1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1245 



scapular bones ; the interparietal advancing on the occiput as a more 

 or less soft lamina, supported by the occipital crest ; card-like or gra- 

 nular teeth on the vomer ; dorsal without spine, occupying nearly the 

 whole of the back ; anal less extensive ; margin of pectoral spine 

 minutely toothed ; on each side two ramified branchial appendages ; 

 branchiostegous rays 9 to 11. 



Clarias punctatus, Cuv. and Val. 



Clarias punctatus, Cuv. and Val. XV. 384. 



Clarias punctatus, Bleeker : Verhandel. Bat. Genoot. XXI. 4, 17, 53. 



Head, body, fins, and cirri blackish brown ; with purple or lilac 

 reflections ; body either uniformly so or with large irregular lighter 

 spots, with eight to ten vertical series, each consisting of four to six 

 whitish dots, in number and distribution liable to individual variations ; 

 pectoral spine, throat, and abdomen as far as the ventrals, brownish 

 white. Iris dark brown. 



D 70, C 17f, A 51 to 53, V 6, P 1/8, Br. IX. 



Cirri — 

 4 



Habit. — Estuaries and freshwater, "Binany. 

 Java. 



Total length : 10 inch. 



Measured to the apex of the interparietal, the head slightly exceeds 

 J of the total length, (to the point of the opercle it is ^) ; the breadth 

 between the gill-openings is f of the length. The eye is situated at the 

 anterior fourth, its horizontal diameter is -J, and the distance across the 

 forehead is 2\ in the length of the head to the apex of the interparietal. 

 The latter is triangular with the apex rounded, the base double the 

 length, which is \ of the distance to the muzzle. In the centre of the 

 helmet appear two ovoid apertures, covered by the integuments : the 

 anterior is -J, the posterior T *^ of the length of the head. The maxil- 

 lary cirri slightly exceed \ of the total length, nearly reaching to the 

 apex of the pectoral spine ; the nasal are \, the outer mandibular \ % 

 and the inner mandibular \ of the total length. The teeth are card- 

 like : those of the upper jaw on a broad band, reaching to the root of 

 the maxillary cirri ; those of the vomer and palate forming a narrow 

 crescent. The dorsal fin commences at a distance from the apex of the 

 interparietal, equalling { of the length of the head. The pectoral spine 



