200 Records of the Indian Musemii. [Vol. XXII, 



mens and a description of the species from fresh specimens, together 

 with figures. 



Having been long in spirit, the type-specimens have lost their 

 natural colouration, except for certain markings on the caudal fin. 

 There is also a faint black ocellus at the upper portion of the base 

 of the caudal fin. The upper jaw is provided with a prominent 

 knob in the middle. The lower lip is interrupted in the middle. 

 The dorsal is considerably in advance of the ventrals. The 

 lateral line is incomplete, ending below the origin of the dorsal. 

 The eyes are nearer to the snout than the posterior extremity of 

 the head. 



Measurements of type-specimens in millimetres. 



A9 B9 



Length of body (caudal excluded) . . 30-4 26-8 



Length of head . . . 73 6'4 



Diameter of eye . . . . i'9 i'6 



The following is a description of the fresh-specimens from 

 Manipur : — 



D. 3/9— 10. A. 2/5. P. II. V. 7. 



The length of the caudal fin is contained 4-5- — 5 times, of the 

 head 4I— 5g- times and the depth of the body 5J — 6^ times in the 

 total length including the caudal fin. The diameter of the eye is 

 contained 4 — 4^ times in the length of the head and I5 times in the 

 length of the snout. Barbels. — There are six barbels, two rostral 

 pairs and one pair maxillary. The maxillary barbels are slightly 

 longer than the outer rostrals and are if times as long as the 

 diameter of the eye. The inner rostrals are equal in length to the 

 diameter of the eye. Fins. — The dorsal fin arises in advance of 

 the ventrals and is almost as high as the depth of the body below 

 it; its origin is nearer to the snout than to the base of the caudal 

 fin. The caudal fin is slightly emarginate, with the upper lobe 

 slightly the longer. The caudal peduncle is almost as high as 

 long. 



The mouth is small and semicircular and the mouth-opening 

 reaches to just below the nostrils. The lips, the jaws, and the 

 lateral line are as described in the type-specimens. 



The colour of this loach has thus been described by Blyth 

 and agrees with the Manipur specimens: — " It has a dark lateral 

 streak, crossed by twelve short transverse bands, which alternate 

 with about the same number of dorsal dark cross-bands. The 

 dorsal fin is marked with three and the caudal with four rows of 

 black spots; the other fins being spotless." There is, however, 

 considerable variation even in specimens from the same locality. 

 Some are uniformly pale and in some the dorsal surface is black 

 and the belly white. There is always a black ocellus near the 

 superior margin of the base of the caudal fin. 



Nemachilus zonalternans is known from Tenasserim district 

 (Burma) and is common all over the Manipur Valley. 



