THE CATFXSHES OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 185 



U.S.N.M. No. 121202, 2 specimens, 122 and 132 mm., Lago Maracaibo at 

 Yacht Club, Maracaibo, March 5. 



The following 16 examples were collected by F. F. Bond for the 

 University of Michigan Museum of Zoology and were lent me through 

 the courtesy of Dr. Carl L. Hubbs: 



14 specimens, 47 to 86 mm., Laguna de Tacarigua, Estado de Miranda, 

 Venezuela, February 3, 1939. 



2 specimens, 173 and 188 mm., tributary of Lago Maracaibo, 10 km. south of 

 Laguuillas, March 23, 1938. 



Family PIMELODIDAE 



KEY TO THE GENERA OP PIMELODIDAE REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 

 (INCLUDING CERTAIN OTHER RELATED GENERA) 



la. Gill membranes not joined to one another but extending far forward before 



their attachment to isthmus, sometimes with a narrow free fold; pel vies 



usually inserted under rear of base of dorsal fin. 



2a. No prominent or distinct small to large patches or bands of teeth in roof 



of mouth other than on premaxillaries (occasionally a few scattered 



obsolete villiform teeth may be detected on vomer of Pimelodus, but 



these do not form a prominent patch); dentaries with a band of teeth; 



dorsal rays i, 6 or I, 6, rarely with 5 branched rays; eyes superior in 



position, not visible from below. 



3a. Premaxillaries, vomer, and palatines edentulous except the first when 



fish are about 32 mm.; dentary with a narrow band of villiform teeth; 



pectoral spine pungent but not serrated anteriorly; first simple ray of 



dorsal flexible, not spinous; adipose fin very long; anal base short; 



caudal fin deeply forked; ] pair of maxillary and 2 pairs of mental 



barbels, their bases almost in a straight line; margin of eye free above, 



but ventrally margin more or less fused or not free; predorsal plate 



and supraoccipital process meeting; dorsal surface of head bony, not 



covered with skin posteriorly; postcleithral process lacking; both sides 



of gill arches with papillae in rows at bases of filaments; gill rakers 



numerous, about 10 + 22; occipital fontanel a narrow slit, short; dorsal 



rays i, 6; anal v, 6 or 7; pectoral I, 10 or 11; pelvic i, 5. 



Sovichthys, new genus 

 36. A distinct and wide band of villiform teeth on premaxillaries and on 

 dentary; no rows of papillae at base of gill filaments on gill arches 

 as in 3a. 

 4a. Width of head across base of pectorals equal to length of head or 

 nearly so, snout noticeably depressed; dorsal and pectoral spines 

 pungent; dorsal surface of head covered with skin. 

 5o. Margin of eye free, not fused with flesh around rim of eye; caudal 

 fin forked, lobes more or less rounded, the two shortest mid- 

 caudal fin rays with membrane deeply incised; adipose fin long; 

 anal base short; predorsal plate not meeting supraoccipital 

 process; postcleithral process short, broad-based; posterior 

 nostril a little closer to eye than to anterior nostril; bases of the 

 2 pairs of mental barbels nearly or in a straight line. 



Bhamdia Bleeker 



