172 FISHES OF WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA 
Caudal with three bands; pectoral reaching ventrals or far beyond origin of 
the latter; occipital reaching the elongate fontanel; caudal rounded or slightly 
emarginate. 
In 16135, the occipital is truncate behind, with a narrow naked stretch between 
the occipital and the pair of bones behind it. 
15712, 1, 141 mm., Iquitos, Allen, September, 1920. 
15793, 1, 163 mm., Iquitos, Morris, 1922. 
16130, 2, 142 and 144 mm., brook near Rio Itaya, Iquitos, Allen, Sept. 1920. 
16131, 15, 46-141 mm., creek, Yurimaguas, Allen, November, 1920. 
Caudal without a band; fontanel circular in 16130, 15712, and 15973; the oc- 
cipital pointed in front, not reaching the fontanel; in 16131 the occipital reaching 
the fontanel or not. 
Caudal bands in all cases faint at base and extremity of fin; in middle of fin 
broad, deep, irregular, as though formed by the coalescence of many minute spots. 
The younger specimens (16134) have three faint bands on ventral; in older 
specimens either more diffuse, or two fainter bands. 
One specimen alone has pectoral extended to middle of ventral (16135). 
This one also has a cirrus caudal of the anus; coracoid plates broader than in other 
specimens, nearly meeting in middle line (sexual characters?). The Amsterdam 
specimens from Guiana have coracoids meeting for whole length. 
144. HopLOSTERNUM MELAMPTERUM (Cope) 
Callichthys melampterus Cope, 1871, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 275, pl. xiv, fig. 4, Ambyiacu river. 
Hoplosternum melampterus Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1888, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., (2), I, 165. 
Hoplosternum melampterum Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1890, Occ. Papers Cal. Acad. Sei., I, 461. 
Cataphractops melampterus Gosline, 1940, Stanford Ichth. Bull., I, 1,9. Rio Ambyiacu. 
Known only from the types at the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. 
145. HopLosTERNUM SHIRUI Fowler 
Hoplosternum shirui Fowler, 1939 (1940), Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 232, figs. 18-20, two, type 
and paratype, 122 and 125 mm., Contamana, Peru. 
Hoplosternum littorale Gosline, 1940, Stanford Ichth. Bull., IT, 1, 8. 
Near Hoplosternum melampterum Cope. 
Known only from the types. 
Genus 67: DECAPOGON Eigenmann and Eigenmann 
Decapogon Eigenmann and EKigenmann, 1888, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., (2), I, 165; 
figenmann and EKigenmann, 1890, Oce. Papers Cal. Acad. Sci., I, 461. 
Type: Callichthys adspersus Steindachner 
Porto do Moz and Rio Huallaga 
Separable from Hoplosternum on the basis of its 4-6 barbels on the lower lip; 
plates extended ventrally to cover belly; dorsal spine high and pointed, sub- 
terete; pectoral spine serrate on inner margin, more finely toothed on outer margin. 
