3M 



Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. XXIV, 



Both the genera Parabotia and Leptobotia are known from 

 China (Yang-tse-kiang and Mu-tan-kiang) while the genus Botia is 

 known from India, Burma, the Indo- Australian Archipelago (Sum- 

 atra, Java, Borneo and Singapore), China and Japan. 



The fishes of the genus Botia may be conveniently divided 

 into two groups according to the number of the barbels, viz. 

 those with six barbels and those with eight barbels. With the 



b. 



Two types of scale in Botia. 



a. Scale from dorsal surface of Botia almorhae -. X65. 



b. Scale from dorsal surface of Botia hymenophysa '■ X65. 



exception of Botia hymenophysa known from Burma, Siam and 

 the Indo-Australian Archipelago, all the species from the Indian 

 Empire possess eight barbels. On the other hand all the known 

 species from China and Japan are characterized by six barbels 

 onl} 7 . In the intermediate regions, Burma, Siam and the Indo- 

 Australian Archipelago, representatives of both the groups are met 

 with. Jordan and Fowler 1 have regarded the two groups as dis- 

 tinct genera and have adopted the name Hymenophysa McClelland, 2 



l Jordan and Fowler, P/oc. U.S. Nat. AIus. XXVI. p. 772 (1903). 

 * McClelland, Astatic Researches p. 443 (1838). 



