28 



Oblong or elongate, compressed, back not arched or slightly 

 so. Eyes very small, covered by skin, below them an erectile, 

 bifid spine. Mouth small, inferior, with thick, simple lips. Six 

 or 8 barbels, two pairs rostral, one pair on the maxillaries and 

 one pair on the mandibles, the last pair may be wanting. 

 Scales minute, below and behind the eye, also on the opercles 

 and on the vertex, the last may be wanting. Nostrils contiguous, 



Fig. II. Lepidocephalus hasselti (C. V.) X 2Y-2- 



the anterior one small and tubulate. Origin of short dorsal 

 opposite to base of ventrals or behind it. Anal short, behind 

 dorsal. Pectorals falcate or rounded. Caudal truncate. Gillopenings 

 a vertical slit above the base of the pectorals. 



Distribution: Indo-australian Archipelago, (Sumatra, Java, 

 Borneo) ; China, Southern India, Ceylon. 



Key to the indo-australian species. 



I. Vertex scaly. Six barbels. 



a. Origin of dorsal opposite to base of ventrals. Pec- 

 torals subfalciform L. pattens p. 28. 



b. Origin of dorsal behind base of ventrals. Pectorals 



falcate L. macrochir p 29. 



II. Vertex without scales. Eight (or six) barbels. 



Origin of dorsal opposite to base of ventrals. Pectorals 



rounded Z. hasselti p. 29. 



i. Lepidocephalus pallens (Vaill.). 



Lepidocephalichthys pallens Vaillant, Notes Leyden Mus. XXIV. N. I 3, 1902, 

 P- 153. 



D. 3.8; A. 2.6; P. 9; V. 7; L. 1. 181. 



Height 5 ! / 2 , head 5, vertex scaly. Snout 2 ! / 4 in head, 6 barbels, 

 lower lip fringed. Eye about 20. Origin of dorsal slightly 

 behind middle of length, nearly opposite to that of ventrals. 



