348 BULLETIN 18 8, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



26. Occipital process wide, low, broadly curved, its basal width 3 to 5 times 

 its length. 

 4a. Distance from dorsal fin to occipital process contained 2.5 times in length 

 of head measured along upper median line ; gill rakers 14 ; dorsal rays 



70 to 78; anal rays 50 leiacanthus 



4b. Distance from dorsal fin to occipital process contained 5 to 7 times in 

 length of head measured along upper median line; gill rakers over 20; 

 dorsal rays 70; anal rays 50 macrocephalus 



CLARIAS MELADERMA Bleeker 



Clarias mclndrrma Bleekiir, 1847 (5), p. 54 ("in paludibus"). 



Clarias melayioderma Karoli. 1882, p. 177 (Siam). — Weber and db Beaxjfort, 



1913, vol. 2, p. 188 (Siam). 

 Clarias dussumieri Smith, 1934b, p. 288 (name incorrectly cited as having priority 



over C. mcladerma) . 



In addition to inhabiting Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, this species 

 is listed from China, the Philippines, and Thailand. It is probable 

 that Weber and de Beaufort credited the species to Thailand on the 

 authority of Karoli, whose determinations and localities have some- 

 times proved to be doubtful. In the very extensive collecting done in 

 Thailand in recent years this species has not been met with, although 

 it may be noted that Chevey (1932a, p, 15) credits both C. melanoderma 

 and O. dussuviieri to French Indo-China. 



Day (1878) obtained a single specimen of a fish in the Wynaad 

 River, Malabar, which he identified with Clarias dussumieri of Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes from Malabar and Pondicherry. Day's specimen 

 had teeth on the anterior surface of the pectoral spines, and Day 

 assumed therefrom that he was dealing with Bleeker's Clarias mela- 

 derma.^ which he placed in the synonymy of C. dussuonieri. Recently 

 Hora (1936b) has shown that Day's fish was neither C. dussumieri 

 (which is synonymous with hatracKus) nor meladerma^ but represents 

 a new species that Hora has called dayi. 



CLARIAS BATRACHUS (Linnaeus) 



Silurus batrachus Linnaeus, 1758, p. 305 (Asia, Africa). 



Clarias batrachus Bleeker, 1865 (347), p. 35 (Siam) ; 1865 (356), p. 175 (Siam).— 



Sauvagb, 1881, p. 161 (Siam).— Hora, 1923b, p. 165 ( Bangkok ) .—Vipulya, 



1923, p. 227 (Bangkok).— Hora, 1924a, p. 467 (Tale Sap).— Smith. 1934b, p. 



289 (Siam generally).— Fowler, 1934a, p. 86 (Chiengmai, Chiengdao) ; 1934b, 



p. 335 (Ban Thung Luang). 



The range of this species embraces India, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, 

 Dutch East Indies, Philippines, and French Indo-China. It is the 

 commonest and most widely distributed species of this genus in Thai- 

 land, frequenting rivers, canals, lakes, and swamps in all parts of the 

 country. Waters from which specimens were collected by the writer 

 included the Chao Phya River at Bangkok, Ayuthia, and Paknampo ; 



