FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 749 



Plotosus arah Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. lud. Neerlantl., vol. 2, p. 98, pi. (47) 95, 

 fig. 2, 1862 (type locality: Java, Sumatra, Batu, Nias, Blntang, Banka, 

 Celebes, Sangi, Batjan, Buro, Amboina, Ceram). — Kner, Reise Novara, 

 Fische, p. 300, 1865 (Singapore).— Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 195, 18G5.— 

 Bleeker, Versl. Meded. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam, ser. 2, vol. 2, p. 300, 1868 

 (Waigiu).— Klunzinger, Verb. Zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, vol. 21, p. 588, 11871 

 (Red Sea).— Day, Fishes of India, pt. 3, p. 483, pi. 112, fig. 4, 1877.— 

 Bleeker, Arch. N^erland. Sci. Nat., vol. 13, p. 38, 1878 (New Guinea).— 

 Day, Fauna Brit. India, Fishes, vol. 1, p. 113, 1889. — Jordan and Snydeb, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 23, p. 340, 1900 (Tokyo) ; Annot. Zool. Japon., 

 vol. 3, p. 44, 1901 (Yokohama). — Steindachnek, Sitz. Ber. Akad. Wiss. 

 Wien, math.-nat. KL, vol. 115, pt. 1, p. 1420, 1906 (Apia).— Zugmayer, 

 Abb. Bayer. Akad. Wiss., math.-phys. Kl., vol. 26, p. 9, 1913 (IMekran). — 

 Seale, Philippine Journ. Sci., vol. 9, p. 60, 1914 (Hongkong). 



Plotosus canius (nut Buchanan-Hamilton) Schmeltz, Cat. Mus. Godeffroy, No. 

 4, p. 24, 1869 (Viti Islands) ; No. 5, p. 35, 1874 (Ovalu).— Bleeker, Ned- 

 erland. Tijd.schr. Dierk., vol. 4, p. 116, 1874 (China). 



? Plotosus laticeps Kent, Great Barrier Reef, p. 370, 1893 (type locality: 

 Queensland). (Name only). 



Plotosus papuensis Webee, Notes Leyden Mus., vol. 32, p. 228, 1910 (type local- 

 ity : Lorentz River, South New Guinea) ; Nova Guinea, vol. 9, p. 520, fig. 2, 

 1913 (Lorentz River at Wellskamp, Sabang, Alkman, Riverkamp, Bivak 

 Island). — Wf3er and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Australian Archipelago, vol. 2, 

 p. 228, 1913 (fig. 91, p. 227) (types). 



Depth 61^ to 71/2; head 4% to 41/2, width 1% to li/o. Snout 21/2 

 to 2% in head; eye 51/^ to 7, 23^ to 3 in snout, eye 2% to 3 in inter- 

 orbital ; mouth width 21/5 to 2% in head ; lips thick, papillose ; nasal 

 barbel % or to eye, maxillary to eye center or beyond, outer mental 

 to or beyond eye, inner mental to eye; jaws each with 2 irregular 

 series of teeth merging as single row each side or laterally, some- 

 times 3 series in front of lower jaw; crescentic band of molarlike 

 teeth on vomer in 2 or 3 series; interorbital 2% to 314 in head, but 

 little elevated, depressed or flattened medially. Gill rakers 8 + 23 

 or 24, lanceolate, equal gill filaments or eye. 



Skin smooth. 



D. I, 4 or 5, first ray 2I/2 to 2% in head, spine 2% ; second D. 82 

 to 85 ; A. 62 ? to 72 ; caudal 2% to 3i^ in head ; pectoral II/2 to 2 ; 

 ventral 2 to 2i/s. 



Uniform brownish, vertical fins with blackish edges. Young with 

 white longitudinal line from side of snout tip along each side of tail 

 to caudal. Also another white line, parallel, from each maxillary 

 end along middle of side of head below eye and fading out pos- 

 teriorly or reaching hind end of tail. 



Ked Sea, Arabia, Zanzibar, Natal, South Africa, Madagascar, 

 Rodriguez, Mauritius, Seychelles, India, Ceylon, Andamans, Pinang, 

 Malay Peninsula, Siam, East Indies, Philippines, China, Formosa, 

 Japan, North Australia, Queensland, Melanesia, Micronesia, Poly- 

 nesia. 



