THE OATFISHES OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 323 



2a. Barbels in front of rami of upper jaw not larger or stouter than those at 

 each side of rami; plates in front of dorsal smooth or with traces of low 

 ridges, but not sharply keeled; belly covered with plates, even on those 

 specimens only 40 mm. in standard length; two black blotches at each 

 side of a pale median area on upper lips or underside of snout; a blackish 

 blotch near base of barbel at corner of mouth, then a pale area forward; 

 preanal plate bounded anteriorly with 3 plates; tip of snout with a small 

 naked area. 

 3a, Three plates across belly between fourth ventrolateral plates in front 

 of insertion of pelvics; 15 or 16 + 14 or 15 plates in lower lateral series 



along sides Loricaria magdalenae Steindachner 



3b. Five to seven, usually six, plates on belly between fourth ventrolateral 

 plates m front of pelvic insertions; 13 to 17 + 12 to 16 plates along 



sides of body (Loricaria uracantha Kner and Steindachner) 



4a. Plates anteriorly along midsides with the two keels widely spaced num- 

 bering 12 to 17 (usually 14 or 15), and posterior plates with the 

 keels close together numbering 12 to 16 (usually 14); barbels on 

 margin of lower lip usually 17 to 22; width of body at ar;al origin in 

 length of caudal peduncle 3.2 to 5.5 (usually 3.9 to 5.2), the males 

 are broader and shorter; no black pigment on naked area of body at 

 front base of anal fin (Rio Chagres, Panama). 



Loricaria uracantha uracantha Kner and Steindachner 

 46. Plates anteriorly along inidsides with the keels widely spaced num- 

 bermg 15 to 17 (usually 16), and posterior plates with the keels 

 close together numbering 12 to 14 (usually 13 or 14); barbels along 

 margin of lower lip numbering 13 or 20 (usually 15 to 19); width of 

 body at anal origin 3.1 to 4.0 (usually 3.2 to 3.7) ; along each side of 

 anterior part of base of anal fin occurs black pigment areas on the 

 naked area of the body except in certain small specimens (Maracaibo 



Basin) Loricaria uracantha rupestre, new subspecies 



2b. Four enlarged fleshy barbels in front of rami of upper jaw, a few times 

 longer than those at each side; plates along sides 18 to 21 -|- 9 to 13; 

 about 21 to 30 barbels along margin of lower lip; plates in front of dorsal 

 keeled; membrane between thick portions of lower lip and whitish barbel 

 at comer of mouth, blackish, rest of lower lips whitish; spiny ray of 

 pelvics produced beyond tips of branched rays. 



Loricaria filamentosa Steindachner 



lb. Upper lip wider, with 2 or more well-developed rows of elongate barbels and 



papillae in front of mouth; all plates in front of dorsal keeled. 



5a. Lower lip with short tentacles and lower lip with barbels, those along rear 



margin reaching to gill opening and one at corner of lip reaching past gill 



opening; front of mouth inside rami of upper jaw with a pair of median 



tentacles followed by a pair of lateral ones. 



6a. Belly plated, about 6 plates across belly, between fourth ventrolateral 



plates in front of pelvic insertion; none of barbels along margin of 



lower lip bearing numerous short tentacles; plates along sides 18 to 



20 + 13 to 16 Loricaria cataphracta Linnaeus 



66. Belly with a median series of plates, each side of which is a naked area; 

 13 to 16 barbels along rear margin of lower lip that bear several papillae 

 and short tentacles; plates along sides 13 to 16+15 to 19. 



(Loricaria variegata Steindachner) 



7a. First two plates along front of base of dorsal with serrated keels and 



occasionally the third plate having a low keel, all ending in smaU 



