122 BULLETIN 188, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 

 LEPTOBARBUS HOEVENII (Bleeker) 



Plate 3 



Barbus hoevenii Bleekek, 1S51 (45), p. 207 (Bandjermassing, Borneo). 



Lcptoharhns hoevenii Bleekek, 18C5 (3-17), p. 35 (Siam) ; 1865 (356), p. 17G 

 (Slam).— Sauvage, 1881, p. 164 (Siam) ; 1883b, p. 152 (Menam Chao Phya).— 

 Webek and de Beaufort, 1916, vol. 3, p. 96 (Siam). — Hora, 1923b, p. 153 

 (Bangkok).— ViPULYA, 1923, p. 226 (Bangkok).— Fowler, 1935a, p. 112 (Bang- 

 kok) ; 1937, p. 174 (Bangkok). 



Barbus (Leptobarbus) hoevenii Fkterg, 1S6S, p. 272 (Siam). 



This river fish of Sumatra and Borneo is common throughout the 

 length of the Menam Chao Phya and is known also from Bung Bora- 

 pet and the Menam Nan, as well as from various streams connecting 

 with the Menam Chao Phya in the great central plain of Thailand. 

 The fish has been taken in the Menam Mun east of Korat and is thus 

 an inhabitant of the Mekong basin. 



A length of half a meter is attained, and at all sizes the fish is 

 beautiful. In small and medium-sized examples there is a sharply 

 defined broad black lateral band from head to base of caudal fin. This 

 band, intensified in the young, becomes obscure or altogether dis- 

 appears in the larger fish. A male specimen 30 cm. long taken from the 

 Menam Chao Phya above Bangkok on September 1, 1923, had in life 

 the following coloration : Scales of back and sides light green with 

 dark green centers ; belly white ; top of head rich grass green with rosy 

 reflections; opercles lustrous golden or brassy yellow; a black blotch 

 behind opercle ; iris yellow ; dorsal fin hyaline green, ventrals and anal 

 blood red, caudal red distally and dull green at base wdth the interven- 

 ing part light gray, and pectorals hyaline. 



This fish is often caught by anglers using as bait prawns, paste, 

 pieces of various succulent leaves, etc. When hooked it puts up a 

 rather good fight. 



Among the Thai this fish is known as pla ha or pla ai ha {ha, mad) , 

 in allusion to its peculiar behavior at times. When large fruit cap- 

 sules of the chaulmoogra-tree {Hydnocarpus) fall into the streams, 

 either directly from the trees or by being washed in from the banks 

 by rains, the fish gorges itself on the parenchyma and seeds and is 

 reported to become intoxicated and to behave in a peculiar manner. 

 Its flesh then is said to be poisonous to human beings. As a food fish, 

 however, its reputation is not high at any time. 



LEPTOBARBUS MELANOTAENIA Boulenger 



Leptobarbus melanotaenia Boulenger, 1894a, p. 249 (Bongon, N. Borneo). — 

 Webeb and de Beaueoet, 1916, vol. 3, p. 97 (Siam). 



This species, otherwise known only from Borneo, is listed by Weber 

 and de Beaufort as occurring in Thailand on the strength of a speci- 

 men from that country said to be in the British Museum. There seems 



