54 BULLETIN 18 8, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Owing to its rather large size, this fish is frequently sent to the 

 markets in the larger communities and has some reputation as a food 

 article. 



SETIPINNA TATY (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 



Engraulis taty Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1848, vol. 21, p. 60 (Pondicherry ; 



Malacca). 

 StolepJiorus taty BaLEEKEB, 1865 (356), p. 176 (Siam). 



The range of this species extends from the East Indian Archipelago 

 through the Gulf of Siam to both coasts of India. It is much less 

 partial to fresh water than is S. Tnelanochir, and the Thai records for 

 streams and lakes are few. There is, however, a definite record for 

 the extreme part of the Tale Sap, October 1923, and the fishes may be 

 commoner in that region than the collected specimens would indicate. 



The largest local examples have been 17 cm. long. 



Genus LYCOTHRISSA Giinther 



Lycothrissa Guntheb, Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum, vol. 7, p. 

 399, 1868. (Type, Engraulis crocodilus Bleeker.) 



LYCOTHRISSA CROCODILUS (Bleeker) 



Engraulis crocodilus Bleeker, 1851 (26), p. 15 (Bandjermassing, Borneo). — 



Sauvage, 1883b, p. 151 (Menam Chao Phya). 

 Engraulis {Lycothrissa) crocodilus von Martens, 1876, p. 404 (Bangkok). 

 Lycothrissa crocodilus Weber and de Beaueort, 1913, vol. 2, p. 31, fig. 16 (Siam). — 



FowLEE, 1935a, p. 96 (Bangkok). 



The numerous records for this species, otherwise known only from 

 brackish and fresh waters of Sumatra and Borneo, are entirely for the 

 Menam Chao Phya. It ascends the river at least as far as Koh Yai, 

 and specimens examined have been collected in February, March, and 

 August. 



The largest obtained have been over 22 cm. long. A length of 28 cm. 

 is recorded for the East Indies. Full maturity is attained when less 

 than half that size. Thus, a fish taken August 9, 1923, contained well- 

 developed ova. 



The species may be readily recognized by the characters indicated in 

 the key, especially the presence in the jaws of caninoid teeth combined 

 with a comparatively short maxillary and the origin of the dorsal fin 

 definitely posterior to the origin of the anal. In full-sized specimens 

 the silvery sheen of the body is relieved by w^holly or partly black 

 pectoral fins and a pale yellow caudal fin with a well-defined broad 

 blackish posterior edge. 



Among the Thai this fish is always called pla meo (cat fish) . 



