27 G 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
# Narcine Indica. 
Narcine Indica, Mull . & Henle , 35, t. ii. f. 2 ; Cantor , Catal. p. 417 ; Grat/, Catal. 
Brit. Mus. p. 102; Dumeril , Icli. gen. i. p. 517. 
Disk pentagonal, slightly broader than long, rounded anteriorly and provided witli a broad 
keel. Mouth, small, protractile, surrounded by a circular fold of skin : a labial cartilage above and 
beneath : lips moveable, not fixed to the jaws. Nasal valve straight, with a central projection. 
Eyes much smaller than the air-holes. Spiracles immediately behind the eyes, their margins 
smooth. 
Teeth—In quincunx with a point in the middle : they project beyond the margin of the jaw 
like an elliptical plate. 
Fins—The anterior dorsal commences behind the ventrals, and is smaller than the posterior, 
its base equals half the length of its anterior margin : in the yoimg its apex forms an acute angle, 
but in the adult becomes rounded. The distance between the two dorsals equals that between the 
posterior dorsal and the caudal. The size and shape of the two dorsals is similar. Ventrals 
triangular. The tail is slightly longer than the body, except in the very young, when it is 
shorter. 
The male appendages project but slightly beyond the inner margins of the ventral fin. 
Colours—Body and fins above reddish brown, with numerous irregularly sized chocolate 
coloured spots : lower surface white. Pupil triangular, apex below. Iris golden. In the immature 
the spots have a white margin. 
This fish—my specimens of which have been mislaid—is rare along the coast of Malabar, except 
where there are rocks : to the south it is very abundant. It grows to eighteen inches in length. 
“ Out of the water they may be handled with im punity.”— Cantor. 
Habitat—Seas of Malabar and Malaysia. 
Sub-Group.—With one dorsal fin. 
Genus ASTRAPE, Mull. & Henle. 
Generally similar to the Genus Narcine. Snout short and without a keel. Freenulum of the nasal 
valve with a cylindrical cartilage. Teeth pointed, each having a tetragonal base, and projecting slightly 
beyond the margin of the jaw. A membraneous valve in both jaws. Eyes and spiracles approximating, the 
latter smooth. Dorsal fin single, both it and the caudal rounded. 
Astrape dipterygia. 
Rajah dipterygia, Bl. Schn. 359. 
Astrape dipterygia, Cantor , Catal. p. 419 ; Gray , Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 103; Dumeril , 
Icli. gen. i. p. 523. 
Disk rounded, as wide as long, covering the anterior margins of the ventrals. Snout short 
■without any keel. A membraneous valve to both jaws. Spiracles smooth, close to and much 
larger than the eyes. A cylindrical cartilage to the bridle of the nasal flap. 
