288 BULLETIN 18S, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



5&. No dark spot on caudal peduncle ; origin of dorsal fin in advance of base 

 of ventrals and nearer to base of caudal fin than to tip of snout ; head 



2.9 to 3.5 in standard length modesta 



4&. Body marked with 4 longitudinal rows of ocellated spots and a series of 

 dark brown parallel longitudinal lines on back anterior to dorsal fin ; 

 origin of dorsal fin in advance of base of ventrals and midway between tip 

 of snout and base of caudal fin ; head 3.75 in standard length beauforti 



BOTIA LUCAS-BAHI Fowler 



Botia lucas-hahi Fowlek, 1937, p. 154, fig. 70 (Tachin) ; 1939, p. 59, figs. 7-9 

 (Trang). 



This species was based on a specimen 7.3 cm. long, from the Tachin 

 Eiver, marked by about 10 irregular dark cross bands on body, several 

 irregular rows of small dark spots on side, and a very narrow black 

 edge to the dorsal fin, with 9 branched rays in the dorsal. A second 

 specimen 9 cm. long, from the Meping at Chiengmai, having about 12 

 irregular dark cross bands, no small spots in the side, and a narrow 

 black edge to the dorsal, with 7 branched dorsal rays, is considered 

 by Fowler a paratype of B. lucas-hahi, but it was originally described 

 and figured as B. hymenophysa (Fowler, 1934a, p. 101, fig. 52). 



In the Deignan collection there is one lot of five specimens, 2.5 

 to 6 cm. long, from the Meping at Chiengmai which may be referred to 

 this species, although only two of them are in agreement with the type 

 in the color distinction of a black edge to the dorsal fin on which 

 stress is laid. These two are the largest, 5 and 6 cm. long, and have 

 11 or 12 blackish cross bands and a narrow black edge on the dorsal 

 fin. The two smallest, 2.8 and 2.9 cm. long, show six very distinct 

 narrow black cross bands, the broadest at the base of the caudal fin, 

 and no black edge on the dorsal fin. In the fifth specimen, 3.3 cm. 

 long, with six cross bands, there is evidence on the back of new cross 

 bands appearing between the others, and there is no black edge to 

 the dorsal fin. 



Additional material, from a waterfall stream near Trang, is de- 

 scribed and figured by Fowler (1939) and compared with B. hymeno- 

 physa and B. herdmorei. Except on the theory of an exceedingly 

 variable species, it is difficult to identify the specimen from Trang 

 figured by Fowler with the figure of either type or the paratype, the 

 differences being in body proportions, in relative length and depth 

 of the caudal peduncle, in origin of the dorsal fin with reference to 

 the ventrals, in coloration, and other minor characteristics. Exclud- 

 ing the "paratype," whose 7 branched dorsal rays would seem to 

 remove it entirely from consideration, the possibility that B. luca.s- 

 hahi^ like B. herdmorei (Blyth), may represent a normal variation in 

 B. hymenophysa is strongly indicated. 



