16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 119 



sexes lower portion of third scale row often only partly pigmented. 

 No evidence of secondary or tertiary horizontal stripes. 



Very pale stripe extending above primary horizontal stripe from eye 

 to end of third scale row; this stripe often obscured by light brown 

 color extending ventrally from dorsum. Females, and sometimes 

 males, with scatterings of melanophores forming oblique bands in area 

 of sixth to eighth vertical scale rows and over thu-teenth to fifteenth 

 vertical scale rows. Sides pale below primary horizontal stripe, 

 shading to white on belly. Pectoral and pelvic fins translucent but 

 pelvic fins sometimes with scattering of brownish melanophores giving 

 entire fin light brown appearance. Dorsal fin translucent except for 

 fairly dense accumulation of melanophores along anteriodistal portion. 

 Anal fin hyaline except for some accumulation of melanophores in 

 distal region of posteriormost rays. 



Color in life. — (The color recorded here is from breeding male 

 aquarium specimens from an unknown localitj^. These specimens 

 appeared, when preserved, exactly like the specimens described above 

 from Belem.) Dorsal fin, pectoral fins, and pelvic fins mostly hyaline 

 without red except for small amount at base of pelvic fins. Prmiary 

 horizontal stripe dark bluish black. Narrow silvery blue to golden 

 stripe above primary horizontal stripe, beginning at posterior border 

 of eye and extending to posterior end of caudal peduncle. Above this, 

 beginning between third to sLxth vertical scale row, with narrow red 

 stripe, varying in intensity from deep crimson red to pale rose. This 

 red stripe usually absent in nonbreeding males. Intense crimson spot 

 above and below primary horizontal stripe at base of each caudal lobe. 

 Intense red stripe often spreading completely over anal fin below pri- 

 mary horizontal stripe, and usually extending from sixth or seventh 

 vertical scale row posteriorly to above anal fin in breeding males. 

 Nonbreeding males often without red. Distal one-quarter to one- 

 third of pelvic fins intense silvery blue. Some specimens with this 

 color on distal tips of third, fom'th, and fifth anal fin rays. Mature 

 females and immature specimens of both sexes often with small amount 

 of silvery blue at distalmost tips of pelvic rays. Dorsum pale brown 

 above silvery and red stripes with each exposed scale edge outlined 

 in darker brown. Lateral surface of snout above primary horizontal 

 stripe pale brown. Top of head brown. Bright metallic-red spot 

 frequently present near anterior narial opening. Iris silvery with 

 reddish suffusion dorsaUy. Belly and throat regions white. 



Remarks. — 'Hoedeman (1950, pp. 16-18) seems to have been 

 correct in assuming Nannostomus anomalus Steindachner to be a 

 synonym of N'annostomus heckjordi, a polymorphic species. Hoedeman 

 pointed out that the only difference between heckjordi and anomalus 

 recorded in the literature is that heckjordi has a black spot on the 



