LABYBINTHICT. 371 



Opercle entire ; preopercle usually serrated. Cleft of mouth small, 

 jaws little protractile. , A single dorsal fin, the spinous portion 

 more developed than the soft ; anal similar, but of greater extent. 

 Ventral consisting of a single elongate filiform ray. Teeth small 

 in the jaws ; voruer and palatines edentulous. Lateral line, when 

 present, interrupted. Air-bladder divided posteriorly into two 

 portions. Pyloric appendages few. Intestines with many con- 

 volutions. 



The numbers of spines and rays in the dorsal and anal fins are 

 subject to considerable variation in species of this genus, and the 

 character of the caudal is not invariably constant. The subopercle 

 may be serrated or entire. The lateral line has been said to be 

 present in some, absent in others ; on this, however, undue stress 

 has been laid. 



Geographical Distribution. Large rivers and waters in their 

 vicinity throughout Sind, the Punjab, N.W. Provinces, Bengal, 

 Assam, and Burma, but not south of the Kistua river, throughout 

 the Madras Presidency, along the western coast, or in Ceylon. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



A longitudinal band on side 1. T. chuna, p. 371. 



Eight to ten oblique dark bands ; dorsal elongate 



and pointed behind 2. T. Inbiosus, p. 372. 



Fourteen or more oblique orange bands on sides. 3. T.fasciatus, p. 372. 

 Sides transversely banded with scarlet and light 



blue 4. T. lalius, p. 373. 



1212. (1.) Tricliogaster chuna. 



121, 37 



fig. 3 (a 



Trichopodus chuna, Ham. Such. Fish. Ganges, pp. 121, 372. 

 Trichogaster chuna, Day, Fish. India, p. 373, pi. Ixxix, 



synon.). 



Bah- say-lee or Bawsa-saylce, Assam. ; Chuna kholisha, Silk Songtak, 

 Kalak at Goalpara (H. B.). 

 D. 17-18/7-8. P. 9. V. 1. A. 17-20/11-15. L. 1. 27-29. L. tr. 5/10. 



Length of head 3| to 4, height of body 2| to 2| in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 2 to 3 in length of head, | to f diam. 

 from end of snout, and 1 apart. Fins dorsal spines increasing 

 in length to last, which equals postorbital length of head, and is f 

 as high as soft dorsal, which is longest in its middle. Caudal 

 slightly emarginate. Scales ctenoid, but slightly extended over 

 soft portion of anal fin so as to form a short sheath for the spines. 

 Lateral line present. Colour dull greenish, lighter along abdo- 

 men j a dark, sometimes black baud from eye along side to lower 

 half of tail. A dark band in upper third of dorsal, and another 

 along the base of that fin ; anal banded similiarly to dorsal, a dark 

 band along base of soft portion. Caudal sometimes with a black 

 spot at its base, last third rather dark, occasionally with two or 

 three transverse bands. 



2u2 



