FRESH-WATER FISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 53 



la. Scales in lateral line 50 to 53 ; origin of anal fin in advance of origin of dorsal ; 

 dorsal rays i, 10 to i, 14 ; upper produced ray of pectoral fins reaching end 

 of ventrals ; gill rakers on long limb of first arch 9 or 10 ; pectoral fins often 

 uniformly black melanochir 



1&. Scales in lateral line 40 to 48 ; origin of anal fin posterior to origin of dorsal ; 

 dorsal rays i, 13 to i, 15; upper produced ray of pectoral fins very long, 

 sometimes reaching posterior third of anal fin ; gill rakers on lower arm of 

 first arch 18; pectoral fins not uniformly or otherwise black taty 



SETIPINNA MELANOCHIR (Bleeksr) 

 Plate 2 



Engraulis melanochir Bi-eekeb, 1849 (16), p. 13 (Madura Strait near Kammal and 



Surabaja). 

 Stolepliorus melanochir Bleekee, 1865 (347), p. 35 (Siam) ; 1865 (356), p. 176 



(Siam). 

 Setipinna melanochir Bleekeb, 1866-72 (301), vol. 6, p. 136, pi. 267, fig. 3 (Siam). — 



Webeb and de Beaufoet, 1913, vol. 2, p. 28, fig. 15 (Siam). — Hoea, 1923b, p. 174 



(Nontaburi) ; 1924a, p. 481 (Tale Sap). 

 Engraulis melanchoir Sautage, 1883b, p. 151 (Menam Chao Phya). 



Outside of the East Indies this species is commonest and best known 

 in Thailand. Of the numerous specimens collected, nearly all have 

 come from strictly fresh water, although in Thailand, as in the East 

 Indies, the fish frequents also salt and brackish waters. In the Menam 

 Chao Phya the fish is found far upstream — at least as far inland as 

 Lopburi. In the Bangpakong and other large streams entering the 

 head of the Gulf of Siam the fish is common at times in their lower 

 courses. A center of noteworthy abundance is the inner lake of the 

 Tale Sap and the Tale Xoi, the latter connected with the Tale Sap by 

 short, narrow channels. From July to October during several years 

 the fish was present in these waters. 



The maximum size recorded for the East Indies is 27 cm, (Bleeker). 

 The largest example observed in Thailand was 32.5 cm. long. A spec- 

 imen in the U. S. National Museum from the Bangpakong Kiver. June 

 26, 1933, is 28.5 cm. long. Examples 18 to 20 cm. long are often met 

 with. 



In addition to having a striking physiognomy, this fish is conspicu- 

 ously colored. Wlien adult, the body is of a uniform pale yellow, there 

 may be black areas on the side of the head, the upper and lower jaws 

 may be black, and the fins except the pectorals are usually pale to bright 

 yellow. The pectorals in the larger examples are often, perhaps 

 usually, jet black, but many fish have no black whatever on the pec- 

 torals, which may then be bright yellow and the ventrals may be black- 

 tipped. Exceptionally the black pectorals have the produced ray 

 yellow. 



590087 — i5 5 



