36 gangetic fishes. Order IV. 



ORDER IV. 



FISHES HAVING THE DORSAL SPINE OF BONE, AND VENTRAL 

 FINS PLACED IMMEDIATELY UNDER THE PECTORALS. 



I. Genus. — Gobioides. 



Fishes of the fourth order, with the two ventral fins unit- 

 ed into one, with a fin on the tail, and with only one fin on the 

 back. 



The two species of this genus, which I have seen in the 

 Ganges, are pretty common, but are in little request among 

 the natives, especially among the Hindus, most of whom 

 abstain from eating them. They grow to about a foot in 

 length, and have a strong affinity to the Gobioides anguilli- 

 formis of La Cepede, or the Gobius anguillaris of Linnaeus. 

 Both, indeed, differ very much from the description of the 

 Gobius anguillaris given by Walbaum in his edition of Ar- 

 tedi, (Vol. II. p. 200 ;) but this excellent ichthyologist con- 

 fesses, that the fish which he meant was different from that 

 of Linnaeus. The differences between our Gangetic fishes 

 and the Gobioides anguilliformis of La Cepede [Hist, des Pois- 

 sons, Tome II. p. 577) will be best seen by comparing the de- 

 scriptions. 



Both our Gangetic species have long slender eel-like bo- 

 dies, stained more or less with red. Their fins are without 

 spots. 



Their heads are small, blunt, and devoid of scales. Their 



mouths are large, and descend obliquely backward, the under 



jaw being somewhat the longer. Their eyes are minute, and 



on the summit of the head. Their gill-covers consist of single 



