20 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Olio spociincn takon, a nialo. with mulovcloppd clas])ors wliicli do not iionrly 

 reach the edj^o of ventiiils. 



Family STLURID.E. 



28. Felichthys panamensis (Gill). 



Ahmuhiiit. ( )t" till' six specimens {jreservetl, three are males ami tinee 

 females, all being of nearly equal size. The specimens ilo not dilTcr aceordin;:; to sex 

 in the shape of the dorsal buckler as extensively as is indicated in Steindachner's 

 figures (187G b, Plate II). Furthermore, such diflerence as exists is in the opposite 

 direction to that observed by him, as the ijiickler is lai-ger and prnportimially 

 somewhat wider in the females than in the males. More obvious sexual differences 

 are found in the length of the ventral fins and in the shape of the anal. In females, 

 the ventrals are long, constantly extending beyond the front of the anal. In males, 

 tliey fail to reach the front of the anal fin. In females, the anterior portion of the 

 anal fin is produced, forming a j^rojecting lobe, thus giving a strongly concave arch 

 to the posterior half of the margin of the fin. In males, there is no lobe, and the 

 margin of the fin is nearly or wholly straight. This diflerence in the shape of the 

 anal was noticed by Steindachner (1876 b, p. 15), but was sujiposed by him to be due 

 to age and not to sex. Another sexual diflerence seems to exist in the size of the 

 head, which in the present specimens is less in the case of the females, 84 to 3| 

 (3| in males). The specimens taken range from 325 to 360 mm. in length. 



29. Felichthys pinnimaculatus {Steindachner). 



Negro encuero. 



One of the most abundant food-fishes of the Panama market. Sexual peculi- 

 arities seem much less strongly marked thaji in F. panamensis. 



30. Galeichthys lentiginosus {Eigenmann <L- Eigenmann). 



Frequently seen; nine specimens preserved. 



The species is at once recognized by the very long narrow occipital process, 

 by the depressed head, which is wide posteriorly and tapers rapidly forward to the 

 narrow pointed snout, by the very convex mouth, and the usually smooth head. In 

 the latter respect, however, there is much variation. The granulations may be confined 

 to the occipital process and the posterior part of occiput, and be faintly visible 

 where present, or they may entirely cover the crown forward to the interorbital 

 space. In tiie latter case, the pattern of sculpture is exactly similar to that figured 

 for Netuma planiceps (Steindachner, 1876 b, Plate IV), except that the granulations 

 are less definitely in series, and that an evident groove extends backward from 

 fontanel to near base of occi|)ital process. The dilference in roughness of the head 

 is dependent neither on age nor sex. The specimen with best marked granulations 

 is a female. 



