent is before the middle. The lateral 

 lines are faint, and run straight along the centre. 



The foremost fin of the back has five or six rays, of which 

 the first is a prickle, indented behind : the hinder fin is very 

 small. The pectoral fins are low, and shorter than the head, 

 and each contains about ten rays, of which the first is a very 

 strong prickle, barbed on the hinder edge. Each of the ventral 

 fins contains about seven rays ; but so slender, that 1 cannot be 

 certain of the number. The same is the case with those of the 

 fin behind the vent, which are about forty-three in number. 

 The fin of the tail is divided into two equal sharp lobes, and 

 contains about twenty-four rays. 



