294 



SILURID^. 



Schilbe senegalensis, var. fasciaia, Steiiul. Sitzb. Ak. Wicn, Ix. i. 1872, p. 983, 



pi. vi. figs. 1 & 2. 

 ? Schilbe houvieri, Roehebr. Bull. Soc. Philom. (7) ix. 1885, p. 95. 



Depth of body 3 to 5 times in total length, length of head 4^ to 51 

 times. Head 1^ to IJ times as long as broad ; snout broad, lower jaw 

 slightly projecting, as long as eye in the young, 1^ to If times in the 

 adult; eye perfectly lateral, 3 (young) to 6 times in length of head, 1^ 

 (young) to 4 times in interorbital width ; width of mouth equal to or a 

 little less than interocular width ; vomero-palatine teeth forming an 

 uninterrupted band, which is narrower than the band of prtemaxillary 



Fig. 238 



Schilbe mystus. 

 Near Cairo (F. N.). ^. 



teeth. Nasal barbel f to f length of head ; maxillary barbel longer, 

 ^ to f leiigth of head ; inner mandibular barbel ^ to ^ length of outer, 

 which is inserted behind it and equals or exceeds maxillary barbel. 

 Gill-rakers rather long, widely set, 9-13 on lower part of anterior arch. 

 Dorsal I 5-6, partly or entirely in advance of ventral fins, and If to 2;^ 

 times as distant from caudal as from end of snout ; its spine slender, 

 feebly serrated behind, measuring f to | length of head, produced into 

 a short filament. Anal 53-67, 3 or 4 anterior rays simple, following 

 gradually decreasing in length. Pectoral reaching or not ventral, its 

 spine nearly as long as and stronger than that of dorsal, feebly serrated 

 on inner side. Caudal deeply forked, with more or less pointed lobes. 

 Caudal peduncle as long as deep or a little deeper than long. Silvery, 

 darker on the back ; a blackish ill-defined blotch on each side above the 

 pectoral fin, corresponding to the thinned skin over the air-bladder; 

 dorsal and pectoral sometimes blackish. Some young specimens with 

 three dark bands on each side {\iIY. fascia fa, Steind.), the upper along 



