CLAEIAS. 



227 



length of snout, 3 to 9 times in interorbital width ; width of mouth 

 nearly equal to interorbital width ; band of praemaxillary teeth 5J to 8 

 times as long as broad ; vomerine teeth mostly conical, sometimes 

 subgranular behind, forming a crescentic, continuous or narrowly 

 interrupted band which is as broad as or narrower than prremaxillary 

 band ; nasal barbel \ to •§- length of head (^ to § in very young) ; 

 maxillary barbel f to f length of head (f to 1^ times in very young), 

 reaching gill-opening or extremity of pectoral spine ; outer mandibular 

 barbel 1^ to 1^ times as long as inner, which measures ^ to f length of 

 head (-§ to nearly once in very young). Gill-rakers rather short, 20 to 

 27 on anterior arch. Clavicles hidden under the skin. Dorsal 65-76, 

 its distance from occipital process y to j length of head, its distance 



Fig. 192. 



Clarias anguillaris. 

 Cairo (F. N.). ±. 



from caudal 1 to 2-^ diameters of eye. Anal 53-62, narrowly separated 

 from caudal. Pectoral §- to ^ length of head, the spine serrated on the 

 outer border and ^ (young) to § the length of the fin. Ventrals slightly 

 nearer end of the snout than root of caudal. Caudal not quite half 

 length of head. Upper parts olive or dark brown, uniform or with 

 darker marblings, lower parts white ; a more or less distinct dark band 

 on each side of the lower surface of the head ; fins dark, edged with 

 yellow or orange, sometimes with small black spots. 



Beaches a length of 750 millim. 



Nile, Lake Victoria, Chad Basin. 



Q2 



