NO. 1503. AMAZON FISHES— EIGENMA XX AND BE AX. 661 



BRACHYPLATYSTOMA GOELDII, new species. 



The species here described is distinguished from others 1>3' the Large 

 spots on the upper half of the bod3\ The tj^pe, a single specimen, is 

 223 mm. long to end of middle caudal ra3^s. Barbels flattened; the 

 maxillary barbel of one side 485 nnu. long. Upper caudal lobe with 

 the lilament (broken at the tip) 293 mm. long. Head depressed, as in 

 the other members of the genus, twice its depth at the occipital process. 

 Upper jaw projecting an orbital diameter beyond the lower. Eye 4J- 

 in the snout, ^H in the head, 2i in interorbital. Width of head at 

 rictus equal to snout and half the orbit. Occipital process scarcelj^ 

 reaching dorsal plate. Mental l^arbels reaching gill-opening, and the 

 jiost mentals beyond base of pectorals. Premaxillary band of teeth 

 wider than the vouK^rine band. Gill-membranes separated to the 

 angle of the mouth. Gill-rakers slender and shorter than the eye. 

 Skin on top and sides of head, and region along the anterior part of 

 the lateral line, reticulated. 



Fig. 1.— BRACHYPLATYSTOMA GOELDTT 



Dorsal spine midway between tip of snout and middle of adipose; 

 roughened in front and behind. Adipose equal to the anal in length. 

 Lower caudal lobe without filament; equal to the head in length. 

 Ventrals reaching about f to anal, and the pectorals a]:>out f to 

 ventrals. 



Color. — Dark above; white below; a number of round spots on the 

 upper half of the body, each about equal in size to the diameter of the 

 orbit. The base of the dorsal, caudal lobes, and anal distinctly rusty. 



This species is readily distinguished from B. vaillanti hy its short 

 adipose fin and coloration; from rousseauxii hy its projecting upper 

 jaw, coloration and length of barbels; irova. filcmientosus by its color- 

 ation, and shape of the vomerine patches of teeth, which in this species 

 are very much -wider than those of the palatines, while they are nearly 

 of the same ^N\^ii\\\nflamelltosus. From platyiicnia andjunfense it is 

 distinguished by its exaggerated barliels, coloration, and projecting 

 jaw. 



