348 



a. Dorsal spine about as long as head, about equal to 



pectoral spine; width of mouth about equal to eye B. macropterus p. 349. 



b. Dorsal spine much longer than head and than 

 pectoral spine, width of mouth much less than 



twice the diameter of eye . . B. macr acanthus p. 350. 



i. Bagroides melapterus Blkr. 



Bagroldes melapterus Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie, II. 1851, p. 204. 

 Bagroides melanopterus Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie, III. 1852, p. 413. 

 Ichth. Arch. Ind. Prodr. I. Siluri, 1858, p. 134. Atl. Ichth. II. 1862, p. 51. 

 Bagroides melanopterus Giinther, Cat. Brit. Mus. V. 1864, p. 90. 



Fig. 147. Bagroides melapterus Blkr. and upper view of pectoral fin. 



B. 78; D. I. 7; A. 1617; P. I. 9; V. 6. 



Robust, rather short, covered by velvety skin. Dorsal profile 

 of head convex, ascending steeply to the dorsal. Height 3 4 / 5 4; 

 head 4 ! / 2 to nearly 5, as high as broad, somewhat pointed 

 anteriorly, covered by thick skin, less thick on occipital pro- 

 cess, which is about thrice as long as broad at its base, only 

 slightly tapering behind, its rounded posterior extremity touching 

 the basal bone of the dorsal spine. Eye 5 6, situated at the 

 end of the anterior half of the head, about i 1 /,^ times in the 

 thick, prominent snout or in the interorbital space. Lips very 

 thick. Nasal barbels reaching on opercle, maxillary barbels on 

 base of pectorals, mandibulary and mental ones shorter. Height 

 of dorsal and its strong, flattened spine, the hindborder of which 

 has strong teeth directed upwards, about equal to head. Adipose 

 fin with free hindborder, its base about twice as long as that 

 of dorsal, the distance between both equals the length of the 

 dorsal. Anal lower than dorsal, its origin in the vertical through 

 the end of the first '/a of the adipose fin. Ventrals not reaching 



