1916.] B.SunpARA Raj: Freshwater Fish of Madras. 287 
E. fusca breeds during the cold weather in Madras, but in S. 
Canara, as ascertained by Thomas', in June and July and again 
in January and February. I have not seen young below 2 cm. 
in length, and when of that size they are easily distinguished from 
other young fish by their distinctive colour. A broad black lateral 
band, very conspicuous and sharply distinguished from the pale 
colour of the back and abdomen, extends from the snout to the 
caudal fin, while the summit of the head and the portions of the 
body above and below this band is pale gray. The younger the 
specimens the more sharply contrasted are the two colours, 
Gobius (Acentrogobius) neilli, Day. 
This small species abounds in shallow pools in the bed of the 
Cooum and Adyar rivers both in fresh and brackish water. 
Though essentially a backwater fish, I have kept it living for 
months in fresh water. 
It is a bottom-feeder with limited powers of swimming; when 
resting on the bottom it spreads out its ventral sucker as a 
support and by means of this organ often adheres to stones and in 
the aquarium to the glass, and climbs aquatic weeds on the leaves 
of which it frequently rests. In its natural surroundings it delights 
to bask in the sun, coming up close to the margin of the water, 
receding at the least sign of danger and raising a cloud of mud 
under cover of which it escapes. 
G. neilli seems to be a perennial spawner as I have seen 
young ones throughout the year, but it is specially prolific about 
March and April. It is evidently monogamous and during the 
breeding season each pair inhabit,a horizontal burrow excavated 
in the mud. 
Gobius (Acentrogobius) acutipinnis, C. and V. 
Tamil—Nation pulowe (C. and V.). 
Cuvier and Valenciennes describe this species under the two 
names G. acutipinnis (from Malabar) and G. setosus (from Pondi- 
cherry); the chief differences between the two being :—(1) the 
length of the head is 6 in the total length in the former while it is 
only 5 in the latter; (2) spots and blotches occur on the body of 
the former whereas they are absent in the latter. There is no 
constant difference in the relative lengths of the head between 
the blotched and unblotched forms, and the difference in colour 
between the two forms appears to be due to the difference in sex; 
the males, having their bodies spotted and blotched, represent 
G. acutipinnis and the females, being destitute of such spots, 
correspond to G. sefosus. 
Habitat and Habits.—Not uncommon in pools. within tidal 
influence, in the Adyar and Cooum rivers where the bottom is 
muddy ; occasionally ascending into fresh water higher up. 

l Rep. Pisc. S. Canara, p. 73- 
