A COLLECTION OF FISHES FROM SUMATRA. 543 



Head rather large, robust, compressed, and upper profile more convex than 

 lower. Snout large, convex, both on surface and in profile, mandible not projecting 

 in front. Eye small, circular, high, and its posterior margin nearly midway' in 

 head. Cheek flattened. Mouth inferior, upper mandible anterior, and corner 

 reaching nearly opposite anterior nostril, maxillarj^ concealed, though extending 

 beyond. Mandibles convex, smooth, mosaic-like, and with uneven edges. A pair 

 of posterior canines on each side of upper mandible. Lips broad, thin, not covering 

 mandibles. A broad buccal flap inside of each mandible. Tongue rather large, 

 convex, thick, and not free from floor of mouth. Nostrils small, near together, 

 anterior with a small cutaneous rim, and both Avell before ujjper front rim of orbit. 

 Interorbital space broad and convex. Opercular flap narrow. 



Gill-opening extending forward about opposite posterior margin of eye. Gill- 

 rakers about 50, fine, slender, short, weak, compressed, pointed, and longest about one- 

 fifth of eye. Gill-filaments long, about one-fifth length of head. Pseudobranchia^ about 

 five-sixths of eye. Isthmus broad, membrane forming but a narrow fold across. 



Scales large, cycloid, and becoming enlarged on chest, those along middle of 

 side with their exposed surfaces much deeper than broad. Head mostly scaly, those 

 above extending well down on interorbital space. Opercle, subopercle and inter- 

 opercle scaly, scales on former enlarged. Three rows of scales on cheek. Fins 

 except base of caudal scaleless, and latter with three large terminal scales. An 

 elongated scale at base of ventral a little less than half length of fin. Lateral line 

 high at first, a little convex, not concurrent with dorsal profile, approaching near 

 base of soft dorsal posteriorly where it descends abruptly till along middle of side 

 of caudal peduncle, then extending out on base of caudal. Tubes with several 

 bifurcations or only a little arborescent. 



Origin of spinous dorsal about over that of pectoral, spines flexible, first a little 

 shorter than last, otherwise more or less even in length. Margin of fin straight, 

 and each spine with a thick fleshy or adipose-like end. Soft dorsal inserted well 

 beyond tip of pectoral or nearer its origin than base of caudal, rajs of more or less 

 equal length, last shortest, and posterior end of fin rounded. Anal spines flexible, 

 with fleshy or adipose-like ends, and graduated to third which is longest, origin of 

 fin close behind tiiat of soft dorsal. Soft anal similar to soft dorsal. Caudal trun- 

 cate, with upper and lower rays produced into points, and posterior margin also 

 truncate when fin is expanded. Pectoral broad, upper rays longest, and posterior 

 margin straight. Also placed a little low in depth of body and not reaching ojjpo- 

 site anus. Ventral inserted well behind pectoral, reaching about two-thirds distance 

 to anal, first ray and spine with an adipose-like or fleshy extremity. Spine heavy 

 and about five-sixths length of fin. Anus close in front of anal fin. 



Color in arrack dull purplish-dusky above and on sides, lower surface whitish. 

 Each scale on head above and sides, back and sides of trunk marked with short 

 bars, lines and blotches of purplish-black, which form a beautiful intricate reticu- 

 lating pattern of a more or less longitudinal nature. These lines and bars extend 

 out over greater basal portions of dorsals. Dorsals and caudal dusky purplish- 



