212 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
Mouth, rather oblique. Opercle nearly triangular, two-thirds as wide as high, upper margin 
rather concave. Subopercle half as high as long. Maxillary pair of cirri two-thirds of the 
length of the head. 
Fins—The pectoral arises under the posterior third of the subopercle, and extends beyond 
the base of the ventral. Ventral -with an enlarged scale at its base, and it reaches as far as the 
commencement of the base of the anal. The anal arises rather behind the origin of the last dorsal 
rays, its first unbranched ray is very short, its second one half shorter than the third, which equals 
the distance from the posterior nostril to the posterior extremity of opercle, and ends in a soft 
point: the last branched ray double and prolonged so as to reach the base of the caudal. Dorsal 
commences midway between snout and base of caudal, its first unbranched ray is minute, its second 
half the length of the third, which is strong, osseous, concave posteriorly, and ending superiorly 
in a soft prolongation : its last branched ray double, and reaches half way from its base towards 
the caudal fin. Caudal rather deeply lobed, with each of its extremities pointed. 
Scales—High and narrow, the external portion one half higher than wide, with two or three 
badly marked radiating lines. A row exists along the base of the dorsal and anal fins. Opposite 
and above the sixth row of the lateral line a second row of scales commences. 
Lateral line—Rather descends for five scales, then becomes slightly convex to the twenty- 
third scale, from whence it proceeds direct to the centre of the caudal. 
Colours—Silvery green above, silvery white shot with gold below the lateral line. Cheeks 
golden. Fins yellowish. Dorsal and caudal minutely dotted with fine points, a few also are 
scattered on the scales. A badly marked black blotch exists on the lateral line from the twenty- 
second to the twenty-third scales inclusive. 
Very common in all pieces of fresh water. 
Habitat—Malabar. 
3. Unbranched dorsal rays cartilaginous , and articulated in their whole extent. 
Puntius Denisonii, Plate XVI. Fig. 2. 
Labeo Denisonii, Day , Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865 , p. 299 . 
B. in. D. f. P. 15. V. 9. A. § C. 19. L. 1. 28. L. tr. f. 
Length of head V of pectoral J, of base of dorsal Jr, of base of anal °f caudal 1 of total 
length. Height of head T T 0 -, of body 1, of dorsal J, of anal Fo of total length. 
Eyes—Diameter about J of length of head, rather more than 1 diameter apart, 11- diameters 
from end of snout. 
Body elongated, compressed: profile from snout to dorsal slightly elevated, from whence to 
the caudal it gradually slopes. 
Mouth small, directed forwards and slightly downwards, the upper jaw being the longest, and 
snout slightly prominent, with a small expansion laterally on either side, and pores on its apex : the 
lower jaw curves slightly upwards at its extremity, and has a small tubercle on the upper surface of 
the symphysis. Upper and lower lips continuous, edges entire, and a little thickened so as to 
form a small lobe below the symphysis of the lower jaw. Sulcus simple, not very deep. Preorbital 
irregularly triangular, longer than high, rounded anteriorly. Maxillary cirri one pair, fleshy, and 
