10 PROCEEDESTGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.99 



I found the Atheriiiidae, or silvcrsides, represented by a fresh-water 

 species in Lago de Maracaibo, and another species in the northern end 

 where the water is brackish. Lago de Valencia also has a species of 

 silverside. 



The mullets, or Mugilidae, are represented by Agonostoma monticola 

 in Venezuelan fresh waters. Mugil curema and M. brasiliensis are 

 found in brackish water in abundance, along with ilf . trichodon. I took 

 M. curema at the southern end of Lago de Maracaibo in fresh water. 



The robalos, family Centropomidae, are abundant in brackish, salt, 

 and fresh waters, probably most abundant in brackish waters. 



In the family Carangidae the leather jacket, Oligoplites palometa, 

 occurred in fresh, brackish, and salt waters. It is abundant in Lago de 

 Maracaibo at the southern end in fresh water. 



The mojarros, or carpetas, family Gerridae, represented by the 

 genera Eucinostomus and Diapterus, were abundant in the brackish 

 waters of Lago de Maracaibo and in coastal lagoons. Two species, 

 Eucinostomus argenteus from the Rio Apure and Diapterus plumieri 

 from the Rio Concha, were from fresh water. 



The Ariidae are the only family of nematognaths, or catfishes, 

 predominately living in salt and brackish waters. In my report on the 

 catfishes of Venezuela I used the family name Bagreidae, which may 

 be unfortunate since there is another family name spelled very simi- 

 larly. I now use Ariidae in its place. Several genera and species of 

 these marine catfishes occur regularly in both marine and brackish 

 waters in abundance in Lago de Maracaibo and undoubtedly in the 

 lower Rio Orinoco. 



In the croaker family, Sciaenidae, Plagioscion and Pachyurus may be 

 considered fresh-water genera. They are found in the Rio Orinoco 

 but are not yet reported from the Maracaibo Basin. The corvina, 

 Cynoscion maracaiboensis, is a brackish-water species probably con- 

 fined to Lago de Maracaibo. 



Several members of the Gobiidae and Eleotridae occur in brackish 

 waters, such as the genera Gobiomorus, Garmannia, Evorthodus, 

 Bathygobius, GobioneUus, and Sicydium, whereas the genera Micro- 

 philypnus, Gobiomorus, and Sicydium have been taken in fresh water. 



Among the clingfishes, family Gobiesocidae, the only species occur- 

 ring in fresh water is Gobiesox cephalus. 



I found the puffer, Sphoeroides testudineus, family Tetraodontidae, 

 very abundant in the brackish waters near Maracaibo, whereas S. 

 eulepidotus was very rare, but a single small specimen was collected in 

 brackish water. 



Gordon Gunter (Amer. Midi. Nat., vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 305-326, 

 1942) presents lists of fishes occurring in both fresh and salt waters of 

 North and Middle America. No such list has been prepared for 

 South America. 



