FAMILY, XXXVIII— LABTRINTHICI. 371 



B. Fixed teeth in jaws, palate edentulous. 



Genus, 2 — Poltacanthus, (EuM. and v. Bass.) Cm. and Vol. 



BrancUostegals six : pseudohrcmcMce glcmdular or absent. Body oUong, compressed. Mouth, small and hut 

 little protractile. Opercles spvneless. Teeth small and fixed in the jaws, palate edentulous. Dorsal fim, single, the 

 spinous portion of much greater extent tham, the soft : the anal of a similar desc^i/ption : ventral with one spine 'cmd 

 fioe well-developed rays, some of which a/re usually elongated. Scales rather large, ctenoid. Lateral-lme interrvpted, 

 and may be partially or even entvrely absent. Air-vessel simple. Pyloric appendages, when present, feui. 



Geographical distribution. — Fresh waters and estuaries along the coasts of India and Ceylon, but usually 

 not far inland. Occasionally, according to Dr. Jerdon, wounds from their spiaes inflict a most severe burning 

 pain, which lasts for two or three hours. 



Uses. — Although their size is minute, the lower classes of the natives employ them for food. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. PolyacanthMS cupamMS, D. if:i«, A. \%-.\^, L. 1. 29-32, L. tr. ^%. Greenish, barred, having a scarlet 

 ventral ray. India. 



2. Poly acanthus signatus, D. \'S-^ , A. H-Iif, L. 1. 29, L. tr. 4/9. Olive. Ceylon and Java. 



1. Polyacanthus cupanus, Plate LXXVIII, fig. 4. 



Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 357; Gunther, Catal. iii, p. 381; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 218 ; Day, Fish, of 

 Malabar, p. 134, 



Garinganah and Wmmuttee, Mai. ; Punnah, Tam. : Ta-but-ti, Can. and Mai. : Heb-hu-ti, Tel. 



B. vi, D. ^r-V, P- 10, V. 1/5, A. ifzii C. 13, L. 1. 29-32, L. tr. j-^. 



Length of head 1/4 to 1/5, of caudal nearly 1/4, height of body 1/4 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 1/4 to 1/5 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout and apart. Preorbital serrated. Posterior half, and 

 the angle of the preopercle finely serrated, as are also the sub-opercle and posterior half of the inter-opercle. 

 2'ee<Sf--cardiform in jaws, none on vomer or palatines. Fins — dorsal spines not so high as the rays, the soft 

 dorsal and sometimes the anal rather elongated, caudal wedge-shaped. Lateral-lme — in the form of a single 

 round hole in each scale, has three entire and two half rows of scales between it and the base of the first dorsal 

 spine, it ceases about the fourteenth scale. Oolows — rifle-green, with the prolonged ventral ray scarlet : caudal 

 barred in spots, as is also the dorsal more especially in its soft portion : a round dark spot at the base of the 

 caudal, and numerous small ones on the head. Variety — rose-coloured with two horizontal black bands,* one 

 from above the orbit to the upper part of the caudal fin, the second from the angle of the mouth through the 

 eye to the lower part of the same fin : head and cheeks spotted. The colour reminds one of the young of the 

 Ophiocephalus micropeltes (see page 365), and appears somewhat to resemble P. Beissneri, Bleeker. 



Habitat. — Malabar and Coromandel coasts, often found in ditches, paddy fields, and shallow waters, 

 generally within or not far removed from tidal influence, but I have likewise taken it in the Bowany at 

 Mettapolliam and also along the base of the ghauts in Canara. It lurks under stones, or amongst weeds, and 

 becomes very tame in an aquarium. It grows to about three inches in length. 



2. Polyacanthus signatus. 



Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 379. 



B. vi, D. i|.;iJ, P. 11, Y. 1/5, A. lAlif, C. 14, L. 1. 29-32, L. tr. 4/9, Vert. 10/16. 



Length of head 3f to 4|:, of caudal 3^ to 4, height of body 3^ to 3|- in the total length. Hyes — diameter 

 4i- to 5 in the length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Lower edge of preorbital very finely 

 serrated : angle of preopercle finely serrated, the other opercles entire. The maxilla reaches to below the front 

 edge or first third of the eye. Teeth — vilUf orm, the outer row in the jaws rather enlarged, some specimens have 

 a caniniform tooth on either side of the middle of the lower jaw. Fins — dorsal spines stout, rather short, 

 increasing in length to the last : soft portions of the dorsal and anal elongated and pointed due to the 

 prolongation of their central rays : outer ventral ray prolonged into two filaments. Caudal with its central 

 rays the longest. Lateral-line — sub-interrupted. Oo^omj-s— reddish olive in spirit : probably greenish during 

 life : a round blackish spot on the middle of the base of the soft dorsal. 



Habitat. — Ceylon and Java, attaining at least 5 inches in length. 



Genus, 3 — Osphbomenus, (Gommerson) Lacipede. 



Triahopus, Lacep. : Ctenops, McClelland : Triehopsis, Kner. 



BroMchiostegals, six. Body, moderately elevated,' compressed. Opercle without a spine : opercular pieces 

 serrated im the immature. A superbranchial organ. Mouth small, oblique, protractile. Small and fixed teeth in 



* These bands appear to be mostly seen in tbe young in the Canava district, whilst their cheeks have Well marked black spots. 



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