38 TELEOSTEI : NEMATOGNATIII. — XL 



Family XXIV. SILURID^. (The Cat-fishes.) 



Rodv more or less cloiijjatc, naked or with bony jjlates ; mar^n 

 of iip])er jaw formed by j)reniaxillaries only, the rudimentary 

 niaxiilaries forminjjj the l)ase of a \on<^ barbel ; teeth in villiform 

 bands. Dorsal lin usually present, short, above or before ventrals; 

 usually an adipose fin behind dorsal. First ray of dorsal and pec- 

 torals usually developed as a stout spine. Lower pharynjjeals 

 separate. Air-bladder present, larjre. A vast family of more 

 than 100 genera and 900 species, mostly of the rivers and swamps 

 of warm regions, especially of South America and Africa. A few 

 species are marine. Many of them are excellent as food, and all 

 are very tenacious of life. 



a. Dorsal short, placed before ventrals; adipose fin present; gill membranes 

 njore or less free from istluiuis; body naked. 

 b. Anterior and posterior nostrils close tof^ether, neither with a barbel, the 

 posterior with a valve; palatines with teeth; caudal forked. Murine 

 species. (Tachysurirue.) 



c. Lower jaw with 2 barbels; maxillary barbel band-like; dorsal and 



pectoral spines ending in striated filaments. . Aii.uku'Iitiivs, 34. 

 cc. Lower jaw with 4 barbels; spines not filamentous. Taciiysukus, 35. 

 bb. Anterior and posterior nostrils well 8ej)arated, the posterior with a 

 barbel; barbels 8; teeth in jaws only. (IclaluniuB.) 



d. Adipose (in with its posterior margin free. 



e. rremaxillary band of teeth, without backward processes. 

 f, Sui)ni()ccipital bone prolonged backward so that its emarginate 

 apex tits cliiselv around the anterior point of the second inter- 

 spinal, thus forming a continuous bony bridge extending from 

 the head to the dorsal spine. (Silvery species ; C. deeply 



forked.) IcTALunus, 30. 



ff. Supraoccipital bone not reaching the second interspinal, the bony 

 bridge more or less interrupted. 



g. Eyes normal Ameutrus, 37. 



gg. Eyes concealed by the skin (Jkonias, 38. 



ee, Premaxillary band of teeth, with a lateral backward process on 



each side; lower jaw prominent Lkitoi's, 39. 



dd. Adipose tin keel-like, adnate to the back, more or less joined to 

 caudal Jin; a (venom) pore in axil of pectoral. . Notukus, 40. 



34. AILURICHTHYS Haird & Girard. {alKovpoi, cat; 

 «X^9, fish.) 



4R. A. marinuB (Mifohill). (Jaff-Torsail. Sea Cat. Dusky 

 bluish. Iliad short and broad. Maxillary barbels reaching end 

 of P. spine ; P. filament reaching vent, D. fdament to adipose fin ; 

 upper lobe of C. longer; palatine teeth in a nearly continuous 

 band. Head \\. D. I. 7. A. 23 L. 30 in. N. Y. to Texas, 

 comuion S., not entering Btreama. 



