1918.] N. Annandale: F/.s// of the InU Lahe. 63 



fish are eaten commonly by the people, but several species are of 

 little economic importance because they are of relatively small size 

 and are at the same time difficult to catch. To this category 

 belong the species of Barilius, a sprat-like fish which as a rule swims 

 near the surface, and Discognathvs, which is provided with an adhesive 

 apparatus connected with the mouth and feeds by crawling up house- 

 posts and the like and grazing on the minute vegetation attached thereto. 



The chief food fishes among the larger species that are eaten fresh 

 are the following : — 



Clarias hatrachus, Cirrhina latia, Barbus sarana caudimarginatus, 

 Barhus stedmanensis , Cyprinus carpio intha, Notoperus notopterus, 

 Ophiocephalus striatus and 0. harcourt-hutleri. Of these, Europeans 

 prefer Clarias halrachas and Ophiocephalus striatus, but the favourite 

 fish of the Intha seems to be the local race of the true Carp. 



The larger fish are seldom preserved by salting or drying, but half- 

 grown Murrel are occasionally split, cleaned and salted, while a surplus 

 catch of Cirrhina latia is frequently dried without even being cleaned. 

 Small dried fish of the latter species are sold separately from larger ones. 



The dried whitebait consists of small fish of diverse species, which 

 are captured mostly in rice-fields at the time when they are being drained 

 in autumn. A comparatively small number are, however, taken among 

 the floating islands near the edge of the lake. The fish are caught in 

 the baskets described above and also in small traps of types widely 

 distributed in India and the surrounding countries. The fish identified 

 from samples of whitebait purchased in the liitha bazaars are : — 



Lepidocephalus berdmorei, Nemachilus botia, N. brevis, N. brunn- 

 eanvs, Cirrhina latia, Danio aequipimiatus, Cyprinus carpio intha, 

 Saivbwa resplendens, Microrasbora rubescens, M. erythrotnicron, Masto- 

 cembclus oatesii and M. caudiocellatus. Of the larger species only a 

 small number of young individuals were found to be present. The 

 great bulk of all the samples examined consisted of the species of Lepi- 

 docephalus, Nemachilus, Saivbiva, Danio and Microrasbora. 



Several different cpialities of whitebait are recognized in the local 

 markets, the difference depending chiefly on the species present or 

 predominant. The selection is, however, perhaps to some extent 

 different in d'fferent villages. In Fort Stedman bazaar I found two 

 qualities commonly on sale in February : A samjale of the first quality 

 (called Poltha) consisted of 74 per cent, of small loaches and 26 per 

 cent, of Cyprininae of species that never grow more than 2 inches 

 long. The second quality was called Nga tha-hpwe-gyauk and only 

 differed from the first in having a very much smaller proportion of 

 loaches. In the Nan-Pan bazaar at the same season three quahties 

 were distinguished. The first quality was called {Nga Jie=" black 

 fish "). It consisted of loaches and of small Cyprininae in about equal 

 proportion. The second quality {Nga Mi^" red fish ") consisted 

 mainly of Danio, with some loaches and a few (not more than 5 per 

 cent.) of young Cyprini and Cirrhinae. The third quality {Nga Hjxyn^ 

 'white fish'") consisted mainly of Sawbwa and Microrasbora with 

 a small admixture of young loaches and a few young Cirrhinae. 



