FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 745 



enclosed in bone. Dorsals 2, first sliort, rays 4 or 5 and preceded 

 by spine; second dorsal very long, inserted above or before ventrals, 

 many rayed like anal and confluent with caudal. Pectoral spines 

 toothed and like dorsal spine covered with soft skin. Ventral rays 

 12 to 14. 



Indo-Pacific. Species few, living in the sea or if entering rivers 

 seldom wandering above tidal influence. Their jagged spines are 

 capable of causing severe wounds. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES 



a\ Nasal barbel reaches beyond eye; band of lower jaw teeth in 3 to 5 rows. 



b\ Dorsal rays 90; anal 82 abbreviatus 



b". Dorsal and anal rays over 100 canius 



a\ Nasal barbel not reaching beyond eye ; band of lower jaw teeth in 2 or 3 rows ; 

 dorsal rays SO to 100; anal 70 to 80 anguillaris 



PLOTOSUS ABBREVIATUS Boulenger 



Plotosus ahhreviatus Boxn^NGER, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, vol. 15, p. 247, 

 1895 (type locality: Mouth of Baram River, Borneo ) .—Weher and Beau- 

 fort, Fishes ludo-Australiau Archipelago, vol. 2, p. 229, 1913 (type). 



Depth 8 ; head 41/2, width li/^. Eye 11 in head, 4 in interorbital ; 

 nasal barbel 11/2, reaches preopercle, maxillary reaches opercle; 

 upper teeth conic, in band 3 times long as wide, in 3 or 4 rows, 

 anterior largest; large vomerine teeth molarlike, in large crescentic 

 patch; lower teeth in broad band of 4 rows, molarlike, outer series 

 large and obtusely conic. 



D. I, 4 ; second D. 90 ; A. 82 ; caudal rays 18 ; pectoral spine little 

 longer than dorsal, 2i/2 in head, rays 12 ; ventral rays 14. 



Uniform dark olive above. Whitish beneath. Length, 42() mm. 

 (Weber and Beaufort). 



Borneo. Only known from the type in the British Museum. 



PLOTOSUS CANIUS Buchanan-Hamilton 



Plotosus canius Buchanan-Hamilton, Fishes of Ganges, pp. 142, 374, pi. 26, 

 fig. 45, 1822 (type locality: Rivers of southern Bengal).— Valenciennes, 

 Hist. Nat. Poiss. vol. 15, p. 425, 1840 (copied).— Bleekkr, Atlas Ichth. lud. 

 Neerland., vol. 2, p. 99, pi. (48) 96, fig. 2, 1862 (Java, Madura, Singapore, 

 Banka, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes). — Gijnther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mas., vol. 5, 

 p. 25, 1864 (Ganges, Calcutta, Pinang).— Kner, Reise Novara, Fische, p. 300, 

 1865.— Day, Fishes of India, pt. 3, p. 482, pi. 112, fig. 3, 1877.- Schmeltz, 

 Cat. Mus. GodefEroy, No. 7, p. 56, 1879 (Viti Islands). — Vinciguerra, Ann. 

 Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova, vol. 16, p. 167, 1880 ( Borneo ) .—Meyer, Anal. Soc. 

 Espau. Hist. Nat, Madrid, vol. 14, p. 41, 1885 (North Celebes ) .—Day, 

 Fauna British India, Fishes, vol. 1, p. 113, fig. 47, 1889.— Elera, Cat. 

 Fauna Filip., vol. 1, p. 565, 1895 (Cebu). — Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Philadelphia, 1905, p. 461 (Baram River, Borneo). — Weber and Beaufort, 

 Fishes Indo-Australian Archipelago, vol. 2, p. 227, 1913 (Batavia, Deli, 

 Baan Ahi Ahi, Kota Baru, Macassar, Pare Pare, Aru). — Hora, Journ. Nat. 



