53 



Elongate, strongly compressed. Profile of back somewhat 

 convex, that of head concave. Height 4 in length without caudal, 

 head 4.5 5, 6 6.5 in length with caudal. Eye 3 or some- 

 what more, equal to snout and ! / 3 or 2 / 5 longer than inter- 

 orbital space. Origin of dorsal scarcely in advance of that of 

 anal, about in the middle between head and base of caudal. 

 Height of dorsal i*/ 2 2 times in height of body and about 

 equal to first elongated ray of anal. Ventrals inserted above 

 ventral profile, much but not twice shorter than pectorals. 

 Pectorals much longer than head, reaching to ventrals or slightly 

 surpassing them. Caudal deeply emarginate, somewhat longer 

 than head. The lateral line descends in a wide arch to above 

 the ventrals. Silvery, back darkish, with a more or less con- 

 spicuous lateral dark band, broadening posteriorly. Fins hyaline; 

 each caudal lobe with a blackish longitudinal band, the upper 

 one continuous with the lateral band. Length 200 mm. 

 [Specimens of VAN HASSELT's collection seen by us in the 

 Leyden Museum]. . 



Habitat: Sumatra (Pangabuang, brooks in province Palem- 

 bang, Lake Tador!, river Selapian, Upper Langkat, river Wampu, 

 Deli) ; Java (Batavia, Surakarta, Kediri, Surabaya, Gempol) ; 

 Borneo (river Pengaron, Kapuas and Baram; Sarawak [British 

 Museum]). Malacca. 



Note. According to Volz (Zool. Jahrb. Abth. Syst. XIX. 

 1903, p. 405), this fish is much esteemed as food by the 

 Malayans in the province Palembang. 



4. Macrochirichthys Bleeker. 



(BLEEKER, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie XX, 1859 60, p. 439). 

 Very elongate, strongly compressed. Back nearly straight. 



Fig. 23. Macrochirichthys macrochirus (C. V.). X V2- 



A trenchant edge from throat to anus, convex only in its 

 anterior part. Head with the pointed snout directed upwards, 



