EIGENMANN: the freshwater fishes of BRITISH GUIANA 511 



to end of opercle, three large conspicuous black spots along the sides, one just 

 behind the head, one below the soft dorsal, and one on the caudal peduncle and 

 base of middle caudal rays. A dark shade between the spinous dorsal and the 

 first spot. It is probable that the three-spotted stage is preceded by a stage with 

 a black lateral band. 



In the specimens 140 mm. long the sides have a few light spots, which in part 

 ocellate the black spots, the hinder half of the last spot is conspicuously margined; 

 three narrow cross-bars have developed, one through the first lateral spot, one 

 between the first and second spots, and one through the anterior half of the second 

 spot; the dorsals and the upper half of the caudal are clouded or spotted. 



In specimens 175 mm. long the longitudinal band on the head and the lateral 

 spots have vanished, the three cross-bars have become wider and more prominent, 

 the soft dorsal and upper half of the caudal are spotted, and the end of the last 

 lateral spot has changed into an ocellated spot above the center of the base of the 

 caudal. 



In larger ones the transverse bands concentrate into irregular black spots, 

 which may or may not be ocellated with yellow; a constellation of black spots be- 

 tween the eye and the end of the opercle. 



In life the lower fins, and abruptly the lower half of the caudal, are red. 



It would appear from the specimens and figures that the young of the different 

 species of this genus differ from each other more than the adults differ from each 

 other, also that the Guiana species passes from the spotted stage into a banded 

 stage and from the latter into another spotted stage. 



The specimen of Acharnes speciosus in the Berlin Museum is certainly a Cichla. 

 It is faded. The vertical dark bands still show, but the larger lateral spots, which 

 should still be evident in specimens of ocellaris of this size (105 mm. to the base of 

 the caudal), are not evident. 



Crenicara Steindachner. 

 Crenicara Steindachner, SB. Akad. Wiss. Wien, LXXI, 1875, 99. 



Type, Crenicara elegans Steindachner. 



Body ovate; scales of the lateral line of the same size as those above or below 

 it; mouth small; jaws equal; margin of preopercle serrate. 



346. Crenicara punctulata (Giinther). 

 Acara punctulata (part) GUnther, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., (3), XII, 1863, 441 



(Essequibo). 

 Crenicara punctulata Pellegrin, "Cichlides," in Mem. Soc. Zool. France, XVI, 



