290 Records of the Indian Museum. [VoL. XII, 
Mastacembelus pancalus (H. B.). 
Tamil—Pul Aral. 
Colour.—In Madras examples the vertical stripes are as a rule 
absent in adults and the pectoral fins are unspotted. 
Habitat and Habits.—M. pancalus abounds in tanks all over 
Madras and in the Cooum, usually above tidal influence. Day is 
obviously in error in stating ‘“‘I have taken this species in the 
Ganges ..... but have not seen it in the Coromandel coast south 
of the Kistna’’, as the fish is too common on the Madras coast 
to escape notice. Its habits are those of the genus. It is a much 
smaller species than M. armatus, and in its natural haunts it fre- 
quents the soft loose mud close to the margin of the water. One of 
the easiest ways to capture this fish is to draw ashore a portion of 
the weeds growing in the water and to search for it in the loose 
mud that is thus brought ashore. 
M. pancalus breeds during the cold weather. Early in Feb- 
tuary I obtained the young of this fish in a shallow pool in the 
Spur tank, Egmore; they measured on an average 30 mm. in 
length. : 
Description of the immature fish. D. 24/31. A. 3/35. 
Shape of body same as that of the adult. 
Colour.—Pale olive along the back and sides, whitish beneath, 
iris red. A dark band from the tip of the proboscis to the eye and 
extending behind that organ over the opercles. About 31 dark 
transverse stripes at regular intervals on the sides of the body 
from behind the opercles to the root of the caudal fin. The spinous 
portion of the dorsal fin is placed in a yellowish groove on the 
back. 
Uses.—A small species attaining a maximum length of seven 
inches and of no market value. 
Mastacembelus armatus (Lacep.). 
Tamil—Kal Aral. 
‘Though it is said to occur in brackish water elsewhere in India', 
in Madras it is not known to frequent estuaries or rivers within 
tidal influence. M.armatus appears to prefer stationary to run- 
ning water, and is fairly common in large tanks, where it is said 
to affect the neighbourhood of demersed rocks and stones. Early 
in February, 1910 I found mature ova in a female. 
Uses—This species attains a much larger size than R. aculeata 
which it resembles, and is highly esteemed as food. 

1 Day, Fauna of Brit. India, Fishes, I, p. 334. 
