THE CATFISHES OF VEN^ZUEIA — SCHULTZ 333 



In addition to the paratypes, I refer with some uncertainty U.S.N.M. 

 No. 121091, a specimen 275 mm. from Lago Maracaibo 1 km. off 

 Pueblo Viejo, caught by L. P. Schultz in a gill net, April 7-9, 1942, but 

 before it was removed crabs ate most of the underside of the head, 

 thus rendering identification almost impossible. 



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

 Detailed measurements were made on the holotype and two paratypes 

 and on one paratype of L. gymnogaster gymnogaster from Girardot, 

 Colombia. These data are expressed in hundredths of the standard 

 length and recorded in table 26. 



The following counts were made: Dorsal rays always I, 7; both anal 

 and pelvic always I, 5; pectoral I, 6; caudal fin rays i+lO+i; plates 

 along sides 18 to 21-|-10 to 13 totaling 30 to 32; plates from anal fin 

 base to base of caudal fin (counting as first the plate containing last 

 anal ray) 17 or 18; teeth 3 to 5 on ramus of upper jaw and 4 or 5 on 

 ramus of lower jaw; barbels on margin of lower lip 24 to 32 usually 

 about 26 to 28. 



The body is greatly depressed throughout its length, and the greatest 

 depth occurs at origin of dorsal fin, about 8 or 9 times and greatest 

 width at base of pectorals about 5 to 5K times, all in standard length; 

 there is a shallow notch at rear of orbit; the interorbital space is con- 

 cave, the rims of the orbits are elevated ; the nostrils lie more or less in 

 a depression, the space between them convex and extending to the tip 

 of the snout as a ridge; tip of supraoccipital with a serrated keel, then 

 a pair of small keeled plates, followed by two median plates, each with 

 two keels, the plate in front of the dorsal with one keel; all the plates 

 along lower sides of body keeled, these keels spiny; temporal plate 

 with a low, spiny keel, followed by six keeled plates, the last the base 

 of the fourth branched ray of dorsal fin; belly naked in young, but in 

 specimens 150 to 200 mm. small platelets begin to form in front of the 

 anus and along the sides of the belly; in large adults 275 to 305 mm. in 

 length the belly is partially covered with tiny platelets along its sides 

 and between the bases of the pectoral fins; a space behind pectoral fin 

 naked; the teeth are bilobed, the outer lobe is small and sharp pointed, 

 and the inner lobe elongate with a rounded tip; the lips have a fringe 

 of barbels; the lower lip is papillate, and its rear margin with 24 to 32 

 barbels; the maxillary barbel, also papillate, does not quite reach to 

 the gill opening; the upper lip has numerous papillate barbels, the 

 longest ones at front of lip equal to greatest diameter of the eye; at 

 each inner corner of the lips is a pair of elongate barbels; two median 

 barbels between the rami of upper jaws, and a pair of lateral barbels 



533749—43 11 



