1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1321 



Monopterus javanicus, Lacepede. 

 Plate V. Figs. 6, 7, 8. (Nat. size.) 



Monoptere javanais, Lacep. II. 139. 



Unibranchaperture lisse, Lacep. V. 658, PI. 17, Fig. 3. 



Monopterus javanicus, Shaw, IV. 39. 



Monoptere javanais, Cuvier, R. A. II. 354. 



Monopterus javanensis, Swainson, II. 336. 



Ophicardia phayriana, McClelland : Calc. Journ. of Nat. Hist. V. 



191, 218, PI. XII. Fig. 1. 



Monopterus lsevis, Richardson: Voy. Sulph. Ichth. 116.* 



Monopterus cinereus, Richardson : ibid. 117, PI. 52, Fig. 1-6. 



(Synon exclus.) 



Monopterus 1 (Symbranchus ?) xanthognathus, Richardson, ibid. 



118, PI. 52, Fig. 7? 



Monopterus lsevis, Richardson, Report, 1845, 315. 



Monopterus cinereus, Richardson, ibid. 315. 



Ophicardia xanthognatha, Richardson, ibid. 116 ? 



Balut of the Malays. 



(Young.) Head above, back and sides above the lateral line black- 

 ish brown with bluish reflections ; rest of the sides, throat and abdomen 

 pale brownish blue ; fin-membranes blackish. Iris pale golden, dotted 

 with brown ; pupil circular black. 



Total length : 4J- to 6f inch. 



(Adult.) Ground colour of head above, cheeks, back and sides 

 above the lateral line reddish yellow ochre, or pale greenish yellow ; 

 rest of the sides, throat and abdomen pale yellow ochre or buff; head 

 back and sides so densely spotted with blackish brown, as to leave but 



combs ; no scales, five rays in each side of the branchial membrane. There is but one 

 species known and this has no air-vessel." (McClelland: Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. V. 

 175.) The characters by which Ophicardia is supposed to differ from Monopterus 

 are the assigned single transverse opening under the throat, and the five branchios- 

 tegous rays : — both characters, however, happen to be erroneous, as " Ophicardia 

 phayriana, 1 f like a Monopterus, has two branchial apertures and six branchiosteg- 

 ous rays. 



* Sir John Richardson has identified this fish with Unibranchaperture li8se f 

 Lacep. 



8 G 2 



