FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 743 



head flat and granular above ; occipital process very obtuse and very 

 broad at base, very little prominent; frontal fontanel longer than 

 occipital, its front border behind eyes; predorsal to occiput equals 

 Yq of space of latter to snout end. Gill rakers 15. 



D. 68 to 72, and like anal may be united with base of rounded 

 caudal; A. 52 to 61; pectoral rounded, conspicuously longer than 

 head without snout, very strong spine % shorter than longest rays, 

 with 9 rays ; ventral rays 6, rounded, reaches anal, about % pectoral 

 length. 



Uniform blackish, underside of head and belly little lighter, some- 

 times with lighter spots. Length, 340 mm. (Weber and Beaufort.) 



India, East Indies, Philippines, Siam, China. 



Genus HETEROBRANCHUS Geoflfroy Saint-Hilaire 



Heferobranchiis Geoffroy Saint Hilaike, Descript. Egypte, Poiss., vol. 1, pi. 16, 

 jBgs. 2-5, pi. 17, figs. S, 9, 1S09; text, p. 305, 1827. (Type, Ileterobranchus 

 iidorsalis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, monotypic.) 



? Enchclochirias Hekre and Myers, Raffles IMus. Bull. 13, p. 66, 1937. (Type 

 Hetcrohranchus tapeinopterus Bleeker, orthotypic.) 



Dorsal divided as anterior rayed fin and posterior adipose fin, latter 

 supported by extensions of neural spines. 



Except as diagnosed above like Clarias. With the exception of the 

 species below all the others are African. 



HETEROBRANCHUS TAPEINOPTERUS Bleeker 



HGtcrohranchus tapeinopterus Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Nederland. Indie, vol. 3, 

 p. 732, 1852 (tjTDe locality: Province Toboali, in rivers, Bauka) ; Atlas 

 Ichth. Ind. N6erland., vol. 2, p. 101, pi. (49) 97, fig. 1, 1862 (Banka, Bor- 

 neo). — GuNTHER, Cat. Fishes British Mus., vol. 5, p. 22, 1864 (no locality). — 

 Elera, Cat. Fauna Filip., vol. 1, p. 566, 1895 (Samar).— Weber and Beau- 

 fort, Fishes Indo-Australian Archipelago, vol. 2, p. 194, fig. 75, 1913 

 (compiled). 



Enchelocl arias tapeinopterus Herre and Myers, Raffles Mus. Bull., No. 13, p. 66, 

 1937 (Mawai, Johore). 



Depth 8 to 91/2 ; head to hind opercle end 5% to 6%, long as wide. 

 Eye 15 to 18 in head; nasal and mental barbels reach pectoral base, 

 maxillary and mandibular barbels reach pectoral tip or beyond; 

 small upper teeth in 2 juxtaposed patches, 2 patches in lower jaw in 

 curved band; vomerine teeth in broad slightly curved band. Bran- 

 chiostegals 8. 



D. 24 to 27; adipose fin much lower but rather longer than rayed 

 dorsal; caudal confluent with adipose fin and anal; pectoral little 

 over 1 to 1^/2 ii^ head, spine distinctly serrate, rays 8 ; ventral rays 6. 



Brownish. Length, 124 mm. (Weber and Beaufort.) 



Banka, Borneo, British Malaya. Although reported from Samar 

 by Elera this record needs confirmation. 



156861—40 48 



