572 BULLETIN 188, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Subfamily Trypaucheninae 

 Genus TRYPAUCHEN Cuvier and Valenciennes 



Trypauchen Cuviee and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 12, 

 p. 152, 1837. (Type, Trypauchen vagina Cuvier and Valenciennes.) 



TRYPAUCHEN VAGINA (Bloch) 



Ooblus vagina Bloch, in Schneider, 1801, p. 73 (Tranquebar). 

 Trypauchen vagina Hoea, 1924a, p. 497 (Tale Sap near Singora). — Fowler, 1934a, 

 p. 161 (Bangkok) ; 1935a, p. 163 (Bangkok, Paknam) ; 1937, p. 257 (Tachin). 



This is a fairly common fish from India to China, frequenting the 

 coasts, estuaries, and lower course of coastal streams. It is essentially 

 a salt-water form, but it sometimes pushes its way up rivers into water 

 that is nearly or quite fresh. It is common up the Menam Chao Phya 

 below Bangkok, and is known also from the Bangpakong River, the 

 Chantabun River and its estuary, and from the outer lake of the 

 Tale Sap. Its pinky white color and minute black eyes make it 

 conspicuous. 



A length of 20 to 22 inches is attained in local waters. 



A vernacular name for the fish in the Chantabun district is pla pluad. 



Genus TRYPAUCHENICHTHYS Bleeker 



Trypauchaiichthys Bleekee (272), Act. Soc. Sci. Indo.-Neerl. Borneo), vol. 8, 

 p. 63, 1860. (Type, Trypauchenichthys typus Bleeker.) 



TRYPAUCHENICHTHYS TYPUS Bleeker 



Trypauchenichthys typus Bleekee, 1860 (272), p. 63 (Borneo). — Hoba, 1924a, 

 p. 497 (Tale Sap) ; 1924b, p. 155 (Tale Sap).— Herke, 1927, p. 340 (Tale Sap, 

 after Hora ) . 



This is apparently an uncommon species of Borneo and the Philip- 

 pines, with a record of two specimens collected by Annandale in the 

 Tale Sap and reported by Hora, the first and only citation for Thai- 

 land. It is a salt-water or brackish-water form. 



A length in excess of 12.5 cm. is attained. 



Orcier Plectognathi 



Family TETRAODONTIDAE : Swellfishes, or Puffers 



This very large family, mostly marine, is represented in Thailand 

 by several genera having species that inhabit fresh water or more or 

 less regularly seek the lower courses of streams. 



By means of a cavity connected with the pharynx and provided with 

 a valve, the fish is able to inflate itself enormously with air and then 

 to float like a balloon. 



