302 PROCEEiDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEiUM vol. 94 



Plecostomus (Liposarcus) pardalis Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1S77, 

 p. 471 (Calabozo, Venezuela). 



Genus ANCISTRUS ^^ Kner 



Ancistrus Kner, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. 7, p. 272, 1854. (Type, 

 Hypostonius cirrhosus Cuvicr and Valenciennes.) 



For certain counts made on species of this genus see table 1 8. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ANCISTRUS REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 



la. Anal rays I, 3; plates from dorsal fin base to origin of adipose fin usually 4, 

 rarely 5; plates in lower lateral series usually 23, seldom 24; pale spots 

 on belly, if present, not running together, but roundish in shape: black spot 

 at base of front of dorsal indistinct; ramus of lower jaw 1.7 to 2.4 in 

 interorbital (upper Rio Meta system). 



Ancistrus triradiatus triradiatus Eigenmann^^* 

 Ibi Anal rays about equally I, 3 and I, 4; plates from dorsal to adipose 5; plates 

 in lower lateral series usually 24; pale spots on adults elongate and oblong 

 on the belly and running together; black spot at front base of dorsal dis- 

 tinct; ramus of lower jaw contained 2.3 to 2.7 in interorbital space (upper 



Catatumbo system) Ancistrus triradiatus martini, new subspecies 



Ic. Anal rays I, 4, rarely I, 3; plates from dorsal to adipose 5 to 7, rarely 4. 



2a. Plates from dorsal to adipose fin usually 6 or 7; from anal to caudal fin base 

 10 or 11; in lower lateral series 23 or 24; ramus of lower jaw 2.4 to 2.6 

 in interorbital space; interorbital space 2 to 2.25 in head; a dark spot at 

 base of first interradial membrane in dorsal (San Esteban and Puerto 



Cabello, Venezuela) Ancistrus gymnorhynchus Kner 



2b. Plates from dorsal to adipose fin usually 5, rarely 4; plates in lower lateral 



series almost always 24, rarely 23 or 25. 



3o. Body plain in color, apparently without pale spots; no black spots at 



front of base of dorsal fin; two or three black spots in front of dorsal 



fin; no pale bar across caudal peduncle on base of caudal fin rays; 



ramus of lower jaw 3.0 to 3.5 in interorbital space (Rfo Tuy system). 



Ancistrus brevifilis brevifilis Eigenmann 



36. Body anteriorly on adults with numerous pale spots; a black spot at front 



base of dorsal fin on membrane between spine and first soft ray; no 



black spots in front of dorsal; pale bar across caudal peduncle at base 



of caudal fin rays; ramus of lower jaw 2.3 to 3.0 in the interorbital space. 



Ancistrus brevifilis bodenhameri, new subspecies 



ANCISTRUS TRIRADIATUS MARTINI, new subspecies 



Plate 9, C, D 



Holotype—V.S.N.M. No. 121064, a male 81.5 mm. in standard 

 length, collected by Leonard P. Schultz on April 1, 1942, in the Rio 

 Tachira, 7 km. north of San Antonio, Catatumbo system. 



« Regan gives an indefinite record for Xenocara cirrhosum Cuvier and Valenciennes in the Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 London, 1906, pt. 1, p. 389, as "Paraguay to Venezuela." Stcindachncr (Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 

 vol. 43, p. 123, 1882) records Chaetostomus {Ancislriis) dolkhopterus Kuer from Caracas, Venezuela. A 

 reexamination of the material mentioned above will be necessary before it Is possible to identify the speci- 

 mens. 



ii^ Ancistrus triradiatus trirndinlus Eigenmann, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc, vol. 56, No. 7, p. 680, 1917 

 (Quebrada Cramalote, Villavicencio, Barrigona, Colombia^ is included in this key for purposes of com- 

 pari-son with A.t. mnr'ini, although it has not been reported from Venezuela. 



