464 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STx\TES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



13. Catostomus ardens, sp. nov. 



(? Catostomus f/uzmaniensis Cope &, Yarrow; not of Girard.) 



A large, thick-lipped species, allied to C. macrocMlus, &c. 



Body rather eloQgate, subfiisiform, little compressed, the back broad 

 and somewhat elevated. Head conical, broad and convex above, the 

 front regularly sloping from the nape to the snout. Mouth entirely 

 inferior, the mandible quite horizontal, the preraaxillaries scarcely raised 

 , above the level of the base of the mandible. Upper lip very wide, full, 

 pendant, with about eight rows of coarse, irregular papillae, of which 

 the second and third rows from the inside are much larger than the 

 others; upper lip continuous with the lower at the angle of the mouth, 

 the lower lip cut to the base in the middle by a deep, abruj^t incision 

 Front of eye midway in head. Eye very small, 7 in head, 3^ in the 

 convex interorbital space. Isthmus broad, half brolitler than the eye. 

 Fontanelle large, as in the other species noticed in this paper. Scales 

 crowded anteriorly, 9-65-9. Breast with evident imbedded scales. Dor- 

 sal fin inserted a little behind the middle of the body, long and low,- 

 its anterior rays but three-fonrths the length of the base of the fin, 1^ 

 the length of the last rays ; the fr^e edge of the fin straight. Caudal 

 fin short and broad, about equally forked, its upper lobe two-thirds the 

 length of the head. Pectorals short and broad, their length three- 

 fourths that of the head. Ventrals short, not quite reaching vent. 

 Anal very high, reaching caudal. Dorsal rays 13 ; anal 7. Length of 

 head 3| in body to base of caudal ; greatest depth 4i. Teeth essen- 

 tially as in the others. 



Color blackish above, blotched with darker, the whole back and sides 

 obscurely spotted ; belly white ; a narrow, bright, rosy, lateral band on 

 the anterior part of the body, overlying the blackish ; fins mostly dusky 

 mottled ; top and sides of head rendered dusky by the presence of many 

 dark si)ecks. 



This species is described from a large adult male nearly 18 inches in 

 length, besides which we have a single young specimen. 



There is another specimen in the collection, a large male fish 18 

 inches long, which agrees entirely with the type of G. ardens, with the 

 following exceptions : The lower lip is wider, with less conspicuous, 

 coarse, irregular papillae, in 8 to 10 rows ; the upper lip with two rows 

 of large papillae and several series of small ones. The caudal fin is 

 much larger, the upper lobe three-fourths the length of the head, the 

 lower broader than the upper; the pectoral fin is very long, but little 

 shorter than head; and the ventrals reach the vent. Tbe dorsal has 12 

 rays, and is long and low, as in G. ardens. The scales on the breast are 

 almost obsolete. The isthmus shows a structure very ditterent from 

 that of any other Catostomoid fish known. The gill membranes are 

 partly free posteriorly, their free margins forming a broad fokl across 

 the narrow isthmus, as in the genus Gottus. This structure appears 

 normal, and is not the result of injury. If it be permanent, this form 

 should i)robably constitute a distinct genus j if not, it may not be sepa- 



