ig2o.] B. Prashad : Indian Torpedinidae. 103 



distinct from it. As was pointed out by Annandale, probably as 

 a result of adaptation to its presumable habits of wriggling and 

 squirming at the bottom, the body has become very massive and 

 fleshy, while the fins have been greatly reduced. The mouth, owing 

 to a suctorial function, has become small, and is protrusible as a 

 tubular structure. The eyes also have degenerated to minute struc- 

 tures sunk in pits, and probably functionless. All these features 

 combined with the lateral situation of the ventrals on the tail, and 

 the very much smaller anterior narial flap are sufficient characters 

 for separating the genus from Narke. 



Bengalichthys impennis, Annandale. 

 (Plate VI, figs. 3, 4 ; pi. VII, figs. 1-3). 



1887. Astrape dipterygia, Day, Fislies of India, p. 734 (in part), fig. ig. 

 1909. Bengalichthys impennis, Annandale, Op. cit., p. 48, fig. 9, pi. iii 



(a), fig. 7- 

 1913. Narke impennis, Garman, Op. cit., p. 315. 



In addition to the original description by Annandale, the 

 following points may be noted. The narial flap is verj^ small and 

 does not cover the mouth. The glandular pits are present on 

 both the dorsal and ventral surfaces ; they are specially prominent 

 on the border of the electric organs. The electric organs, though 

 well developed and occupying the usual position between the head 

 and the pectorals, are not visible externally, except in young indi- 

 viduals as pentagonal areas, through the thick skin. The pectoral 

 " fringed ridge," mentioned b}' Annandale, consists of skin cover- 

 ing only the terminal joints of the fin-rays. It was found on 

 dissecting out the skeletal parts in this region that the rays, 

 instead of remaining quite straight, are retroverted upwards (pi. vii, 

 fig. i) for a considerable part of their length, and thus give double 

 support to the fleshy margin of the disc ; the fins as such being 

 reduced to the narrow fringe. The ventral fins have the greater 

 part of their length situated behind the disc, but are enclosed, 

 like the pectorals, in a thick muscular coating, and form lateral 

 expansions of the tail in this region. 



In the male specimens the claspers are well-developed struc- 

 tures but the greater part of their length is enclosed within the 

 fin-folds. The free part shows the main channel and a small groove 

 on either side on the dorsal surface (pi. vii, figs. 2, 3). 



Besides the two original specimens of Dr. Day, one from Malabar 

 and the other from Madras, there are in the collection of the Zoo- 

 logical Survey two specimens from Balasore Bay on the Orissa coast, 

 and four from off Gopalpur, Madras. I also saw two partially 

 decayed specimens on the Puri beach in January, 1920. It appears 

 from these records that the species, though rare, is widely distri- 

 buted in the Indian seas. 



Annandale has described the colouration of the species at 

 some length, and there is nothing further to note except that in 

 fresh specimens it closely resembles that of N. dipterygia. 



