ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 



143 



head; maxillary reaches to below anterior margin of pupil; area 

 above premaxillary processes broad and free from scales; preorbital 

 edge smooth; posterior margin of preopercle serrate; gill rakers short, 

 strong, on lower part of first arch; second dorsal spine not reaching 

 quite to tip of third; second anal spine strong, reaching past third 

 which is slender; second dorsal spine 1.1 and second anal spine about 

 1.4 in head; distal margin of dorsal fin concave, that of anal fin a 

 little concave; pectoral fin pointed, the second branched ray longest, 

 and reaching opposite base of third anal spine; third dorsal spine 

 when depressed reaches to opposite base of fourth soft dorsal ray; 

 second anal spine when depressed reaches past base of last anal ray; 



Figure 16. — Diapterus limnaeus, new species: Holotype (U.S.N.M. No. 121726), 68 mm. 

 in standard length. Drawn by Mrs. Aime M. Awl. 



profile of head slightly concave over eyes; first soft ray of pelvics 

 with a short filament, the pelvic spine reaching nearly past anus; 

 second row of scales below lateral line continuous to caudal fin base; 

 greatest depth of body at origin of dorsal fin. 



Color. — Plain silvery without dark streaks on sides and no dark 

 bars; distal margin of dorsal fin black edged; a few blackish pigment 

 cells on interradial membranes of dorsal and anal fins but not forming 

 spots or blotches; tips of rays of caudal fin with a few dark pigment 

 cells. 



Remarks. — This new species differs from all others of the genus in 

 the Atlantic as indicated in the key on pages 141 and 142, chiefly in 

 having 15 gill rakers in combination with a smooth preorbital, no 

 scales on area over premaxillary groove, and the second dorsal 



