THE CATFISHES OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 183 



its length and posteriorly free from the caudal peduncle; gill mem- 

 branes broadly attached to each other, with or without free fold 

 across isthmus. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF BAGREIDAE REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 



la. Mental barbels in one pair; maxillary barbels broad, bandlike; dorsal and 

 pectoral spines usually with long bandlike filaments. 



2a. Anal rays about 20 to 24, including rudiments; distance of dorsal from 

 tip of snout 2.9 to 3 in length; distance of adipose from dorsal fin 2.8 to 

 3 in length; longest anal ray about as long as base of anal fin, the latter 

 5% to 6}^ in standard length Bagre marinus (Mitchill) 



26. Anal rays 32 to 35; distance from tip of snout to origin of dorsal 3>^ in 

 length; distance of adipose fin from dorsal fin base 2% in length or longer; 

 base of anal fin iYs in length or longer; longest anal ray less than half 

 length of anal fin base; vomerine and palatine patches of teeth separate 



(after Eigenmann) Bagre bagre (Linnaeus) 



16. Mental barbels in two pairs. 



3a. No groove across snout at rear of posterior nasal openings; palatine teeth 

 granular in a patch at each side of front of mouth; no vomerine teeth; 

 barbels short, maxillary reaching to front of pectorals; anal rays about vi 

 or vii, 16; gill rakers about 6+14; pectoral rays I, 10; dorsal 

 I, 6 Arius spixii (Agassiz) 



36. A groove across snout between posterior margins of rear nasal openings, and 

 front of this groove with a membrane on adults, smooth in young, but 

 somewhat finely papillate; vomerine patches of teeth, villiform, 

 across front of roof of mouth; maxillary barbels short, not reaching quite 

 to tips of pelvics in young and not to tips of pectorals in adults; anal rays 

 about vi, 12; gill rakers about 6+17; pectoral rays I, 10; dorsal 

 I, 6 Selenaspis herzbergii (Bloch) 



Genus BAGRE Oken 



Bagre Oken, Isis, 1817, p. 1183 (after les Bagres of Cuvier, R6gne animal, vol. 2, 

 1817; type by tautonomy, Silurus bagre Linnaeus). (Ref. copied.) 



Bremceps Swainson, The natural history and classification of fishes . . . , vol, 

 1, p. 328. 1838 (preoccupied). 



Felichthys Swainson, ibid., vol. 2, p. 305, 1839. (Type, Silurus bagre Linnaeus.) 



Ailurichthys Baird and Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 26, 

 1854 (Silurus marinus Mitchill). 



BAGRE MARINUS (Mitchill) 



Silurus marinus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. Philos. Soc. New York, vol. 1, p. 433, 1814. 

 Aelurichthys marinus Steindachner, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. 41, p. 

 158, 1879 (Orinoco near Ciudad Bolivar). 



U.S.N.M. No. 121205, a specimen 273 mm. in standard length, 

 bought by Leonard P. Schultz at the market in Maracaibo, probably 

 caught in El Tablazo or Gulf of Venezuela, May 15, 1942; U.S.N.M. 

 No. 126417, 3 specimens from Gulf of Venezuela, Estanques Bay, 

 December 8, 1924, U.S.S. Niagara; U.S.N.M. No. 126416, 2 specimens, 

 Gulf of Venezuela off Cape Macolla, January 10 and February 18, 

 1925, U.S.S. Niagara. 



