﻿180 GANGETic FISHES, Order V. 



the others are branched. The hinder fin is oblong. Each pec- 

 toral fin contains a very strong prickle, indented behind. Each 

 ventral fin has six rays. The three first rays of the fin behind 

 the vent are undivided, and lengthen gradually from the first, 

 which is very short. The tail fin is divided into two equal lobes, 

 and contains about twenty rays. 



16th Species. — Pimelodus angius. Plate XXIX. Fig. 59. 



A Pimelodus with the fin of the tail bifid ; with eight tendrils 

 longer than the head ; with the body somewhat diaphanous, 

 and having on each side three dotted longitudinal stripes ; with 

 forty-two rays in the fin behind the vent ; and with seven in 

 that of the back. 



This fish is found in the rivers of Bengal, is very beautiful, 

 and grows to four or five inches in length. It is long m propor- 

 tion to its breadth, and very much flattened on the sides. The 

 belly is more prominent than the tail, which is rather bent 

 downward at the end, so that the fish has a strong affinity in 

 structure to the Silurus Pabo. The body is smooth, and some- 

 what diaphanous, and has a bright gloss, changing from gold to 

 purple. A silvered coloured membrane lines the visceral cavity. 

 There are seven longitudinal stripes, composed of black dots, 

 one on the back, and three on each side : of these the under- 

 most has two branches at its fore end. Along the lateral line 

 is a pale golden stripe, ending at the tail in a round black spot. 



The /lead is very small, oval, and little compressed, and along 

 the crown has two ridges. The two tendrils from between the 

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

 tlian the head ; the two from the corners of the mouth extend 

 to the ventral fins. The mouth is small, and below the extre- 

 mity of the nose, and extends straight back : the upper ^'a^^; is 

 the longest. Tiie nostrils are near the jaw, with the foremost 



