FRESH-WATER FISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 479 



in March and April, and is much sought by anglers using live prawn as 

 bait. 



A length of 1.7 meters is attained by this fish in the Indo-Aus- 

 tralian Archipelago, according to Weber and de Beaufort. Ex- 

 amples a meter long are known from Thailand waters, but, owing to 

 active fishing and lack of pi'otection, fish as long as a meter in length 

 have become scarce in recent years. 



A few figures showing correlation of length and weight of large 

 examples are available for fish caught in the Ban Yao River, South- 

 eastern Thailand, in April (1924) : Length over all, 65 cm., weight 

 19.8 kilograms; length 75 cm., weight 28.7 kilograms; length 87 cm.. 

 weight 33.1 kilograms. 



In Thailand this fish may be rated as anadromous; that is, it as- 

 cends streams for short distances for the puipose of spawning. There 

 is much information indicating that the lower Menam Chao Phya 

 and various short streams, especially the Paknam Wain and the Ban 

 Yao, in Southeastern Thailand are favorite spawning grounds. The 

 young fish find suitable shelter and food in littoral waters, and grow 

 rapidly. 



This is one of the best of the local food fishes, and among both Si- 

 amese and foreigners is in high repute. It brings a high price to 

 fishermen and in the retail markets, and is an almost indispensable 

 item on the menu of hotels and formal dinners. 



The most extensive special fishery for the pla hapong is conducted 

 in short rivers of Southeastern Thailand by Annamite women using 

 hand lines baited with fishes or shrimp. The fishery is active during 

 about 10 months out of the year (April to January), and 4,000 to 

 6,000 fish weighing 3 to 30 or more pounds are caught in an average 

 year and sent to the Bangkok market in small-stream vessels making 

 regular trips to that section. 



The vernacular name for this fish is pla kapong. As the same name, 

 with qualifying adjectives, is applied to various sea fishes of some- 

 what similar appearance, the present species when caught away from 

 the sea is sometimes called pla kapong nam chut (fresh- water ka- 

 pong). 



Genus CHANDA Hamilton 



Chanda Hamilton, Fishes * * * River Ganges, pp. 103, 370, 1822. (Type, 

 Chanda nalua Hamilton.) 



The local fishes of this genus are mostly small, whitish or silvery, 

 some of them translucent, found in salt, brackish, and fresh waters. 

 Some are strictly fresh-water forms, and some occur regularly in both 

 the sea and estuaries and in fresh-water rivers and lakes. In addition 

 to the species herein considered, all of which have been observed in the 



