272 TELEOSTEI. ACANTHOPrEEYGII. 



along the bases of the dorsal and anal fins, in some specimens 

 higher than in others ; there are four similar vertical bauds, two 

 descending from the eye, one from summit of head to opercles, and 

 a fourth in front of pectoral fins. A black spot at posterior 

 extremity of opercle. 



Hob. Eed Sea, Andamans, and Mcobars. 



3. Genus SICYDIUM, Cuv. & Val. 



Syn. Sicyopterus, Gill; Cotylopus, Guich. ; Sicydiops and Microsicy- 

 dium, Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals four or five ; pseudobranchiae ; a- slit behind the 

 fourth gill. Body subcylindrical. Upper jaw rather prominent, 

 cleft of mouth nearly horizontal. Teeth in the upper jaw small, 

 one row mostly implanted in the gums, and as a rule movable, 

 their apices may be compressed and dilated or bilobed; in the 

 lower jaw they are in one or two rows, if two, the outer is fine 

 and movable. Two dorsal fins, the first with six flexible spines ; 

 the caudal not united to the dorsal or the anal ; ventrals united, 

 forming a disk, which is more or less adherent to the abdomen. 

 Scales ctenoid, of varying size. Air-bladder absent. 



Geographical Distribution. This genus has a wide range in fresh 

 and brackish waters, having been captured in Mauritius, Bourbon, 

 Burma, the Malay Archipelago and beyond ; also in the West 

 Indies. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



L. tr.* 16. A dark interorbital band 1. S. haki, p. 272. 



L. tr. 25. Vertical bands 2. S. griseum, p. 273. 



L. tr. 19. Brown, banded, spotted, and with 



dark fins 3. g. fasciatum, p. 273. 



1062. (1.) Sicydium halei. 



Sicydium halei, Day, Fish. India, Suppl. 1888, p. 794. 

 B. v. D. 6/12. P. 19. V. 1/5. A. 11. C. 14. L. 1. 56. L. tr. 16.' 



Length of head 5|, of caudal fin 7|, height of body 7 in the 

 total length. Eyes upper margin on dorsal profile, diameter 4 

 m length of head, 1 diam. from end of snout, and 2 apart. 

 Interorbital space nearly flat, snout obtuse and rounded. Upper 

 ]aw the longer and overhung by the snout lips thick. Teeth 

 upper, in two rows divided by a considerable interspace, the 

 outer movable, almost horizontal ; a large recurved canine on 

 either side of symphysis of lower jaw. Finsspmes of first dorsal 



ling in filamentous prolongations, but the longest is not quite so 



* Between origin of second dorsal and that of anal, see note, p. 247. 



