ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 



161 



pectoral rays ii,14-ii,15 (ii,15; ii,15-ii,15; ii,15; ii,15); pelvic rays 

 always 1,5; number of gill rakers on first gill arch 5 + 1+9 (4 + 1+9; 

 3 + l+8;5 + l+9;4 + l+9) the rudiments without elevations on upper 

 anterior part of gill arch not counted usually number 2 or 3; vertical 

 scale rows above lateral line 85 (79; 83; 81 ; 84); pores in lateral line 59 

 (60 ; 54 ; 57 ; 56) ; scales in a vertical row from lateral line to origin of 

 spiny dorsal fin 9 (10; 10; 10; 10); to origin of second dorsal 9 (8; 9; 

 9; 9); and to anal origin 8 (8; 8; 8; 8); number of scales in a zigzag 

 row around caudal peduncle 22 (23; 22; 22; 23). 





"^^ 



Figure 29. — Cynoscion maracaiboensis, new species: Holotype (U.S.N.M. No. 121742), 255 

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



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, the head about 3.25, depth 

 about 4.25, in standard length; anterior profile rounded, the greatest 

 depth at origin of dorsal; snout a little longer than interorbital space; 

 eye nearly equal to interorbital space, the latter 5% in head; rear 

 edge of maxillary under rear margin of eye ; two pairs of canines at 

 midfront of premaxillary, these teeth hooked backward, the posterior 

 pair largest; both upper and lower jaws with a band of villiform teeth, 

 along the outer margin of which are widely spaced short canine teeth ; 

 preopercle without spines, with a membranous edge; opercle ending 

 in a wide membranous edge, the portion between the flat spinelike 

 angles at upper posterior end covered with minute scales; scales on 

 head smooth but those on body ctenoid; scales above lateral line 

 anteriorly much smaller than those between soft dorsal fin and 

 lateral line; scales below lateral line anteriorly much larger than the 

 scales above lateral line; pectoral fins not quite reaching opposite 

 tips of pelvic fins; posterior margin of spiny dorsal fin nearly straight, 

 the fourth spine projecting past the third when fin is distended; 

 distal margin of soft dorsal nearly straight, the anterior rays longest, 



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