344 BULLETIN 18 8, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Siamese Bureau of Fisheries, taken in Menam Chao Phya near Bang- 

 pa-in, December 10. 1924, agi^ees well with Weber and de Beaufort's 

 description; the caudal has a black bar at its base and the anal is 

 black-edged. Fowler had 10 specimens 10.5 to 29.8 cm. long taken at 

 Bangkok. 



Kryptopterus micronema is close to K. apogon and not always 

 readily distinguishable therefrom. The principal character on which 

 the species are separated is the shape of the patch of vomerine teeth. 

 Examples are met with in which it is difficult to decide whether this 

 patch is curved or angular. 



It is suggested that K. deignani Fowler, known from a single speci- 

 men 14.3 cm. long from the Mepoon in Central Siam, is the present 

 species. Fowler (1937) stated that deignani differed from Bleeker's 

 Micronema typus "in larger or wider bands of teeth, besides a smaller 

 eye," and in having 81 anal rays instead of 86 to 93, as mentioned by 

 Bleeker. Micronema typus, however, is a synonym of Siluriis 

 micronema Bleeker, which is the present species, and in his account 

 of K. mici^onema based on specimens from Bangkok Fowler (1937) 

 gave the anal rays as 76 to 79 and stated that it "'differs from K. deig- 

 nmii in its greatly smaller eye.'* The diameter of the eye in relation 

 to the length of the head seems to be extremely variable in this form ; 

 thus, K. micronema Weber and de Beaufort give the eye in head as 

 3.5 to 5, Fowler gives 6 to 7, and for K. deignani Fowler gives 5.75. 



KRYPTOPTERUS BLEEKERI Gunther 



Cryptopterus Ueekeri Guxthek, 1864, vol. 5, p. 44 (Siam). — vox Martens, 1876, 

 p. 399 (Siam).— HORA. 1923b, p. 166 (Bangkok, Nontaburi). 



Micronema Weekeri Bleeker, 1865 (347), p. 34 (Siam). — Bleekek. 1865 (356), 

 p. 175 (Siam). — Bocouet. 1866, p. 17, pi. 4, figs. 3-3c (Menam Chao Phya). — 

 Sattvage, 1881, p. 161 (Siam and Cambodia). 



With the exception of Indo-China, Thailand is the only known 

 habitat of this species. It is found throughout the length of the 

 Menam Chao Phya ; in its tributary the Pasak : and in the Tapi, near 

 Bandon. Specimens from Thailand in the British Museum have been 

 examined by the writer, one from the Bleeker collection, one from the 

 Jamrach purchase, and six from the Siamese Museum. 



A length of 60 cm. is attained. 



K. hUekeri is found in swamps during high water, and when it 

 enters the rivers it frequents the deeper parts. It is fished for with a 

 peculiar device consisting of a lead jigger armed with four sharp 

 hooks set at right angles ; the fish is caught as the hooks go down. A 

 mole cricket is a good bait for ordinary line fishing. 



This is a common fish, well known to the Thai under the name 

 pla deng (red fish), in allusion to its general color of rose, pink, and 



