1916.] B.SuNDARA Raj: Freshwater Fish of Madras. 269 
the above-mentioned green dots. The ventral surface is more or 
less translucent in life, and the scales possess a purplish gloss. The 
usual pearly white speck is present on the head. An ocellus, with 
a black centre and light margin, is usually present at the root of 
some of the anterior rays of the dorsal fin, most distinct in female 
and immature examples. In the males, the longitudinal rows of 
alternating green and pink dots extend over the proximal half of 
the caudal, dorsal and anal fins; in the two latter fins the spots 
gradually increase posteriorly so as to completely cover the pos- 
terior half of the dorsal and a third of the anal fin. Inthe female 
the above-mentioned fins are unspotted and of a light orange 
colour. These brilliant colours disappear more or less completely 
in spirit. 
Ty pe-specimen.—In the Indian Museum. 
Habitat and Habits.—P. parvus isfound only in fresh water and 
confined, so far as I am aware, to the tanks and rivers in and 
around Madras city. It is somewhat local in distribution and in- 
habits stationary and sheltered waters of tanks and rivers over- 
grown with vegetation. 
The breeding season appears to be January and February. 
The eggs are demersal and adhesive and are not carried in clusters 
by the female after extrusion. Thomas remarks: 
‘““ H. panchax’’ (I have no doubt he means this species) ‘‘ extrudes one egg at 
a time and that disproportionately large, as big as its own eye. This keeps hang- 
ing to the vent as the fish is moving and feeding till it is cast and adheres; and so 
single eggs are laid and distributed.” ! 
Description of egg (pl. xxvi, fig. 11).—The egg of P. parvus 
closely resembles that of H. melanostigma but is slightly larger, the 
adhesive threads of the outer membrane are thinner, longer and more 
numerous. ‘The chief difference, however, is the absence of the 
tuft of long processes by which the eggs of H. melanostigma are held 
together and are suspended from the genital opening of the female. 
This is obviously due to the fact that the eggs in this species are 
not carried about by the female. 
Uses.—A small species (adult male about 42 mm. and adult 
female about 28 mm.) which is valuable as a mosquito larvicide. 
Doryrhamphus? brachyurus (Bleeker). 
(Doryichthys bleekeri of the Fauna of Brit. Indta.) 
In a recent paper *® George Duncker has united D. brachyurus 
(Bleeker) with D. bleekeri (Day). The only appreciable difference 
between the two, as would appear from descriptions, was in the 
number of the rays of the dorsal fin, there being 40-45 rays in 
D. bleekert and only 36-37 in D. brachyurus ; from an examination 

1 Thomas, Tank Angling, p. 112 (1887). 
2 The name Doryrhamphus has priority over Doryichthys. Max Weber, 
Fish. Siboga-Expedition, 1913, p. 116. 
3 Duncker, Syngnathids from Ceylon. Spol. Zeylan., VII, pt. 25, p. 26 
(1910). 
