THE CATFXSHES OF VENEZUELA — SCHITLTZ 243 



composed of more or less joined black blotches; another black band 

 begimiing near upper base of pectoral fin, sometimes connected to the 

 black band above by branching black bars, continues posteriorly and 

 curves gently below middle of sides, then fades out over base of anal 

 fin; sometimes the pale areas on sides are finely spotted; dorsal surface 

 of head mottled; a pale middorsal streak along the back behind dorsal 

 fin; the black band at each side of this pale streak meets in front of 

 dorsal orighi; upper surfaces of paired fins pigmented; dorsal and anal 

 fins speckled ; the caudal fin is variable in color, usually a black blotch 

 occurs in middle of basal part of caudal rays surrounded by pale, then 

 enclosed dorsally and posteriorly by wide areas of black pigment and 

 sometimes anteriorly and ventrally too; in the largest specimen the 

 color of the caudal fin is reduced to the midbasal black blotch and a 

 large black blotch near middle of each lobe of the caudal fin with 

 other black blotches of various sizes distally and basally; underside of 

 head and belly white except a narrow line of pigment under and around 

 lower m^argin of orbit. 



Remarks. —This new species is most closely related to Agenelosus 

 caucanus and diff'ers from it and all other species of Agenelosus in its 

 color pattern. It has two black bands on sides below the one along 

 the hack instead of but one or two very incomplete ones on caucanus. 

 In addition, /rem has I, 13 or I, 14 (usually I, 13) pectoral fin rays 

 instead of I, 11 or I, 12 (usually I, 12) in caucanus (counts made on 

 specimens from the Rio Tuyra, Panama). No specimen was available 

 from the type locality, Rio Cauca, but since Eigeimiami, as well as 

 Meek and Hildebrand, has identified the Panama specimens as the 

 same as those in the Rio Cauca, my separation is based on examination 

 of numerous Panama specimens, and figures published by Steindachner 

 on specimens from the Rio Cauca of Colombia. 



Named freiei in honor of Dr. Alvin J. Freie, division geologist of 

 the Lago Petroleum Corporation, Venezuela, who helped me in many 

 ways to collect fishes in the Maracaibo Basin. 



AGENEIOSUS BREVIFILIS Cuvier and Valenciennes 



Laui.ao 



Ageneiosus brevifilis Ctjvier and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des poissons, 



vol. 15, p. 242, 1840 (Cayenne). 

 Hypophthalmus dawall Rohl, Fauna descriptiva de Venezviela, p. 385, 1942 (Apure 



and Orinoco; market of Ciudad Bolivar). 



Family BUNOCEPHALIDAE 



KEY TO THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF BUNOCEPHALIDAE FROM THE MARACAIBO 



BASIN 



la. Three plates between anus and origin of anal fin, these plates appearing to 

 be fused in midventral line and the one in front of anal fin having lateral 

 wings; no papillae or barbel on upper lip or around corners of mouth; 4 

 black color bars meeting in midventral line; a narrow black band across 



