THE OATFIiSHES O.F VE'NiEZUEIiA SCHULTZ 321 



HYPOSTOMUS WATWATA Hancock 



Armadillo de Rfo 



Hyposiomus watwata Hancock, Zool. Journ., vol. 4, p. 245, 1828 (Georgetown) 



(ref. copied). 

 Hyposiomus plecost9imis (not of Linnaeus) Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire 



naturelle des poissons, vol. 15, p. 489, 1840 (Laguna de Maracaibo). 

 Plecosiomus verres (Valenciennes) Regan, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 17, pt. 



3, p. 209, 1904 (Venezuela, Guiana, Marajo Island). — Fowler, Proc. Acad. 



Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, voL 63, p. 436, 1911 (Pedernales, Venezuela). 

 Plecosiomus wahoata (Hancock) Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 



vol. 83, p. 408, 1931 (Caiio Guanoco; Yarapa River at Yarapa; stream at 



La Soledad, Yarapa; Punta Tigre, at mouth St. Juan River, Venezuela). 



Collections made by Leonard P. Schultz in the Maracaibo Basin of 

 Venezuela in 1942: 



U.S.N.M. No. 121019, Rio Ap6n, about 35 km. south of Rosario, February 26, 

 1 specimen, 405 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121020, Rfo Socuy, about 3 km. above mouth, February 24, 3 

 specimens, 204, 232, and 450 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121297, 7 larvae with yolk sac may belong to this species, from 

 Rio Socuy. Same data. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121021, Rio Negro, below mouth of Rio Yasa, 75 km. south of 

 Rosario, March 2, 1 specimen, 365 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121022, Ci6naga del Guanavana, 10 km. north of Sinamaica, 

 March 11, 1 specimen, 490 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121023, Rio Palmar at bridge 70 km. southwest of Maracaibo, 

 March 6, 3 specimens, 15 to 37 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121024, Rfo Socuy, 3 km. above mouth, February 24, 9 speci- 

 mens, 14.5 to 40 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121025, Ci^naga del Guanavana, about 10 km. north of Sina- 

 maica, March 11, 11 specimens, 14 to 16 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121026, Rfo Motatdn, 8 km. below Motatdn, March 24, 3 speci- 

 mens, 15 to 18 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121027, Rio Palmar near Totuma, about 100 km. southwest of 

 Maracaibo, February 21, 9 specimens, 29 to 60 mm. and one 225 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121028, Rfo Ap6n about 35 km. south of Rosario, February 26, 

 24 specimens, 14.5 to 59.5 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121029, Rio Motatdn at bridge 22 km. north of Motatdn, March 

 17, 60 specimens, 19 to 67 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121030, Lago Maracaibo, 1 km. off Pueblo Viejo, April 7-9, 1 

 specimen, 188 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121031, Lago Maracaibo, near mouth of Rio Concha, May 2, 2 

 specimens, 181 and 290 mm. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121032, cafio half a mile west of Sinamaica, March 11, 9 speci- 

 mens, 53 to 177 mm. 



This species is one of the commonest fishes in the lowland waters 

 of the Maracaibo Basin and occurs in the market at Maracaibo in 

 large numbers on certain days. It is taken most frequently over 

 muddy bottoms of swamps and of the rivers as well as in Lago Mara- 

 caibo. The measm-ements in table 22 indicate the general change in 

 shape of the body with age. 



