12 



back darker. Anal and caudal margined with brown. Axil of 

 pectorals sometimes brown. Sides of body, anal and caudal 

 sometimes with smaller or larger brownish spots. Length 430 mm. 

 [Not seen by us]. 



Habitat: Sumatra (Palembang, Benakat) ; Borneo (Sambas, 

 Pontianak, Kahayan, Baram). 



In freshwater. 



4. Fam. OSTEOGLOSSIDAE. 



Elongate, ventrally compressed. Scales large or very large, 

 cycloid, composed of pieces as mosaic, those of the lateral 

 line with a single tube. Head scaleless. Mouth bordered by 

 the intermaxillaries and the longer maxillaries. Suboperculum 

 much reduced, more or less concealed under praeoperculum. 

 Teeth differing in genera. Dorsal opposite to anal, both ap- 

 proximated to the rounded caudal. Pectorals low down, folding 

 against the belly. Ventrals with 5 or 6 rays. Gillopenings 

 wide, gillmembranes united at their base, free from isthmus. 

 Branchiostegals 7 16. Gillrakers differing in genera. Pseudo- 

 branchiae none. 



Fresh water of South America, Africa, Indo-Australian Ar- 

 chipelago and Australia. 



i. Scleropages Giinther. 



(GiJNTHER. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. XIV. 1864, p. 196). 



Elongate, ventrally compressed in a trenchant edge. Scales 

 very large. Cleft of mouth very wide, oblique. Lower jaw 

 prominent with a pair of barbels. Maxillary veryjong, narrow. 

 Jaws with a series of small teeth. Villiform teeth on vomer, 

 palatines, pterygoids and tongue. Dorsal much shorter than 

 anal. A distinct space between caudal and anal. Pectorals 

 elongate. Branchiostegals numerous. Gillrakers stout, few in 

 number, with a series of protuberances on the innerside of 

 first branchial arch. 



Synopsis of the species. 



A. L.I. 21 24; L.tr. 2'/ 2 2. Pectorals about 3 times 



in length of body S. formosits p. 13. 



B. L.I. 35; L.tr. 3 4. Pectorals more than 4 times 



in length of body S. leichhardti p. 14. 



