THE CATFISHES OF VENEZUEI.A — ^^SiCHULTZ 197 



The specimens from British Guiana on which the key is based may 

 differ from those in the Valencia Basin of Venezuela. 



Genus ZUNGARO Bleeker 



Zungaro Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., vol. 1, p. 101, 1863. (Type, Pimelodus 

 zungaro Humboldt.) (Ref. copied.) 



ZUNGARO ZUNGARO (Humboldt) 



Pimelodus zungaro Humboldt, Recueil d'observations de zoologie. . . , vol. 2, 



p. 170, p. 46, fig. 1, 1811. 

 Pseudopimelodus zungaro Ribeiro, Rev. Mus. Paulista, vol. 10, p. 728, 1918 



(Rfo Cabriale, Venezuela). 



The following nine examples of this fish were taken by Leonard P. 

 Schultz during 1942 in the Maracaibo Basin of Venezuela: 



U.S.N. M. No. 121283, 8 specimens, 153 to 264 mm., from the Rio San Juan at 

 the bridge south of Mene Grande, tributary Rfo Motatdn, March 20. 



U.S.N. M. No. 121284, a specimen, 242 mm., from the Rio Negro below mouth 

 Rio Yasa, March 2. 



Genus PSEUDOPIMELODUS Bleeker 



Pseudopimelodus Bleeker, Ichthyologiae Archipelagi Indici Prodromus, vol. 1, 

 p. 196, 207, 1858 (sp.); Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., vol. 1, p. 101, 1863. 

 (Type, Pimelodus raninus Cuvier and Valenciennes.) (Ref. copied.) 



The relationships and validity of certain genera and species of 

 South American catfishes allied to Pseudopimelodus are not well de- 

 fined and need careful study. There are not sufficient specimens 

 available at present to enable me to work out the limits of the genera 

 or species under question, except to point out that Zungaro Bleeker 

 differs from the related genera, Pseudopimelodus and Microglanis, 

 in having the lower jaw a little longer than the upper, the predorsal 

 plate slender, meeting and fitting into a notch of the supraoccipital 

 process, and the anterior margin of the pectoral spine smooth. In 

 defining the genus Pseudopimelodus Eigenmann and Allen (Fishes of 

 western South America, pp. 90-91, 1942) describe the "intermaxillary 

 teeth without angle projecting backward." Eigenmann (Mem. 

 Carnegie Mus., vol. 5, p. 155, 1912) in defining the genus Microglanis 

 distinguishes it from Pseudopimelodus by "premaxillary patches of 

 teeth without backward projecting angles." He says further that 

 the members of this genus are "small Pimelodines, reachmg a max- 

 imum length of 110 mm." Doubt is cast on the validity of this genus 

 after studying a large series of a related form from the Maracaibo 

 Basin, The premaxillary band of teeth in this series is angular in 

 the small ones 40 to 50 mm. in length, and in the large ones this angle 

 projects more posteriorly as described for Pseudopimelodus. In a 

 small paratype of Microglanis poecilus the outer or lateral ends of the 

 premaxillary band of teeth are more rounded and the predorsal 

 plate does not meet the supraoccipital process; neither does it in the 

 specimens from the Maracaibo Basin. 



