247 



mouth and generally partly below its level. Anterior nostrils 

 pierced through the extremity of the snout, posterior ones 

 different. Four to eight barbels. Short dorsal with 5- -7 rays 

 and a pungent spine, preceded by a broad but very low 

 rudimentary spine. Adipose fin small, above the posterior 

 part of anal. Anal elongate with 28 40 rays, distant from 

 caudal, which is bifurcate. Ventrals well developed with 6 7 

 rays, situated behind dorsal. Pectorals with a pungent spine. 

 Teeth small, in the jaws generally in curved bands; when 

 present on the palatines, they may be free from or confluent 

 with those of the vomer, which are in one or two patches. 

 7 ii branchiostegals. Gillmembranes free from isthmus, more 

 or less united or free from each other. 



In the Indian Archipelago, freshwater fishes of its western part. 



Key to the genera. 



I. 8 barbels, one pair of nasal barbels. Mouth terminal . Pseudeittropius p. 247. 

 II. 6 4 barbels ; no nasal barbels. Mouth subterminal. 



1. 4 mandibulary barbels Lais p. 250. 



2. 2 mandibulary barbels. 



a. Posterior nostril between anterior one and eye ; 

 eye behind and totally above corner of mouth. 



No palatine teeth Helicofhagtis p. 251. 



b. Posterior nostril at short distance from anterior 

 and above a line between anterior nostril and 

 eye. Eye partly below a horizontal through the 



corner of mouth Pangasius p. 254. 



i. Pseudeutropius Bleeker. 



(BLEEKER, Verh. Akad. Amsterdam XIV. 1862, p. 398). 



Elongate, compressed, head conical, covered by thin skin. 

 Anterior nostrils wide openings at the top of the head 

 looking upwards, the small posterior nostrils, which are nearer 

 to each other, behind the more distant anterior nostrils. 

 A nasal barbel between nostrils, a maxillary near the corner 

 of the mouth, 2 mandibulary and 2 mental ones along the 

 frontmargin of the lower jaw. Mouth anterior, eye behind and 

 partly below its corner, with a free orbital margin. Short dorsal 

 with a pungent, denticulated spine and 5 to 6 rays. A small 

 adipose fin. Anal fin elongate, terminating at some distance 



