144 TELEOSTEI. PllTSOSTOMI. 



18. G-etms SILUNDIA, Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



Branchiostegals eleven to twelve. -Gill-openings wide, the gill- 

 membranes overlapping, but not confluent with the skin of the 

 isthmus. Body elongated and compressed. Head covered with 

 soft skin. Eyes lateral, with narrow adipose lids. Mouth rather 

 wide, not cleft to so far as the eyes ; lower jaw the longer. 

 Nostrils, those on either side approximating, the anterior pair in 

 front of the snout and a little external to the posterior pair. 

 A pair of maxillary and sometimes also a pair of mandibular 

 barbels. Villiforrn teeth in the jaws, and in an uninterrupted 

 band on the palate. First dorsal fin with one spine and seven 

 rays ; the adipose short. Anal long (40-50 rays). Ventral with 

 six rays, placed below or just behind the adipose dorsal. Air- 

 bladder kidney-shaped, convex anteriorly, lying across the body of 

 an anterior vertebra, from which it is separated by the aorta, 

 having its lateral margins protected by bone. An axillary pore. 



Geographical Distribution. Throughout the larger rivers of India 

 and Burma. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



A. 44-50. Maxillary and mandibular barbels .... \. S. sykesii, p. 144. 

 A. 40-46. A pair of short maxillary barbels only. 2. S. gaiiyetica, p. 14-5. 



153. (1.) Silundia sykesii. 



Silundia sykesii, Day, Jour. L. S. Zool. xii, p. 509; and Fish. India, 



p. 487, pi. cxiv, tig. 2 (see synon.). 



Wal-la-lte kel-le-tee (slippery siluroid) and Poo-nat-tce, Tarn. ; Wan-joii, 

 Tel. 



B.xii. D. 1/7 | 0. P. 1/12. V.6. A. 44-50 (2-3/42-47). C. 19. 



Length of head 5|, of caudal fin 4|, height of body 5f in the total 

 length. Eyes with a narrow, free, adipose lid ; diameter 3g in the 

 length of the head, 1 diameter from the end of snout, and lj apart. 

 The greatest width of the head equals its length behind the middle 

 of the eyes ; lower jaw the longer, curved upwards in the middle ; 

 snout rather broad; the width of the gape of the mouth equals four 

 elevenths of the length of the head. Barbels the maxillary pair 

 reach the opercle or even the base of the pectoral fin ; the mandi- 

 bular pair equal one diameter of the eye in length. Teeth 

 villiform in the jaws, in a cresceutic band across the palate. 

 Fins dorsal spine weak, roughened anteriorly, finely serrated 

 posteriorly and as long as the head excluding the snout ; pectoral 

 spine stronger, as long as the head behind the angle of the mouth, 

 and reaching to above the ventral. Ventral arising behind 

 the vertical from the last dorsal ray, and reaching to the anal. 

 Caudal forked, the lower lobe rather the longer. Free portion 

 of the tail nearly as high as long. Colour bluish superiorly, 



