OSTARIOPHYSI. 221 



near orbit ; N. barbatula Giinth., groundling, stone-loach, etc., 

 Britain and ^Europe; Cobitis Artedi, Eur., E. Ind. ; C. taenia 

 L., spined loach, with preorbital spine, Britain (rare) and Europe ; 

 Botia Gray, E. Ind. ; from tropical India are Lepidocephalichthys, 

 Acanihopsis, Oreonectes, Paramisgurnus, Lepidocephaltis, Acanth- 

 ophthalmus, Apua. >. v *:j 



Fam. 19. Siluridae. Cat-fishes. Skin naked or with osseous scutes, 

 without scales. The 4 anterior vertebrae joined. Barbels always pre- 

 sent ; maxillary bone small, almost always forming a support to a maxillary 

 barbel. Margin of the upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries and 

 maxillaries or by the premaxillaries only. Parietal bones confluent 

 with the supra-occipital. Sub-operculum absent. Adipose fin present or 

 absent. Pyloric appendages absent. Mostly inhabitants of the fresh 

 waters of all the temperate and tropical regions, some entering the salt 

 water, but keeping near the coast ; some are said to be able to cross land 

 in search of other waters (Callichihys, Clarias, etc.). Over 100 genera 

 and upwards of 1,000 species known. Clarias Gronov., Africa and S. 

 Asia, muddy and marshy waters, an accessory branchial organ is attached 

 to the convex side of the second and fourth branchial arches ; Nilotic 

 species known as Carmoot. Heterobranchus G. St. Hil., Afr. and E. Ind. 

 Arch., ace. gills as in Clarias ; Plotosus Lacep., brackish waters of 

 Indian Ocean and Aust., brackish waters of Aust. ; Copidoglanis Giinth., 

 Cnidoglanis Giinth, Chaca C. and V., East Indies ; Saccobranchus C. and V., 

 E. Ind., gill-cavity with accessory posterior sac with contractile walls, 

 vessels from last branchial artery and delivering into aorta. Silurus 

 Art., temperate palaearctic rivers, S. glanis L., the wels, Europ. rivers 

 east of the Rhine, to 300-400 Ib. African genera are Schilbe, Eutropius ; 

 E. Indian are Silurichthys, Wallago, Belodontichthys, Eutropiichthys, 

 Cryptopterus, Callichrous, Hemisilurus, Siluranodon, Ailia Schilbichthys, 

 Lais, Pseudeutropius, Pangasius, Helicophagus, Silondia. Hypophthalmus 

 C. and V., S. Amer., eye behind and below angle of mouth, Helogenes 

 Giinth., Bagrus C. and V., Nile, B. bayad; African genera are Chry- 

 sichthys, Clarotes ; E. Indian are Macrones, Pseudobagrus, Liocassis, 

 Bagroides, Bagrichthys, Rita, Acrochordonichthys, Akysis. Amiurus 

 (Ameiurus) Raf., horned pout, cat-fishes of N. Amer., one sp. in 

 China; from N. Amer. also are Hopladelus, Noturus. Platystoma Ag., 

 S. Amer. snout long, spatulate ; allied are Sorubim, Hemisorubim, 

 Platystomatichthys, Phractocephalus, Piramutana, Platynematichthys , 

 Piratinga, Bagropsis, Sciades, all from S. Amer. Pimelodus Lacep., 40 

 S. Amer. sp., 2 W. Afr. sp. ; allied are Pirinampus, Conorhynchus, 

 Notoglanis, Callophysus, Lophiosilurus, all from S. Amer. Aucheno- 

 glanis, trop. Afr. ; Arius C. and V., 70 sp., in all trop. countries and seas ; 

 allied are Galeichthys, S. Afr. and Amer., mar. ; Genidens, Paradiplomystax 

 Brazil ; Diplomystax Chili ; Aelurichthys C. and S. Amer. ; Hemipi- 

 melodus, Ketengn^, Osteogeniosus, Batrachocephalus E. Ind. ; Atopochilus 

 W. Afr. 



Bagarius Bleek, E. Ind. ; Euglyptosternum Bleek, Syria ; Glypto- 

 sternum, Hara, Ambliceps E. Ind. 



Doras C. and V., Oxydoras Kner, Rhinodoras Kner, these three 

 genera travel over land in the dry season in search of a pond of greater 

 capacity, they make nests and both sexes tend the eggs, tropical S. 

 Amer. in rivers flowing into the Atlantic ; the following also are S. 

 American, Ageniosus, Tetranematichthys, Euanemus, Auchenipterus, 



