178 



TIGER PIMELODUS. 



Pimelodus arekaima. 



PLATE V. 



Carib, Yacima ; Arawaak, Arua ; Macusi, Arekaima ; L, 

 Geral, Jantia; Creole, Tiger-fish. Schomb. Drawings, 

 No, 9. 



" The fish from which the drawing has been made 

 was caught in the Upper Essequibo, 14th October 

 1837; they are pretty plentiful, and are also found 

 in the Rio Branco. It is without exception one of 

 the best fish for the table to be found in any of the 

 rivers of Guiana ; the flesh is firm, fat, and of an 

 excellent flavour, with little bone. The cranium is 

 hard and compressed ; the opercles smooth, princi- 

 pal front bone rough, gill-opening semilunar, cirrhi 

 two, very long on the upper jaw, reaching beyond 

 the ventral fins, — four shorter; nostrils double,— 

 one pair behind, the other near the snout; eyes 

 oval, dull red. The body at the dorsal fin nearly 

 triangular, round towards the tail. The fish en- 

 tirely of a reddish brown colour, spotted irregu- 

 larly with difi'erent sized spots of black, from which 

 it has received the name of " Tiger-Jish" The 

 belly is lighter, with the spots smaller and less 



