422 BULLETIN 188, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 

 APLOCHEILUS PANCHAX (Hamilton) 



Figure 94 



Esox panchax Hamilton, 1822, pp. 211, 380, pi. 3, fig. 69 (Bengal). 



Panchax buchanani Bleeker, 1S63 (301), vol. 3, p. 141, pi. 144, fig. 3 (Bangkok) ; 



1865 (347), p. 35 (Siam). 

 Eaplochilus panchax Von Martens, 1876, p. 401 (Bangkok). 

 Eaplochisus panchar KAroli, 1882, p. 181 (Siam). 

 Panchax panchax Webee and db Bexvufort, 1922, vol. 4, p. 374 (Siam). — Hora, 



1824a, p. 482 (Tale Sap).— Fowler, 1934b, p. 348 (Krat) ; 1937, p. 214 



(Bangkok). 



The wide range of this species, from India to the Indo-Australian 

 Archipelago inchides Burma, the Malay Peninsula, and Thailand. 



In Thailand it is a coastwise species, never found far from the sea 

 but sometimes in mountain brooks. In the Menam Phya it occurs at 

 least as far upstream as Nontaburi and probably goes farther. In the 

 lower courses of the Tachin and other rivers of Central Thailand it is 

 common, being usually found in drains, ditches, or pools connected 

 with the rivers. The records for the Southeastern area are for a 

 mountain stream on Kao Sabap (July 12, 1928), for a brackish pool at 

 Lem Sing (March 16, 1930) and for brackish waters at Krat. In the 

 lowlands of Koh Chang, Koh Samui, and Koh Pa-ngan, large islands 

 in the Gulf of Siam, the fish is common. In addition to Hora's record 

 for the Inland Sea, the present writer has taken the fish in other parts 

 of the Peninsula — in small streams in the town of Nakon Sritamarat 

 and in isolated grassy pools at Singora. 



The maximum size of this fish is 6.5 cm. 



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Figure 94 — Aplocheilus panchax (Hamilton). Drawn by Nai Chote Suvatti; courtesy 



of the Thailand Government. 



This is a very attractive little fish whose coloration has not been 

 fully set forth in published accounts. 



Color note on living specimens from Tachin River, at Tachalom, 

 Central Thailand, July 26, 1928 : General color of upper parts light 

 grayish brown, each scale with a dark brown edge, below white ; under 

 side of head yellow in males, white in females, in both a narrow black 

 transverse band posterior to lower lip ; snout viewed from above trans- 

 lucent; dorsal fin yellow, with a jet black basal spot extending from 



