178 Records of the Indian Museum [V'ol. XXI I. 



Order OSTARIOPHYSI 

 Family SILURIDAE. 



Clartas batrachus (Linn.). 



1913. Clarias batrac'iiis, Webfr and Beaufort, Fislies Iiido-Aiistr- 



Arch., II, p. 190, fig. 74 fp. 187). 

 1918. Clarias batrachus, Annandalc, of>. cit.. p. 4,;?. 



This species is common everywhere in the valley, especially in 

 and about the I^oktak Lake. In the market it is usually sold in a 

 living condition. Though the fish is very common in the swampy 

 portion of the lake, it is also fairly abundant among the weeds 

 further inwards. It does not grow to a very large size in the 

 valley. 



Adults are black in colour, but not quite so dark as young 

 individuals. There are minute white spots forming distinct rows 

 all over the body. The pectoral spine i? roughened externally and 

 finely serrated along its posterior border. 



All the specimens in our collection are from the Loktak 

 r.ake. 



Wallago attu (Schn.). 



1889. Wallago attu, Da.y, Faun. Brit. hid. Fish., I, p 126 fig. 54. 

 iSSg. Wallago attu, Vinciguerra, Ann. Mas. Star. Nat. Genova, (2) 

 IX, p. 199. 



This was the biggest fish brought to the Manipur market at 

 the time of our visit. Waithu-pat, a lake on either side of the 

 Burma Road some lo miles from Imphal, is particulary noted for 

 this species. 



It is found thioughout India, Burma and Ceylon. 



Callichrous bimaculatus (Bloch). 



1889. Callichrous biinactitattis. Day, op. cit., p. 131. fig. 57. 

 1889. Calliclirons bimaculatus, Viiicigiierra, op. cit., p. 201. 

 1919. Ompok bimaculatus, Jordon and Starks, Ann. Carnegie Mus.. 

 XI, p. 434. 



Young specimens of this species are very difficult to distin- 

 guish from those of C. macropJdhalmus (Blyth;. In the identifica- 

 tion of the Manipur specimens I have followed Vinciguerra, 

 though an examination of the collection in the Indian Museum has 

 shown that much reliance cannot be placed on the character of 

 the vomerine teeth. 



The specimens in the collection were obtained from Imphal 

 and Khurda streams and from the Loktak Lake. There is a 

 great variation in colour even in specimens from the same localit)' 

 Some are silver^'- white all over th; bod}' with a black blotch on 

 either side above the pectorals ; while in others the body is dense- 

 ly covered with minute black spots on a dull-white background, 

 and the mark above the pectorals is not distinct. 



In the valley C. biinacnlatus does not reach a larger size than 

 9 to 10 inches. 



