Jordaji and Evcrmmln. — Fishes of North America. 1513 



613. PETENIA, Giiutber. 



Petenia, GOnthkb, Cat. Fishes, iv, 301, 1862 (^idcndida). 



Premaxillaiy extremely protractile; snout loug, 1)ut not longer than 

 postorbital part of head; preorbital narrow ; mouth oblique, the j)remaxil- 

 lary on the level of lower third of eye; maxillary reaching front margin of 

 eye; teeth all conical; gill rakers short and few ; preopercle entire ; scales 

 large, those of the lateral line not enlarged. Ventral inserted below front 

 of dorsal. Anal spines 6, Species 3, of Central America, Colombia, and 

 northern Brazil. (Name from Lake Peten, Guatemala, the original locality 

 of Petenia splendida.) 



1897. PETENIA SPLEXDIDA, Gunther. 



Head 2| ; depth 3. B. 5 ; D. X V, 12 ; A. V, 10 ; scales G-41-17. Head longer 

 than high ; snout compressed, triangular ; lower jaw very promineut ; jaws 

 extremely protractile, so that the snout is not much shorter than head 

 when jaws are protracted; processes of iutermaxillaries extending back- 

 ward to nape of neck; length of mandibles f that of head. The greater 

 portion of maxillary not covered by preorbital, and extending beyond ver- 

 tical from center of orbit; each jaw armed with a band of villiform teeth, 

 the outer series containing rather larger conical teeth ; preorbital narrower 

 than orbit, the diameter of which is ^ or f length of head; iuterorbital 

 space very convex, as wide as, or wider than, orbit. Gill membranes 

 united below throat, and not attached to isthmus ; first branchial arch with 

 13 anterior pi'omineuces. Dorsal fin commencing at vertical from root of 

 liectoral, its spines of moderate length and strength, increasing in length 

 to the seventh which is § that of head ; ijosterior spines a little longer than 

 middle ones; soft dorsal aud anal rather elevated, extending to, or nearly 

 to, root of caudal ; anal spines strong, f length of head ; caudal rounded, 

 its length ratli^- more than ^ of total ; free portion of tail longer than high ; 

 pectoral extending to first anal spine, the ventral to vent; distance of 

 vent from ventral nearly i- length of head. Scales on cheek in about 7 

 series. Greenish, shining golden ; head, body, and vertical fins with black 

 dots; a series of 6 or 7 large round black spots along middle of side, the 

 last spot edged with white and situated on upper half of root of caudal. 

 Length 16 inches. Lake Peten, Guatemala. (GUnther.) {splendidus, 

 shining.) 



Petenia splendida, Gunther, Cat. Fishes, iv, 301, 1862, Lake Peten, Guatemala (Coll. 

 Salvin) ; Gunther, Fish. Centr. Am., 469, pi. 79, fig. 2, 1869. 



614. iEQUIDENS, Eigenmann & Bray. 

 JEqiddens, Eigenjiann & Bray, Aun. Ac. Sci. N. T. 1894, 616 (tetramerm) . 



This genus includes those species allied to Astronotiis, which have 3 anal 

 spines, the soft dorsal and anal naked or scaled at base only, no canine 

 teeth, and the lower lip without frenum. Elvers of South America; the 

 species rather numerous, (wquus, equal; dens, tooth). 

 3030 18 



