30. CLAROTES. 73 



Caudal forked, with the lobes obtusely pointed. Pectoral spine ionger 

 and stronger than that of the dorsal fin, serrated along its inner edge. 

 Ventral shorter than pectoral, not extending on to the anal. 

 Rivers Congo and Senegal. 



a. Eight inches long. Congo. From the Congo Expedition. — Type 

 of the species. 



5. Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus. 



Pimelodus nigrodigitatus, Lacep. v. pp. 103, 108. 

 Arius acutivelis, Cuv. fy Veil. xv. p. 85. 



Melanodactylus nigrodigitatus, Bleek. Nederl. Tydschr. Dierk. 18G3, 

 p. 95. 



D. 1/6. A. 13. P. 1/9. 



Snout pointed, with the upper jaw prominent. Teeth on the 

 palate villiform, forming a crescent- shaped band interrupted in the 

 middle. Nasal barbel very short, the maxillary barbel extending to 

 the middle of the opercle. Eye large, two-ninths of the length of the 

 head ; its diameter equals the width of the bony parts between the 

 orbits. Occipital process rather narrow, not much longer than the 

 basal bone of the dorsal spine, which is elongate and triangular. 

 Dorsal fin very high : adipose fin short. Caudal very long, deeply 

 forked, with the upper lobe longest and much longer than the- head. 



West coast of Africa. 



a. Fine specimen. Purchased of Mr. Damon. 



b. Half- grown. Purchased of Mr. Dalton. 



30. CLAROTES. 



Clarotes, Kner, tiitzungsber. Wien. Akad. xxvi. p. 313. 



Adipose fin subdivided into rays, and with a strong spine in old 

 individuals ; a short dorsal fin with a pungent spine and with six 

 soft rays ; anal fin short. Barbels eight ; branchiost: 6 al membranes 

 scarcely united below the throat. Vomerine teeth in two transverse 

 bands which are not confluent with the palatine teeth. Eyes with 

 a free orbital margin. Caudal forked ; ventral with six rays. 



Upper Nile. 



This genus is scarcely different from Chrysichthys, the division of 

 the adipose fin into rays being dependent on age. In all other respects, 

 except in the unimportant modification of the arrangement of the 

 palatine teeth, Clarotes is identical with Chrysichthys. 



1. Clarotes laticeps. 



Abu Mesaeka. 



Pimelodus laticeps, Riipp. Neue Nil-Jische, p. 7. tat'. 1. fig. 2. 



B. 9. D. 1/6. A. 12. P. 1/9. Vert. 14/25. 

 The height of the body is contained from four times and a half to 

 five times and a half in the total length (without caudal), the length 

 of the head thrice and a fourth. Head much depressed, broad, trun- 



