522 PHYSOSTOMI. 



destitute of such. Dr. Giintlier replies, " in one out of three specimens they are entirely absent." This latter 

 statement is not in accordance with my numerous examples which show no such variation. 



Geographical distribution. — India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, Tropical Africa, Madagascar and 

 Islands in the Indian Ocean, also temperate and tropical America. In India these fishes are mostly found in 

 the neighbourhood of the sea or tidal rivers, more rarely very far inland.* 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. HaplooUlus melastigma, A. 20-24. Height of body 3f to 4 in the total. No teeth on vomer. India 

 and Burma. 



2. HaplocMlus rubrostigma, A. 17-18, L. 1. 33. Teeth on vomer. A prolonged ventral ray. Anal fin 

 highest posteriorly. Spotted with red. Malabar and Madras. 



3. Eaplochilus lineatus, A. 15-17, L. 1. 32-34. Teeth on vomer. A prolonged ventral ray. Anal fin of 

 nearly even height. Vertical black bands. Malabar and Ceylon. 



4>. HaplocMlus panohax, K. Ih.n , li. \. 2,\-Z4i. Teeth on vomer. No prolonged ventral ray. Orissa, 

 Bengal, Burma, and Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Haplochilus melastigma, Plate CXXI, fig. 4. 



Aplocheilus melastigma, McClelland, Ind. Cyp. pp. 301, 427, pi. 42, f. 3, and pi. 35, f. 4 (from 

 H. B. MSS.) 



Aplocheilus MoGlellandi, Bleeker, Cyprin. p. 487. 



Aplocheilus Ga/rnaticus, Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 331. 



Pamchax cyanophthalmus, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. of Beng. xxvii, 1858, p. 288, and 1860, p. 111. 



Haplochilus cyanophthalmus, Giinther, Oatal. vi, p. 312. 



Haplochilus argenteus, T)a,j, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 706. 



B. iv, D. 6-7, P. 16, V. 6, A. 20-24, C. 15, L. 1. 27, L. tr. 9-11. 



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

 length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and also apart. Lower jaw slightly the longer, the maxilla does 

 not quite reach to below the front edge of the eye. Teeth — minute, none on the palate. Fins — dorsal inserted 

 above the last fourth of the anal. Pectoral as long as the head. Ventral small, without any prolonged ray. 

 Anal with in some (not all) examples its rays prolonged in a filiform manner beyond the membrane. Caudal 

 rounded. Colours — of a dull green along the back becoming of a dull white on the abdomen, outer portion of 

 anal rays white edged. A narrow dark line along the middle of the side terminating in a dull spot at the 

 centre of the base of the caudal fin. 



Pcecilia latipes, Schleg. Fauna Japon. p. 224, pi. cii, f. 5, appears very similar, but the caudal fin is given 

 as emarginate, and the body is lower. 



Habitat. — Wynaad, and Madras Presidency, Orissa, Lower Bengal and Burma. It attains about l^ 

 inches in length. 



2. Haplochilus rubrostigma, Plate CXXI, fig. 5. 



Aplocheilus rubrostigma, Jerdon, M. J. Lit. and Sc. 1849, p. 331. 



.** Aplocheilus affinis, Jerdon, 1. c. • 



Panchax rubrostigma. Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 706. 



B. iv, D. 8, P. 15, V. 6, A. 17-18, C. 15, L. 1. 33, L. tr. 9. 



Length of head 4f , of caudal S^^beight of body 5^- in the total length. Eyes — diameter 3^ in the length 

 of head, IJ diameters from the end of snout, and 1| apart. Jaws of about the same length, the maxilla reaches 

 to below the first third of the eye. Teeth — outer row in both jaws much enlarged, and recurved. jFims— dorsal 

 inserted above the last few anal rays. Pectoral not quite so long as the head. Ventral with its second ray 

 elongated and reaching to the middle of the anal fin. Anal much lowest anteriorly and increasing in length to 

 the last ray. Central caudal rays rather prolonged. Colours — a silver occipital spot. Body reddish-brown 

 superiorly, becoming yellowish on the sides and beneath. Each scale along the side with a central red spot. 

 A row, sometimes two, of red spots along the base of the anal fin, some on the dorsal, and a few dark spots on 

 the caudal. 



Jerdon observes that H. affinis is very similar to H. rubrostigma, but " differs in the dorsal and caudal 

 being nearly colourless, unspotted : and the anal being unspotted, orange. Having 16 anal rays instead of 14, 

 being at the same time of less extent, body also not spotted. About 1-5 inches in length. Found in the same 

 localities as H. rubrostigma." 



Habitat. — Malabar coast of India, and the lower portion of the Coromandel coast. It attains to at least 

 3 inches in length. 



3. Haplochilus lineatus, Plate CXXI, fig. 6. 

 Panchax lineatwm, Cuv. and Val. xviii, p. 381 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 72 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 221. 



* These fishes are termed Ku^dA-an in Canarese: a white occipital spot is almost invariably present. 



