THE GYMNOTID^ I75 



The name Gynuiotus was apparently introduced by Artedi in 

 his Genera Piscium, p. 25, and Synonymia, p. 43, and the 

 only species mentioned by him is the carafo of Marcgrav. 

 Linnteus, in adopting the name Gynmotus in the lOth edition 

 enumerated only cara^o, but in the 12th edition included in it 

 all the then known species of the family Gyninotidce as well as 

 the electric eel. In his 12th edition he recognized carapo, 

 elcctriciis^ albifrons, rosU'aUis and asiaticus in the order named. 



The name GymnoUis was used by Bloch for caraj^o and elec- 

 trtctis, by Cuvier for elcctrictis and cBqtiilabiatns, the latter 

 species not known to Linnaeus. It was more formally restricted 

 to clectriais by Swainson. 



In 1864 Gill properly contended that the genus Gymnotus 

 " had been originally founded solely on the Gymnotus cara^us, 

 and that even after the introduction of the Gymnotus elcctrictis 

 into the system, G. carapus was retained as the first of the 

 genus. * * * The name Gymnotus must be retained for G. 

 cara-pus. * * * " 



Geographic distribution of the species : Atlantic slope, Mag- 

 dalena south to Rio das Velhas and Paraguay; Pacific slope at 

 Guayaquil. 



a. Snout pointed, 3 or more in head; profile nearly straight. 



b. Depth greater than length of head ; upper profile straight or con- 

 vex ; upper lip usually slightly projecting ; a dusky spot over 



gill-opening carapo^ 26. 



bb. Depth less than length of head ; upper profile slightly concave ; 

 jaws equal ; a light longitudinal streak ; body with numerous 



small violet spots; A. 375 to 293 ccguilabiatzcs, 27. 



aa. Snout very blunt, 3 in head; upper profile convex ; depth greater 

 than length of head; upper lip projecting in adult; A. more 

 than 300 obtusirostris^ 28 . 



26. GYMNOTUS CARAPUS Linnaeus. 



Marcgrav in Seba, Thesaur., Ill, tab. 32, figs. 3-4; Artedi, 

 Genera Pise, 25 ; Synonymia Pise, 43 ; Amoen. Acad., I, 318, 

 t. 14, f. 6. 

 Gymnotus Gronow, Mus. IchthyoL, I, 28, No. 72, 1754; Gro- 



now, Zoophyl., no. 168, 1863. 

 Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., June, 1905. 



