Pimelodus. gangetic fishes. 165 



undivided. The fin behind the vent ends sharp behind, and 

 contains thirty-one rays, of which the foremost five are undi- 

 vided, and rapidly increase in length from the first, which is 

 very short : the others are branched, and slowly diminish in 

 length to the last, which is deeply divided into two portions. 

 The tail fin is divided into two sharp lobes, containing seven- 

 teen distinct rays, besides several short compacted ones at each 

 side. 



4th Species. — Pimelodus rita. Plate XXIV. Fig. 53. 



A Pimelodus with six tendrils shorter than the head ; with 

 the tail fin two-lobed ; with eight, rays in the foremost fin of the 

 back, the great prickle of which is smooth-edged ; with twelve 

 rays in the fin behind the vent ; and with an opaque and un- 

 spotted body. 



This fish is common in the estuaries of Bengal, grows to three 

 or four feet in length, and is a clumsy lurid animal, which many 

 of the Hindus will not eat. It is of a long conical shape, very 

 little compressed, and tapers gradually toward both ends from 

 the commencement of the foremost back fin. The upper parts 

 are of a dusky colour, witha greenish gloss, changing to gold 

 and purple, but of very dirty shades. The under parts are 

 whitish. The fins are stained with red. The eyes are yellow. 



The head is short, wide, depressed, oval, blunt, and covered 

 with a slimy skin. Two very short tendrils, compressed at the 

 root, proceed from before the hinder openings of the nostrils ; 

 two, a little shorter than the head, and having at their root a 

 short membrane, proceed from the sides of the upper jaw ; and 

 two, of nearly the same length, proceed from the throat. The 

 mouthy placed below the extremity of the nose, is of moderate 

 size, and extends straight backward. The lips are fleshy. The 

 teeth in both jaws, and on the palate, are granular, blunt, and 



