THE OATFISHES OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 315 



U.S.N.M. No. 121047, 85 specimens, 14.5 to 49 mm., collected March 

 24, 1942, in the Rio Motatan, 8 km. below Motatdn; U. S. N.M. No. 

 121045, 91 specimens, 14.5 to 70 mm., taken March 17, 1942, in the 

 Rio Motatdn, at the bridge 22 km. north of Motatan; U.S.N.M. No. 

 121040, 49 specimens, 14.4 to 73 mm., collected March 24, 1942, in 

 the Rio Jimelles, 12 Ian. east of Motatdn, tributary of Rio Motatan; 

 U.S.N.M. No. 121050, 11 specimens, 24.2 to 90.5 mm., taken March 

 20, 1942, in the Rio San Pedro, a tributary of the Rio Motatan, at the 

 bridge south of Mene Grande; U.S.N.M No. 121042, 36 specunens 

 18.5 to 70 mm., collected March 17-20, 1942, in the Rio San Juan 

 near the bridge south of Mene Grande, tributary of Rio Motatdn. 



Description. — Based on the holotype and paratypes Hsted above. 

 Detailed measurements are expressed in hundredths of the standard 

 length, those for the holotype first, followed by those for the para- 

 types in parentheses, respectively. Standard length (in mm.) 119 

 (92; 80.7; 62.5; 45.6) ; total length 156 (122.8; 99; 86.3; 63.6) mm. 



Length of head from tip of snout to rear edge of temporal plate 

 40.7 (38.3; 37.5; 38.4; 38.1); length from tip of snout to posterior tip 

 of supraoccipital 38.7; (37.8; 37.3; 37.9; 38.6); width of head at base of 

 pectoral spine 33.2 (29.8; 31.2; 32.3; 31.1); postorbital length of head 

 14.2 (12.3; 12.4; 12.0; 12.1); greatest depth of body 19.9 (14.9; 18.6; 

 17.1; 15.3); length of snout 22.7 (23.9; 22.3; 23.0; 21.9); width of 

 fleshy mterorbital space 18.1 (16.4; 17.3; 16.8; 17.1); distance from 

 eye to bony edge of nostril 6.80 (5.10; 5.95; 5.60; 5.92); longest 

 spine of mteropercle 13.9 (11.4; 15.5; 13.6; 10.3); diameter of eye 

 5.46 (5.10; 5.08; 5.76; 6.58); length of ramus of lower jaw 5.12 (5.87; 

 4.83; 6.72; 6.68); greatest width of lower lip 5.55 (5.87; 5.70; 6.72; 

 6.58) ; length of caudal peduncle (distance from base of last anal ray 

 to base of midcaudal fin rays 27.5 (28.5; 29.2; 29.6; 27.2) ; least depth 

 of caudal peduncle 10.1 (10.0; 9.82; 10.1; 9.42); length of depressed 

 dorsal fin 36.9 (37.1 ; 35.0; 35.2 ; 36.2) ; length of anal fin 13.0 (12.5; 12.4; 

 13.9; 12.1); length of base of dorsal fin 21.8 (20.8; 20.4; 21.0; 20.6); 

 length of dorsal spine 26.0 (27.2; 26.0; 24.3; 26.3); length of adipose 

 spme 7.56 (9.13; 8.18; 7.36; 9.65); length of pectoral spine 33.8 (36.5 

 31.7; 33.1; 30.7); length of pelvic spine 25.6 (26.4; 26.0; 27.2; 26.5); 

 length of anal spine 11.7 (11.5; 10.2; 11.7; 9.42); length of upper ray 

 of caudal fin 29.5 (30.5; 30.5; 30.4; 33.3) ; length of lower ray of caudal 



fin (34.1; 36.0; 35.2; 36.0); distance from snout to origin of 



dorsal fin 46.7 (46.2; 45.6; 48.0; 45.2); snout to origin of adipose fin 

 84.0 (81.2; 81.8; 82.7; 85.6); snout to origin of anal fin 70.3 (67.0; 

 68.2; 70.7; 70.2); snout to insertion of pelvic fin 48.5 (47.8; 49.2; 

 48.3; 49.4). 



The following counts were made, respectively : Dorsal rays always 

 I, 7; anal rays always I, 5; pectoral rays always I, 6, and pelvic I, 5; 

 number of plates in lower lateral series 25 (24; 24; 24; 24); plates 



