250 
THE FISHES OF MALABAE. 
Teeth.—In the palate conical and acute, anteriorly in two but posteriorly in a single row, those 
in the outer row the shortest, and fourteen or fifteen in number : the inner row of five or seven. 
Nasal teeth, a mesial row of three large ones: those on the vomer in a single row, sometimes 
forming two, and from twelve to twenty-four in number. In the lower jaw there are twenty-four 
conical teeth, which towards the symphysis form two rows, but laterally only one. 
Fins—Dorsal arises slightly before the branchial aperture. The anal commences about the 
centre of the body, and is lower than the dorsal. 
Lateral line—Little apparent. 
Colours—Ground colour yellowish olive, forming reticulations between numerous black spots 
and blotches, which are distributed over the whole of the head and body. 
Grows to two feet in length, and is very common in Malabar. 
Habitat—Fresh waters and estuaries of India and Malaysia. 
* Gymnotfioeax fayaginea. 
Mur /Ena fayaginea, Cuvier , Leg. An.; Kaup , Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 68, f. 53. 
Gymnothorax faviginea, Bloch. Schn. 525, t. 105. 
Tii/Erodontis reticulatus, McClelland , Cal. J. N. H. July, 1854. 
“ Total length 28'26 in. Length of tail, 1448 in. To the gill opening, 3*78 in. Length of 
jaws, L69 in.” 
Teeth —“ Nasal teeth twelve : on the mesial line three : palatines three : vomerines eleven 
or twelve : mandibulars eighteen, of which the foremost five are the longest. Between the second 
and third foreones there is a little toothlet which is easily overlooked.In a specimen 
from Malabar, I could perceive only a single row of ten or twelve teeth in the middle of the vomer. 
Another, a stuffed one sent from Pondicherry, by Leschenault, shows two distinct rows, which 
towards the gullet, run into one series. I consider two rows of vomerines to be the normal 
n umb er.”— Kaup . 
Colours—Every part of the body and head marked with black pentagonal spots separated by 
narrow white lines. 
Habitat—-Seas and estuaries of India. 
Fam. SYNBRANCHHLE. 
Sub-Fam. SYNBRANCHOIDEI, Bleeker. 
Group SYNBRANCHINI, BleeTcer. 
Genus SYNBRANCHITS, Bloch. 
Unibeanchapertura, Lacep. 
Unipertura, Kaup. 
Opiiisternon, Me Clellancl. 
Tetrabranchus, Bleeher. 
