FRESH- WATER FISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 



261 



cording to size of specimen. According to Fowler, from G. taeniata 

 it "apparently differs in smaller scales, that species with 35 scales in 

 its lateral line, longer barbels, fewer and differently arranged pearl 

 organs on the snout with aj^parently no smaller ones over the pre- 

 dorsal region and less brilliant colors." These differences do not seem 

 to be of specific value and may be regarded as falling within the limits 

 of normal variation in G. taeniata. 



Figure SO. — Garra taeniata H. M. Smith. Drawn by Nai Chote Suvatti; courtesy of 



the Thailand Government. 



It is the present author's opinion that Garra taeniatops Fowler, 

 described from specimens 3.3 to 5 cm. long, is the young of G. taeniata. 

 The differences (in number and size of pearl organs, length of rostral 

 barbels, size of anal fin, and color of the margin of the dorsal fin) 

 pointed out by Fowler are believed to be due to age, sex, or individual 

 variation. In essential characters there is agreement. Specimens 

 7.6 and 9.4 cm. long from the Menam Fang, a tributary of the Mekong, 

 agree with Fowler's description in having the rostral barbel shorter 

 than the eye and the dorsal fin with a whitish margin, but the de- 

 pressed anal fin does not reach the caudal base. Five paratypes of 

 G. ta£niato'ps^ 3.7 to 4.1 cm. long are in the U. S. National Museum 

 through exchange with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- 

 phia; in none is there evidence of maturity of the sex glands but in 

 several pearl organs are conspicuous on the snout and in one the 

 top of the head as far back as the nape is thickly beset with minute 

 pearl organs; the depressed anal fin either just reaches or does not 

 quite reach the lower basal elements of the caudal fin ; in one specimen 

 the distal dark band on the dorsal fin extends to the free edge of the 

 fin, but in the others the edge is white; and tube-bearing scales 

 in the lateral line number 32 to 34 (in this respect agreeing with un- 

 doubted specimens of G. taeniata in which the lateral-line scales vary 

 from 32 to 35). 



In Peninsular Thailand the vernacular name of this fish is yla Via 

 Mn (stone-lapping fish). 



590087—45- 



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