THE CATFISHES OF VENEZUEiLA — SCHULTZ 193 



arch — (10 + 22; 10 + 22). Five specimens had v, 7 anal rays and 

 four had v, 6; one fish had I, 10 pectoral rays, 6 had I, 11, and one I, 

 12; gill rakers on first gill arch were in 6 specimens counted, one with 

 9+21, two with 10+20, one 10+21, and two 10+22. 



In addition to the characters discussed under the description of the 

 genus, a few other features of this new species should be described. 

 The maxiUary barbel in the young extends to tips of caudal fin rays or a 

 little beyond, but in the adults only to the base of the caudal fin; outer 

 mental barbels to base of pelvics or a little beyond; inner mental barbels 

 about halfway out the pectoral fins; center of eye behind middle of 

 head; origin of adipose near rear base of dorsal fin or not more than 

 three-fourths diameter of eye behind base of last dorsal ray; least 

 depth of caudal peduncle 2}^ in its length; barbels round in shape; 

 pectoral spines not locking open; length of pectoral spine one-half 

 length of adipose fin and reaching or almost reaching base of pelvics; 

 the latter reaching two-thirds the way to anal origin. 



Color. — Darker above, paler below, upper surfaces profusely black- 

 spotted, these spots often on dorsal and adipose fins; another color 

 phase from muddy waters is pale, with but a few of the black spots 

 evident; also this pale color phase has a more or less darkish blotchy 

 band along upper midsides, above and below, which is a pale band 

 without spots; in small specimens the general darker pigment of upper 

 sides extends a little below the lateral line, then the lower sides are 

 abruptly pale or white; paired and caudal fin darkish, without spots; 

 mental barbels white, maxillary barbels blackish or grayish; in alcohol 

 some of the specimens still retain a dull yellowish color in all the fins; 

 underside of head dull yellowish. 



Remarks. — This new species is distinguished from all others in the 

 family Pimelodidae by a combination of characters as follows: 

 First dorsal ray simple, articulated; pectoral fin with a strong spine; 

 no teeth on premaxillaries, vomer, or palatines; gill arches with papillae 

 both anteriorly and posteriorly and fleshy gill rakers, triangular in 

 shape; gill cavity with folds of tissue below orbit; pectoral spine not 

 locking; supraoccipital process meeting the predorsal plate; adipose 

 fin very long, its origin just behind base of dorsal fin. 



Named abuelo, the common name of this species as giv^en to me by 

 the people living in the Maracaibo Basin. Probably called abuelo, 

 meaning grandfather, because of its extremely long "beard" or maxil- 

 lary barbels usually nearly as long as, or longer than, its total length. 



Genus RHAMDIA Bleeker 



Rhamdia Bleeker, Ichthyologiae Archipelagi Indici Prodromus, vol. 1, pp. 197, 

 207, sp., 1858; Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., vol. 1, p. 101, 1863. (Type, Pime- 

 lodus quelen Quoy and Gaimard.) 



