THE OATFISHES OF VENiEZUELA — aCHULTZ 287 



2b. Caudal peduncle greatly depressed and sometimes almost knifelike; 



adipose fin lacking; snout may be greatly produced and pointed; inter- 



opcrcle and opercle not separately movable; dorsal surface of snout 



bony; spines absent on interopercle, except bristles on males. 



11a. Teeth on each ramus of jaws about 4 to 13; a more or less distinct 



notch at posterior dorsal corner of orbit; dorsal origin over insertion 



of pel vies; plates in lower lateral series 28 to 31. 



12a. Teeth with elongate bilobed tips .Loricaria Linnaeus 



126. Tips of teeth with both lobes spoon-shaped, inner lobe largest. 



Spatuloricaria, new genus 

 lib. Bilobed teeth on ramus of each jaw 15 to 40; no notch at rear of orbit; 

 plates in lower lateral series 32 to 37; belly plated. 

 13a. Dorsal origin nearly over anal origin; 8 or 9 plates between dorsal 

 and supraoccipital; teeth 15 to 29 on each ramus of jaws. 



Farlowella Eigenmann and Eigenmann 

 136. Dorsal origin nearly over insertion of pel vies; 4 plates in front of 

 dorsal; teeth 30 to 40 on each ramus of jaws_-Sturisoina Swainson 

 1&. Eyes at sides of head situated so that they are visible from below as well as 

 from dorsal aspect; bones exposed on under side of body that connect 

 between base of pectorals, in two series of one pair each; adipose a rudi- 

 mentary spine; snout depressed; teeth numerous, bifid in a single row; 23 

 or 24 plates along sides Hypoptopoma Giinther 



Genus CHAETOSTOMA^^ Heckel 



Chaetosloma Heckel, in Tschudi, Fauna Peruana, Ichthyologie, p. 26, 1846. 

 (Type, C. loborhyncha Tschudi.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CHAETOSTOMA REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 



la. A small, fleshy, usually blackish keel at rear tip of supraoccipital plate; 



dorsal rays I, 8; anal I, 5; usually 4 or 5 hooked spines on interopercle; 



blackish spots on membranes of dorsal fin between rays and not on rays. 

 2a. About 25 to 28 marginal lappets on rear edge of lower lip; a group of about 

 3 short papillae inside of mouth about two-thirds way out from mid- 

 line on plate; a similar group but longer papillae about halfway out on 

 plate of lower jaw; upper surface of head anteriorly with numerous 

 small darkish spots, none on body; a black spot on the membrane be- 

 tween base of dorsal spine and first soft ray and fainter dark spots, 

 mostly on membrane and naked area at base of fin near base of each 

 soft ray; 5 or 6 dark spots on membranes between dorsal rays and 

 not on rays; other fins mostly plain pale; caudal fin deeply concave, 

 color plain, with dark pigment evident near tips of middle rays forming 

 an obscure dark band across rear edge of caudal, except white tips of 



upper and lower lobes Chaetostoma tachiraensis, new species 



2b. Dorsal surface of head and that of body everywhere covered with numerous 

 blackish spots, those on sides of body arranged in about 4 to 6 rows; 

 caudal fin only slightly concave, tips of upper and lower lobes white; 

 about 16 to 22 marginal lappets on rear edge of lower lip; inside of mouth 

 about halfway out on plate of upper jaw a group of 3 or 4 papillae, 

 sometimes lacking; those on plate of lower jaw well developed. 



Chaetostoma milesi Fowler 



2' The specimen reported upon by Myers as C. anomalns Regan from the upp)er EIo Meta system, Guai- 

 caramo, Colombia, Is without doubt some other species and should not be associated with the true C. ano- 

 mala of the Maracaibo Basin. 



