FRESH-WATER FISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 319 



meet over the back and extend downward to the level of the pectoral 

 and ventral bases, the bands most regular in shape and position in 

 posterior half of body, five of the bands predorsal, three subdorsal, 

 seven postdorsal, together with a very black one at the base of the 

 caudal fin ; dorsal fin with a jet-black spot at its base anteriorly and an- 

 other such spot along its midbase, these spots in a rich creamy yellow 

 area, which extends the whole length of the fin, the rays distally bluish 

 black, the membranes whitish ; caudal fin pale yellow, with 2 indistinct 

 dark cross bands, its base with a narrow, jet-black band; anal and 

 ventral fins pale yellow ; pectoral membranes bluish, rays yellow. 



Type and paratypes. — The type, a male (U.S.N.M. No. 107953), 10.8 

 cm. long, was taken September 1, 1934, in Huey Melao, a mountain 

 stream on Doi Hua Mot, Northern Thailand. From the same stream, 

 are 3 specimens 9.7 to 11.1 cm. long, together with 22 immature indi- 

 viduals 3.7 to 6.9 cm. long, taken August 14, 1934, 3 specimens 9.3, 10.2, 

 and 10.2 cm. long, 1 of them a ripe female, together with 5 immature 

 4.5 to 5.3 cm., taken August 18, 1934; and 11 specimens 3.7 to 11.6 cm. 

 long, taken August 23, 1934. Paratypes bear the following numbers : 

 U.S.N.M. Nos. 109715, 109733, 109734, and 109754. 



Remarks. — This is a large well-marked species living in mountain 

 streams of Northern Thailand. The coloration of the bodj^ is some- 

 what variable. The shape of the cross bands, while fairly constant on 

 the posterior part of the body, shows a tendency to become irregular 

 anteriorly. The number of bands may reach 17 or 18, but is usually 

 only 15. The black spots at the base of the dorsal fin and the narrow 

 band at the base of the caudal do not vary. 



This species falls in the group of Asiatic N oemacheilus characterized 

 by a more or less complete lateral line and numerous dark cross bands 

 on body, together with a nontubular anterior nostril and the absence 

 of a black ocellus at the upper base of the caudal fin. Among the 

 related forms recorded from Siam and Burma N. sikmaiensis Hora and 

 N. rivulicola Hora seem closest. The former is a small species not 

 exceeding 5 cm. in length, with short barbels, well-forked caudal fin, 

 lateral line ending over middle of anal fin, and 12 or 13 regular black 

 cross bands separated by narrower white spaces. 



This appears to be the species that Fowler (1934a) identified as 

 N oeinacheilus rivulicola Hora from numerous specimens 3 to 9.7 cm. 

 long from Chiengmai, Chiengdao, Metang, and Huey Meka, in North- 

 ern Thailand, judged from the figure of a fish about 7 cm. long pub- 

 lished in the paper cited. The differences between that figure and 

 Hora's (1929a, p. 324, pi. 15, figs. 3, 4) description and figures seem 

 too great to be accounted for by age or individual variation. The 

 differences are in fact of cardinal importance as specific criteria in 

 this genus, and include the position of the dorsal fin (its origin far in 

 advance of the midlength of body in rivulicola^ equidistant between 



