192 TELEOSTEI. PUYSOSTOMI. 



Geographical Distribution. From Beluchistan through the seas, 

 estuaries, and tidal rivers of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 beyond. 



205. (1.) Batrachocephalus mino. (Fig. 70.) 



Ageneiosus mino, Ham. Such. Fish. Ganycs, pp. 159, 375. 

 Batrachocephalus mino, Day, Fish. India, p. 408, pi. cviii, fig. 1 (see 

 synon.). 



B. v. D. 1/7 | 0. P. 1/7. V. 6. A. 20 (5/15). C. 15. 



Length of head 4|, of caudal fin 5, height of body 6 in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 4 in the length of head, ^ a diameter from 

 the end of snout, and 1| apart. The greatest width of the head 

 equals its length behind the middle of the eyes. Gape of mouth 

 wide, the cleft of the mouth reaches to below the centre of the orbit. 

 Occipital process rather longer than wide at its base, and lineated 



Fig. 70. --Batrachocephalus mino, 



in roughened lines. Basal bone crescentic and narrow. Barbels 

 minute. Teeth in a broad longitudinal band on the palate. Fins 

 dorsal spine of moderate strength, as long as the head behind the 

 middle of the eyes ; base of the adipose dorsal equal to half that of 

 the rayed fin. Dorsal and pectoral spices serrated on both edges. 

 Upper caudal lobe a little the longer. Colour silvery, darkest 

 along the back and upper lobe of the caudal fin. 



Hob. Seas, estuaries, and tidal rivers of India and Burma to the 

 Malay Archipelago. Not common, and held in no esteem as food. 



26. Genus AKYSIS. 



Body somewhat elongated; head broad and covered with soft 

 skin. Gill-openings of moderate width, the membrane stretching 

 across the isthmus and being slightly notched posteriorly. Mouth 

 terminal, the upper jaw slightly the longer. Anterior nostrils 

 tubular and widely separated from one another and from the pos- 

 terior nostrils. Barbels eight. Eyes small. Villiform teeth in the 

 jaws, none on the palate. A short dorsal fin with one spine and 

 five rays ; pectorals horizontal, ventral with six rays, caudal ernar- 

 ginate or forked. Lateral line present. Skin tubercular. 



Geographical Distribution. These small freshwater forms extend 

 from the Tenasserim Provinces to the Malay Archipelago. 



