32. ANACYRTUS. 345 



Sixth Group. HYDROCYONINA. 



Characinidae with an adipose fin and a short dorsal, with the 

 teeth in both jaws well developed and conical, with the gill-mem- 

 branes free from the isthmus, and with the nasal openings close 

 together. 



South America and tropical Africa. 



32. ANACYRTUS*. 



Epicyrtusf, Mull. 8f Trosch. Hor. Ichth. i. p. 17. 

 Epicyrtus et Cynopotamus, Cuv. Sf Vol. 



Dorsal fin placed nearly in the middle ot the length of the body, 

 behind the ventrals ; anal long, commencing before or below the 

 dorsal fin. Body oblong or rather elevated, covered with small scales ; 

 lateral line complete. Belly rounded in front of the ventrals, which 

 are rather close to the pectorals ; humerus dilated or produced into a 

 process before the pectorals. Cleft of the mouth wide. Teeth conical, 

 in the intermaxillary, maxillary, and mandible ; canine teeth more 

 or less distinct. The intermaxillary and mandibulary teeth form a 

 single or double series ; palate toothless. Nostrils close together, 

 separated by a membrane only. Gill-openings wide, the gill-mem- 

 branes not attached to the isthmus, separate; gill-rakers slender, 

 lanceolate. 



Central and South America. 



The species may be divided into the following groups : — 



A. Mandibulary teeth in a single series. 



1. Jaws without external tooth-liko processes. 



a. Intermaxillary teeth in two nearly confluent series : Anacyrtus, 



m., p. 346. 



b. Intermaxillary teeth in a single series ; scales very small : Rcestes, 



m., p. 347. 



2. Jaws with external tooth-like processes ; scales very small : Rce- 



boides, m., p. 347. 



B. Mandibulary teeth in a double series : Cynopotamus, Kner, p. 348. 



* Bernhardt has described another species with the name of Epicyrtus xenodon, 

 which also has the jaws provided with external tooth-like processes. Unfortu- 

 nately I have not access, at present, to the part of the " Videnskabelige Meddel- 

 elser fra den Naturhistoriske Forening i Kjobenhavn, 1849," which contains the 

 description of this species. 



t Preoccupied. 



