ICHTHYOLOGY. 235 



A low crest ou the head. A fiinged tentacle over the orbit, and a similar one at 

 the nostril, but none at the nape. A small posterior canine in the mandible. Lij^ht 

 brown, with 8 paii's of vertical bands, as broad as the interspaces. An oval blue spot 

 behind the eye. Many small dark-edged round ones on the head. Two large brown 

 ones at the base of the brown pectoral fin. Two or three rows of white spots on tlio 

 lower and posterior half of the body. First dorsal brown, second white, both 

 obliquely banded. Caudal banded with spots, and with a dark spot at its base. 



The Andamans. 



S. VEKMICULATUS, CuV. ct Vul. 



V. vi. ; D. 12-13:15; P. 14; Y. 2; A. 18- 19; C. 11. 



No crest. A longisli fringed tentacle over the orbit, and a smaller one over the 

 anterior nostril, also a fine occipital one. Upper lip fringed. Large canines iu the 

 mandible. Caudal cut square. Brownish superiorly, bluish-wliite below, with 

 9 brown bars descending from the lateral line. The head, body, aud fins iri'cgularly 

 reticulated. 



The Andamans. 



Andasiia, Myth. 



Gill opening wide. A single row of movable teeth. A sympliysial sucker 

 beneath the mandible. No canines. 



A. EXPAXSA, Blyth. 

 Sala)-ias heteropterus, Bleeker. 



B. vi. ; D. 16: 18; P. 14-15; V. 3; A. 25-20: C. 14. 



Lips thick, continuous, aud expanded below into a sucker. Colour olivo, dark- 

 banded. Head spotted. 



The Andamans and Nicobars. ' 



The sucker in this ^blvinii/' recalls the sucker of the 'cyprinoid' Homalojotera. 



Family Rhynchobdellidse. 



Branehiostegals 6. Pseudobranchioc absent. Gills 4. Gill opening a slit on 

 the side of the head. Body ecl-sliaped. Lower jaw long. A long dorsal fin, 

 anteriorly consisting of free s])ines. Ventrals none. Air-vessel present. 



IlnrxcHOBDELLA, lilock- ScliHeidcr. 



A long fleshy snout, concave aud transversely striated below. Tcetli minute on 

 jaws and vomer. Scales small. 



R. ACULEATA, Bloch. 



Kga-niyuwe-do. 



B. vi. ; D. 16-20:44-54; P. 23; A. 2-3: 44-52; C. 15. 



Brownish or greenish moltled superiorly, and yellowish below. A light band 

 just above the lateral line. A series of 3 to 9 large black ocelli, white or butf-edged, 

 along the base of the dorsal. Caudal with 6 to 8 vertical brown bars. Other fins 

 greyish, pectoral sometimes yellow. Sometimes the ocelli are wanting, or the body 

 (in Burmese specimens) white spotted, and the fins reddish. 



These " spined eels" are excellent eating, and arc widely distributed. In addi- 

 tion to respiration through their gills, they require to rcsfiire air directly, and die 

 di-owned if kept under water and access to aii- denied. 



Mastacembaeus, Cuvier et Valenciennes. 



A long fleshy appendage to the snout, which is not transversely striated below. 

 Teeth minute. Scales small. 



a. Vertical fina distinct from the Caudal. 

 if. u.NicoLOK, Cuv. ct Val. 

 B. vi. ; D. 33-34 : 81-94 ; P. 27 ; A. 3 : 7598 ; C. 25. 



