ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 165 



Family ACANTHURIDAE: Surgeonfishes 



Genus ACANTHURUS Forskil 



Acanthurus ForskAl, Descriptiones animalium, p. 59, 1775. (Genotype, Chaeio- 

 todon schal Forsk&l.) 



ACANTHURUS HEPATUS (Linnaeus) 



Teuthis hepatus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12, p. 507, 1766 (Carolina). 

 Acanthurus hepatus Metzelaar, Report on the fishes collected by Dr. J. Boeke in 

 the Dutch West Indies, 1904-1905, p. 95, 1919 (Puerto Cabello, Venezuela). 



Family CICHLIDAE: Mojarros de Rio 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF CICHLIDAE REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 



la. Dorsal with a notch posteriorly in spinous part of fin; gill rakers elongate, 

 setiform, about 5 + 16; lateral line continuous at least in young; preopercle 

 entire; jaws with a band of villiform teeth; dorsal rays about XV, 17; anal 

 rays III, 11 or 12; about 85 scale rows below lateral line from head to mid- 

 caudal base; mouth large, lower jaw projecting a little; body elongate. 



Cichla Bloch and Schneider 

 15. Dorsal fin without a notch; giU rakers short, stubby, not elongate. 

 2a. A dark brown bar from dorsal origin through eye to isthmus, another 

 across middle of body, and a third one from prolonged soft rays of dorsal 

 and anal fins across body; base of caudal with dark bar and this fin 

 barred; preopercular edge entire; dorsal rays XI to XIII, 23 to 30; anal 

 rays V to VII, 24 to 32; teeth conical, occurring along the front and sides 

 of the jaws; scale rows from head to midcaudal base 33 to 47; depth of 

 body from 1 to 1.5 in standard length; scales rough; first soft rays of 

 dorsal, anal, and pelvics prolonged or filamentous; jaws about equal. 



Pterophyllum Heckel 

 25. Body without 3 dark cross bars as described in 2a. 



3a. Scales of the lateral line larger than those above or below it; preopercular 

 edge serrated posteriorly; body elongate; lower jaw projecting; scale 

 rows from upper edge of gill opening to mid-caudal fin base below 

 lateral line 38 to 130; dorsal rays XVI to XXV, 11 to 19; anal rays III, 



7 to 12 Crenicichla Heckel 



35. Scales along lateral line about same size as others; preopercular edge 

 entire. 

 4a. Upper part of first gill arch with a downward-projecting lobe, the gill 

 rakers near its margin; upper lateral line well separated from dorsal 

 fin base; mouth small; premaxillary not greatly protractile; pre- 

 orbital width twice the eye; scales rough, large, about 25 to 39; 

 dorsal spines XII to XIX and anal spines III. (Not yet reported 

 from Venezuela but to be expected in that region.) 



Geophagus Heckel 

 45. No downward-projecting lobe on upper part of gill arch. 



5o. Anal spines III or IV, or if IV the lateral line is one-half a scale from 

 dorsal fin posteriorly; soft vertical fins scaleless or with a row of 

 scales at base only. 

 6a. Rear end of maxillary well exposed under eye; premaxillaries 

 excessively protractile, the posterior ascending process extend- 

 ing to opposite rear of orbits, or past beginning of scaled area on 

 top of head; giU rakers about 2 + 10 or 11; scales 23 or 24; 



