ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 29 



One specimen, 255 nana, in total length, Rfo Gudrico at El Sombrero, F. F. Bond, 

 February 13, 1938. 



One specimen, 329 mm. in total length, Rfo Apure at San Fernando de Apure, 

 F. F. Bond, February 16, 1938. 



POTAMOTKYGON MAGDALENAE (Dnin6ril) 



Stingray; Raya de agua dulck 

 Figure 3 



Taeniura magdalenae Valenciennes, in Dum^ril, Histoire naturelle des poissons 



ou ichthyologie g^n^rale, vol. 1, p. 625, 1865 (Rfo Magdalena) . 

 Trygon hystrix (in part) Muller and Henle, Systematische Beschreibung der 



Plagiostomen, p. 167, 1841 (Maracaibo). 

 Trygon {Trygon) hystrix (in part) Dumeril, Histoire naturelle des poissons ou 



ichthyologie g6n6rale, vol. 1, p. 608, 1865 (L. Maracaibo). 

 Potamotrygon hystrix (in part) Caporiacco, Mon. Zool. Ital., vol. 46, No. 3, 



p. 56, 1935 (Maracaibo). 

 Potamotrygon magdalenae Schdltz, U. S. Naval Med. Bull., vol. 42, No. 3, p. 



752, 1944 (Sinamaica, Venezuela). 



U.S.N.M. No. 121665, 2 specimens, one, a female, 325 mm. in total length, gave 

 birth to a postembryo 186 mm. in total length, Lago Tul6, about 75 km. west of 

 Maracaibo, March 1, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121659, 5 specimens, all males, 184 to 302 mm., Rfo Palmar 

 near Totuma, about 100 km. southwest of Maracaibo, February 21, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121667, 5 specimens, cf 123 (postembryo) to 348 mm.; ? 330 

 and 450 mm., Rfo Negro below mouth of Rfo Yasa, March 2, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121666, 2 specimens, d" 260 and 9 312 mm., Ci^naga del Guana- 

 vana, about 10 km. north of Sinamaica, March 11, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121661, 1 specimen, cf 310 mm., Rfo Agua Caliente, 2 to 3 km. 

 above Lago de Maracaibo, May 1, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121662, 4 specimens, 2 embryos, cf 120 and 9 127 mm., cf 338 

 and 9 440 mm,, Rfo Palmar at bridge, 70 km. southwest of Maracaibo, March 6, 

 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121668, 9 specimens, cf 175 to 445 and 2 9 202 and 235 mm., 

 Rfo Ap6n, about 35 km. south of Rosario, February 26, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121664, 5 specimens, embrj-os cf 205 and 230 mm., 9 195 and 

 209 mm., and adult 9 435 mm., Lago de Maracaibo near mouth of Rfo Concha, 

 May 2, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121660, 5 specimens, 9 158 to 295 mm., and one cf 325 mm. 

 Rfo Machango at bridge south of Lagunillas, March 16, 1942. 



U.S.N.M. No. 121663, 2 specimens, & 302 and 392 mm., cano Y^ mile west 

 Sinamaica, March 11, 1942. 



This species of stingray occurs abundantly in the rivers, ponds, 

 canos, and lakes of the Maracaibo Basin on sandy to muddy bottoms, 

 where it partially conceals itself by burying itself in the bottom. In 

 this position it is a dangerous fish because when it is stepped on it can 

 drive its poisonous sting with great force into a person's foot or leg. 

 The Venezuelans greatly fear it because its sting not only produces 

 excruciating pain but may cause death. The largest stingray that I 

 saw was a female in the Rio Machango. It measured a little over a 

 foot across the disk. 



