1 849. J Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1319 



very elongated single lobe with many transversal incisions ; it com- 

 mences from the bulbus arteriosus, and gradually widening extends to 

 a short distance from anus ; the colour is pale reddish brown. The 

 gall-bladder is small, oval, of a pale bluish green ; it is attached to the 

 liver at a short distance in front of the pylorus, or nearly halfway 

 between the muzzle and the anus. The spleen is elongated oval, 

 smaller than the gall, and situated closely behind the pylorus. There 

 is no air-vessel. 



Symbranchus caligans differs from S. gutturalis, Richardson, (Ich- 

 thyol. Erebus and Terror, 49, PI. XXX, Figs. 14—17.) from Dam- 

 pier's Archipelago, by its proportionally longer head, and shorter tail : 

 in the latter species the head is -^ T of, the tail less than J of the total 

 length, and there are 7 caudal rays. 



From Symbranchus immaculatus, Bloch* the present also differs 

 by a proportionally longer head, and shorter tail. Of a number of S. 

 immaculatus examined, the majority had 5 caudal rays, few 3, 6 or 7. 



* Bloch. XII. 77, Tab. 419, Fig. 1. (Excl. Habit. Surinam.) Syn : Syn- 

 branchus immaculatus, Shaw, IV. 36. — Synbranchus immaculatus, Cuvier, R. A. 

 II. 354( 2 ). — Symbranchus immaculatus, Miiller, Myxinoid. in Abh. der Konigl, 

 Akad. Berlin, 1839, 245. — Ophisternon bengalensis, McClelland : Calc. Journ. 

 Nat. Hist. V. 197 and 220, PI. XI. Fig. 1-2.— M. Johannes Miiller, 1. c. points 

 out the error committed by Bloch, who considered S. immaculatus, which he re- 

 ceived from Tranquebar, to be identical with another distinct species inhabiting 

 Surinam. To avoid confusion, a specific name requires to be given to the Brasilian 

 species. S. immaculatus is numerous in the Hooghly, and appears daily in the 

 Fish Bazaars of Calcutta. Individuals exceeding 14 inches in length, are rarely 

 seen, but they are said to attain to two feet. The description of this species given 

 by Mr. McClelland under the name of Ophisternon bengalensis is defective and 

 disfigured by the following errors. The eyes are represented as being " placed 

 before and external to the posterior apertures of the nostril ;" the branchial rays 

 are said to be five and to be cartilaginous, and the maxillary teeth are described 

 and figured as •' forming a crescent in front under the apex of the jaw." 



The posterior apertures of the nostrils are pierced vertically between, not behind 

 the eyes ; a tangent of the posterior margin of the aperture continued downwards, 

 touches the posterior orbital margin; but a tangent of the anterior margin of the 

 aperture, if prolonged vertically, divides the eye. There are six, bony, branchios- 

 tegous rays, and the maxillary teeth of both branches do not coalesce in a crescent 

 beneath the symphysis, but are separated, and terminate in two small triangles as 

 described in £. caligans. In a number of individuals of Symbranchus immacula- 



8 G 



