92. CALLICHTHYS. 225 



of the body. Teeth small; palate (probably) toothless ; cleft of the 

 mouth of moderate width, with a maxillary barbel on each side 

 Eyes very small. Head covered with soft skin. 

 Andes. 



1. Astroblepus grixalvii. 

 Humboldt, I. c. pi. 7. 



B. 4. D. 7. A. 7. P. 10. 

 The outer ray of each fin prolonged into a filament. Lips thick, 

 the upper with folds. Uniform blackish olive. (Humb.) 

 Rio de Palace, near Popayan. 



No specimen is known to exist in a European collection. 



b. Body completely cuirassed : Loricarinu. 



92. CALLICHTHYS*. 



Callichthys, L. Amcen. Acad. i. p. 317 ; Cuv. fy Val, xv. p. 294. 

 Callichthys, Hoplosternum, et Hoplosoma (Sivains.), Gill. 

 Callichthys, Hoplosternum, et Corydoras (Lacep.), Bleek. Nederl. 

 Tydschr. Dierk. 1863, p. 82. 



Adipose fin short, supported anteriorly by a short moveable spine ; 

 dorsal with a feeble spine and seven or eight rays ; anal short. Teeth 

 minute or entirely absent ; cleft of the mouth rather narrow, with a 

 pair of maxillary barbels on each side, which are united at the base. 

 Eyes small. Head covered with osseous plates ; body entirely pro T 

 tected by two series of large imbricate shields on each side. Gill- 

 openings of moderate width, separated by a broad isthmus. Ven- 

 trals six-rayed, inserted below the hind part of the dorsal fin. 



Rivers of the tropical parts of the continent of South America 

 flowing into the Atlantic ; Trinidad. 



The species of this genus may be divided into the following sub- 

 generic groups : — 



* Head depressed, broader than high ; sides of the head without bristles: 



Callichthys, p. 226. 



** Head depressed ; sides of the head with bristles : Sderomystax, p. 229. 



*** Head compressed; caudal deeply forked: Corydoras, Lacep., p. 229. 



Kner has shown that the strength and length of the pectoral spines 

 are not a specific character in this genus, the males having those 

 spines stronger and longer than the females ; in the latter they are 



* 1. Callichthys exaratus, Mull. 8f Trosch. in Schomb. Brit. Guian. iii. p. 630. — 



British Guiana. 



2. chiquitos, Casteln. Anim. Amir. Sud, Poiss. p. 38. pi. 18. fig. 2. — . 



Chiquitos. The caudal fin is nrobably incorrectly drawn. 



3. splendens, Casteln. I. c. p. 39. pi. 18. fig. 3. — Rio Tocantins. 



4. taiosh, Casteln. I. c. pi. 19. fig. 1, from Uhiquitos. — This fish is known 



from a figure only, and would be the type oi a new genus if it be cor 

 rectly drawn ; the dorsal fin is composed of a strong spine and eleven 

 soft rays. 



VOL. V. y 



