ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 47 



origin of anal fin under a vertical line through middle of length of dorsal 

 fin base; axillary scale of pectoral extending out about halfway to tip 

 of pectoral fin; upper posterior margin of operculum truncate or nearly 

 so, the lower posterior corner angular with short concave edge, figure 

 6, h, length of base of anal fin 3.2 in standard length. 



Coloration. — In alcohol, the back is straw colored with considerable 

 dark pigmentation; these pigment cells extend over middle of front 

 of snout but sparsely; the lower two-thirds of sides of body are silvery; 

 dark pigment cells are numerous basally on dorsal fin becoming fewer 

 distally and wholly lacking on outer third of fin; outer margins of 

 caudal fin darkish, but middle of caudal fin and its distal parts non- 

 pigmented; anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins nonpigmented. 



Remarks. — This new species would trace down through Dr. 

 Hildebrand's key to the species of Anchoa on pp. 29-30 of his revision 

 of the Engraulidae to his section "C" for Anchoa spinifer. However, 

 A. argenteus differs from spinifer in having fewer anal rays, iii,29 

 instead of iii,33 to iii,38, and the posterior margin of caudal and tip 

 of dorsal fin are not blackish as in spinifer. From the local Venezuelan 

 species of Anchoa it may be separated by the key on page 42. 



Named argenteus in reference to the briUiant silvery lower sides. 



Genus ANCHOVIELLA Fowler 



Anchoviella Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 63, p. 211, 1911. 

 (Genotype, Engraulis perfasciatus Poey.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ANCHOVIELLA FROM VENEZUELA " 



la. Origin of anal entirely behind base of dorsal fin, generally under or behind 

 tip of last dorsal ray when depressed; gill rakers on first arch 24 to 28 + 27 

 to 33; eye small, 4.4 to 4.8 in head and 2.5 to 2.75 in postorbital part of 

 head; anterior rays of dorsal reaching past tip of last ray when fin is de- 

 pressed; gill rakers as long as eye, broad and close set, with minute serration 



on inner edge Anchoviella estauquae Hildebrand 



16. Anal origin under posterior half of base of dorsal fin; gill rakers on first arch 

 16 to 18 + 23 to 26; pectoral fin with 12 or 13 rays; maxillary reaching ji 

 diameter of eye beyond orbit; cheek as long as eye; eye 3.2 to 3.5 in head; 

 axillary scale oi pectoral short, extending to or somewhat beyond midlength 

 of that fin 2.4 to 2.9 in head; median dark stripe posterior to anal 



fin Anchoviella gnianensis (Eigenmann) 



Ic. Origin of anal fin under or in advance of middle of dorsal fin base. 

 2a. Gill rakers 10 to 12 + 15 to 17; depth 4.8 to 5.5; head 4.0 to 4.6, both in 

 standard length; anal rays iii,22 to iii,26; vertebrae 42 or 43, two spec- 

 imens dissected Anchoviella blackbumi Hildebrand 



2b. Gill rakers 28 to 34 + 36 to 45; depth 3.5 to 3.9 in adults, head 3.5, both in 

 standard length; anal rays iii,21 to iii,23 Anchoviella pallida (Starks) 



ANCHOVIELLA ESTAUQUAE Hildebrand 



Anchoviella estauquae Hildebrand, Bull. Bingham Oceanogr. Coll., vol. 8, art. 2, 

 p. 115, fig. 48, 1943 (Estanques, misspelled "Estauques" Bay, Gulf of Vene- 

 zuela) . 



M Extracted from Hildebrand's key to Anchoviella. 



