282 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF PISHES, 



vomerine patch. Maxillary barbel f longer than the head, extend- 

 ing almost to the end of the pectoral spine. Postmental barbel 

 |- of the maxillary, inserted but little behind and well outside the 

 mental, which reaches far beyond the gill-opening. Cranial shield 

 with a few coarse granules irregularly scattered over the median 

 posterior region. Nuchal shield strongly keeled, finely granular, 

 the granules forming divergent series posteriorly, its greatest 

 width y of its length, which is ^ of its distance from the tip of 

 the snout; outer border nearly linear, the posterior deeply forked. 

 Dorsal plate moderate, subcruciform, feebly granular, its mesial 

 length 3| in that of the nuchal shield, Fontanelle long and 

 narrow, conspicuous; occipital groove strongly developed, extend- 

 ing backwards to the nuchal shield. Opercle smooth. Lateral line 

 without anterior granules. Humeral process smooth, terminating 

 in a blunt point, and extending along the proximal J of the 

 pectoral spine. Gill-membranes forming together a deep emargi- 

 nation, the free flap narrow; gill-rakers 4-f 12, the longest § of 

 the diameter of the eye. Axillary j^ore minute. Distance of 

 dorsal fin from tip of snout 2f in the total length; dorsal spine 

 strong, feebly granular in front, serrated behind, the sides smooth, 

 nearly as long as the head; first dorsal ray produced into a fila- 

 ment which reaches when laid back to the end of the base of the 

 adipose fin : adipose fin about as high as long, its base a little less 

 than that of the dorsal, its distance from which is ^ of the total 

 length : anal fin feebly emarginate, much longer than high, its 

 length If in the head : ventral rounded, | of the head and reach- 

 ing a little beyond the base of the anal : pectoral with 9 soft 

 rays, the spine similar to that of the dorsal, its length | of the 

 head : upper caudal lobe longer than the head, 3J in the total 

 length; least depth of caudal peduncle ^ of its length behind the 

 adipose fin. Vent nearer to the ventrals than to the anal. 

 Silvery above, strongly washed with blue; yellowish- white below: 

 dorsal filament, tips of dorsal and caudal rays, and outer border 

 of adipose fin dark brown. 



The single specimen from which the diagnosis was drawn up 

 forms one of a small collection of catfishes and eels kindly 



