CATFISH GENUS NOTURUS RAFINESQUE 19 



rays 19 (1), 20 (0), 21 (8), 22 (3), or 23 (1); total rays 37 (1), 38 (0), 

 39 (0), 40 (2), 41 (7), 42 (2), and 43 (1). 



Other characteristics are (see also table 1): lower jaw included, 

 almost subterminal ; infraorbital and preoperculomandibular canals 

 interrupted, apparently resulting in an extra pore in each; no dorsal 

 spine, instead first dorsal ray segmented and flexible distally but 

 without distinct segments basally; basal half better ossified than in 

 other dorsal rays and the base expanded laterally ; no imbedded plate- 

 like spine at anterior end of dorsal fin but the pterygiophore that 

 supports the plate-like spine in other species is present and with distal 

 end broad; clei thrum relatively narrow; posterior process of clei thrum 

 curved inward; pectoral spine present, short, relatively flexible, smooth 

 along all edges, without obvious grooves, its end blunt and continuous 

 with soft tissue which is segmented; one epural; number of hypurals 

 unknown, almost solidly fused, either as a broad plate, or as two plates 

 separated near the middle of the fin base; caudal fin truncate or 

 slightly emarginate; lateral line short, ending just back of head; 

 premaxillary tooth patch very wide and short, without visible posterior 

 extensions; air bladder normal, short, no longer than wide, about 

 as in Noturus. 



Pylodictis group. — Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque) and Satan 

 eurystomus Hubbs and Bailey are morphologically similar and closely 

 related, but constitute separate genera. Satan differs from Pylodictis 

 chiefly in the absence of eyes, the obsolescence of the air bladder, 

 the lack of pigmentation, absence of backward extensions of the 

 premaxiUary tooth band, the excessive elongation of the adipose fin, 

 and in divergences of the sensory canal system, especially the enlarged 

 pores and the single internasal pore. The twelve preoperculomandibular 

 pores in Pylodictis are approached in Satan. In Satan the type-speci- 

 men has 12 pores on each side counting the anterior median pore. 

 As noted by Suttkus (1961, p. 57) two additional specimens appear 

 to have 11 pores on each side. However, the preoperculomandibular 

 canal is not continuous with the lateral cephalic canal posteriorly, 

 possibly resulting in an extra pore (not counted by Suttkus) on each 

 side, opening from the short canal connecting with the lateral cephalic 

 canal. Thus the basic number of pores may be either 11 or 12. Of these 

 pores, five are anterior to the outer mental barbel. Also the body 

 form, the rather greatly depressed head, the wide mouth, the backward 

 swing of the infraorbital canal, the terminal or subterminal lower 

 jaw, the proximity of the anterior ends of the preoperculomandibidar 

 canals, and the presence of nine or more rays in each pelvic fin (the 

 specimen of Satan, USNM 195830, has 9 rays instead of 10 as reported) 

 suggest their phylogenetic relationship (compare, table 1), in agree- 

 ment with Hubbs and Bailey (1947). As noted by Suttkus (1961) 



