Trichopodus. gangetic fishes. 121 



The head is sharp and unarmed before the eyes. The 

 edges of the cheek-bones are not indented. There are no teeth. 

 The eyes are small, but protuberant. The foremost plate of 

 each gill -cover is indented on the lower edge. The membranes 

 covering the gills are concealed, and each contains about four 

 rays. 



There are no lateral lines. 



The fin of the back contains eighteen prickles and eight 

 branched rays. The pectoral fins are low, and each contains 

 nine rays. The ventral fins extend to the end of the fin be- 

 hind the vent, which contains nineteen prickles and eleven 

 soft rays. The fin of the tail contains about sixteen rays, and 

 its hinder edge forms a slight concavity. 



6th Species. — Trichopodus chuna. 



A trichopodus with the edge of the tail fin concave behind ; 

 and with a longitudinal black stripe, glossed with gold on each 

 side. 



This fish is about the size of the fifth species. It is above 

 of a brownish-green colour, and below whitish, with a purple 

 gloss on the tail; while, from the eye to the end of the tail, 

 on each side, there runs a longitudinal stripe consisting of 

 black dots, and shining with a golden gloss. The eyes above 

 are scarlet. The fin behind the vent is edged with red. 



The head is sharp and unarmed. The foremost plate of 

 each gill-cover is indented on the edges. 



The fin of the back contains seventeen prickles and seven 

 soft rays. The pectoral fins contain each nine rays. The 

 ventral fins are as long as the tail. The fin behind the vent 

 contains nineteen prickles and eleven soft rays. The hinder 

 edge of the tail fin ends in a slight concavity ; it contains fif- 

 teen distinct rays, besides some short ones at the sides. 



Q 



