FRESH-WATER FISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 55 



Genus SCUTENGRAULIS Jordan and Scale 



Scutengraulis Jordan and Seale, Copeia, No. 141, p. 30, 1925. (Type, Thrissa 

 hamiltoni Gray.) 



SCUTENGRAULIS MYSTAX (Bloch) 



Cupea mystax Blooh, in Schneider, 1801, p. 426, pi. 83 (Malabar). 

 Engraulis mystax Hoea, 1923b, p. 174 (Nontaburi). 



One of the most abundant of the Thai anchovies, caught in immense 

 quantities along all the shores of the Gulf of Siam, this species some- 

 times enters fresh water, as has been recorded by Hora. Throughout 

 most of its range, extending from China through the Indo-Australian 

 Archipelago to India, it is an important economic fish in the seas and 

 estuaries. 



A maximum length of about 20 cm, is attained. 



The local vernacular name is pla meo (cat fish), in allusion to the 

 resemblance of the long mustache-like maxillary to the whiskers of a 

 cat. 



Family OSTEOGLOSSIDAE 



Genus SCLEROPAGES Gunther 



Scleropages Gunthek, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 3, vol. 14, p. 196, 1864. {Type, 

 Scleropagcs leichardti Giinther.) 



SCLEROPAGES FORMOSUS (MuUer and Schlegel) 



Osteoglossum fonnosum MtriXEE and Schlegel, 1844, p. 1, pi. 1 (Borneo). 

 Scleropages fcn-mosns Smith, 1931b, p. 64 (Krat) ; 1931d, p. 177 (Southeastern 

 Siam).— Fowler, 1934b, p. 335 (Krat). 



Described in 1844, this fish was for a long time supposed to be con- 

 fined to streams and lakes in Borneo, Bangka, and Sumatra. In 1931 

 the species was recorded from several localities in Malaya. 



In 1931 a Boy Scout in Krat, Southeastern Thailand, first made 

 known the presence of the fish in that country and presented some very 

 interesting notes, which accompanied a specimen 26 cm. long sent to 

 Bangkok. These notes (Smith, 1931d) constitute by far the most 

 extensive observations heretofore made on this species, and it is im- 

 portant that they be confirmed and amplified by a qualified biologist. 



The fish is fairly common in streams, canals, and swamps in the Krat 

 region and it is said to attain a length of 90 cm. and a weight of 7.2 

 kilograms. Many are caught for market with lines, cast nets, gill nets, 

 and other apparatus, and the flesh is of good flavor. 



The observations at Krat indicate that the eggs, of large size and few 

 in number, are taken into the mother fish's mouth immediately after 



