142 



SHARK-TAILED HYPOSTOMA« 



Hypostoma squalinum. 



PLATE IL 



Carib name, "Warra-warra ; Macusi, Morutta ; L. Geral, Ua- 

 cari. Schomb. Drawings and MSS. No. ] 5. 



" This fish is found in the Rios Branco, Negro, 

 and Essequibo ; it lives under the roots of trees and 

 among rocks ; and they issue from their hiding- 

 places to the sand-banks to feed at night. The 

 body and head are covered with a scaly armour, 

 the former armed with small spines ; the head is 

 flat ; lips fleshy, and formed for sucking ; teeth fine 

 and moveable, to allow the sucking apparatus to 

 lie flat on the trunk of the tree or whatever they 

 wish to hold by ; the pectoral spiny rays are covered 

 with numerous small spines ; the outer rays of the 

 caudal fin are semi-spiny and covered in a like 

 manner, and all the rays are rough. The colour 

 is greenish brown, spotted all over the body with 

 black ; the fins lighter and webbed with blue ; the 

 under parts of the fish are yellowish white; the 

 eye is like as if it had been gilt, and much resembles 

 that of a frog. They are eaten by the Indians, and 

 are considered good and fat. One which was kept 

 alive a day in water ate boiled rice : I suppose their 

 principal food is vegetable matter." 



