26 Records of the Indtan Museum. [VOr..2an 
e6) 
the root of the pectoral fins, dorsally, is a semi-circular patch of 
close-set small spots: on the body and tail there are five longitu- 
dinai rows of spots, one mid-dorsal, two lateral and two ventral 
rows, one on either side of the mid-ventral line of the body 
(figs. 15 and 16). 
During growth the following changes occur: the dorsal, caudal 
and anal fins become distinct in about 3 weeks; the pigment spots 
slowly disappear, except the lateral row which is retained in most 
adults as a faint black streak. The eyes acquire a glittering azure- 
blue colour and a pearly white speck is developed on the head 
—two unmistakable features of the immature H. melanostigma. 
Uses.—-A valuable mosquito-destroyer. 
Panchax parvus, sp. nov.! 
(Blo xxv;ihigs) 258 ; pl xxvij eer): 
Tamil—Pachat Munda kann. 
Br. Vi. .D..2-3/5.. A. .3/11-12. -C. 24; ,-V 16. P. 122. Vertebtacaao: 
The length of the head is 33 to 3} times, and the depth of the 
body 4 to 4; times in the total length (exclusive of the caudal fin). 
The snout is longer than the diameter of the eye, which latter is 
33 to 32 in the length of the head, and nearly half the interorbital 
width ; the lower jaw is slightly projecting. Teeth are present in 
bands on both the jaws, some three vestigeal ones on the anterior 
edge of the vomer. Fins—the pectorals reach considerably 
beyond the root of the ventrals which reach the anal. In the 
male, the 4th or 5th dorsal ray and the 11th and 12th anal rays 
are prolonged and both the fins reach the caudal; in the female 
these fins are rounded and do not reach the caudal. Scales possess 
both concentric and radiating seriations. The lateral line is ab- 
sent; there are 26 to 27 scales along the mid-lateral line of the 
body counted from the top of the branchial aperture to the root 
of the caudal fin (scales on the caudal fin are not included). Seven 
longitudinal rows of complete scales exist between the root of the 
dorsal fin and that of the anal. ; 
Colour.—Males are larger and are more brightly coloured 
than females. In both during life a metallic green spot exists on 
every scale of the back and upper half of the body, and on alter- 
nate scales of the mid-lateral row and a few horizontal rows below 
it. In this latter portion light Italian pink dots alternate with 


! Day appears to have described this species from Madras under the name 
Panchax rubrostigma (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867, p. 706) in the idea that 
it was identical with Jerdon’s Aplocheitlus rubrostigma. Later, in 1878, in his 
Fishes of India the description of Haplochilus rubrostigma is identical with 
that of Jerdon, and obviously he has mixed up the two species. P. rubvostigma 
differs from the present species chiefly (1) in size, as it reachgs nearly 3 inches in 
length, (2) in having the second ray of the ventral fin elongated. P. parvus 
reaches only a maximum length of 11 inches and never has the rays of the ventral 
fin elongated. i s 
