THE CATFISHES OF VENEZUELA — ^SCHXTLTZ 249 



origin to end of membranous base 30.4 and 32.5; length of first ray 

 of dorsal fin 17.8 and 16.6; length of io.st ray of dorsal fin 12.6 and 13.0; 

 length of first ray of anal fin 15.4 and 14.2; length of pectoral spine 

 to its fleshy tip 26.1 and 27.1; length of pelvic spine to its fleshy tip 

 13.0 and 14.2; length of upper ray of caudal fin 18.2 and 16.2; length 

 of lower simple ray of caudal fin 18.6 and 22.3; length of lower (long- 

 est) branched ray of caudal fin 22.9 and — ; length of depressed anal 

 fin 27.3 and 28.3: length of caudal peduncle, or distance from base of 

 last anal ray to midbase of caudal fin ra3^s 34.0 and 34.4; least depth 

 of caudal peduncle 3.95 and 4.04; distance from eye to origin of dorsal 

 39.5 and 38.5; distance from eye to origin of anal 51.8 and 47.4; dis- 

 tance from eye to insertion of pelvics 30.4 and 28.3. 



The following counts were made, respectively: Dorsal rays i,6 and 

 i, 6; anal iii,4; and iii,4; pelvic i, 5 and i, 5; pectoral 1,6 and 1,6; 

 number of caudal fin rays i+7+i and i+7+i; number of platelets 

 along the lateral line 50 and 50; dorsal series of plates from origin of 

 dorsal to base of caudal fin 23 and 23; ventral series of plates from 

 anus to base of caudal fin 23 and 23; plates behind the base of last 

 anal ray 12 and 11 ; plates in front of origin of anal fin 5 and 6; number 

 of spines on inner edge of the pectoral spine 6 and 6. 



Color. — The general color pattern consists of four black saddles 

 across back and on sides, the first from under base of dorsal fin rays 

 down to and including the lateral line and below it a little posteriorly, 

 this bar extending only on the base of the dorsal fin except anteriorly 

 where it reaches halfway out the first ray; the second is just behind 

 the end of basal membrane of dorsal fin; third at smallest part of 

 caudal peduncle and last across the basal fifth of the caudal fin rays; 

 the ventral bony plates are pigmented, more so under the region of 

 the doreal saddles; the area around the tubular anterior nostrils is 

 blackish; undersides pale, dorsal surface of head brownish. 



Remarks. — This new subspecies differs in color from Hoplomyzon 

 a. atrizona Myers and Dupouyichthys sajnto, as indicated in the key. 



Named petroleus in honor of the Lago Petroleum Corporation of 

 Venezuela, the company that aided me so much in traveling around 

 the Maracaibo Basin of Venezuela and in whose camps I stayed. 



HOPLOMYZON ATRIZONA ATRIZONA Myers 



Hoplomyzon atrizona Myers, Stanford Ichth. Bull., vol. 2, No. 4, p. 95, fig. 3, 

 1942 (brook tributary to Rfo Zulia, Estacion Tdchira, 60 km. north of San 

 Cristobal, Venezuela). 



The following counts were made on a paratype: Dorsal i,6; anal iii,4; 

 pelvic i, 5-i, 5 ; pectoral 1, 6-1, 6 ; caudal fin rays i+7 +i ; plates in lateral 

 line 50; plates on dorsal side 23; plates on ventral side 23; spines on 

 inner edge of pectoral spine 6; plates behind base last anal ray 11; 

 plates in front of anal origin 5. 



