FISHES OF THE FAMILY LORICARIID®. 201 
From anatomical considerations it seems best to recognise five subfamilies, the 
relations of which to each other are shown by the following scheme :— 
Neoplecostomine. Argiine. 
Loricariine. | | 
Plecostomine. Hypoptopomatinee. 
a | | 
Analysis of the Subfamilies. 
I. Hzemal spines all simple ; lower and fourth upper pharyngeals not toothed ; anterior rudimentary 
ray of ventral normally shaped, but internal and directed forwards ; upper part of the body 
protected by bony scutes. 
Lower transverse portion of clavicles and coracoids not exposed ; 
margin of snout naked or covered with small granular plates. . . 1. Precosromin». 
Lower transverse portion of clavicles and coracoids exposed ; margin 
of snout composed of more or less firm plates. . . . . . . . 2, Hyporroromarin«. 
Il. Hemal spines of the vertebr above the anal fin bifid; lower and fourth upper pharyngeals 
toothed. 
A. No anterior rudimentary ray of ventral; caudal peduncle elongate 
and strongly depressed ; upper part of the body protected by bony 
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B. Anterior rudimentary ray of ventral internal, plate-like ; caudal peduncle cylindrical or 
compressed. 
Upper part of the body protected by bony scutes . . . . . . . 4, NEopLucostomin«. 
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Key to the Subfamilies. 
I. Upper part of body protected by bony plates. 
A. Caudal peduncle compressed, cylindrical, or moderately depressed. 
a. Lower transverse portion of coracoids and clavicles not exposed. 
Abdomen naked or more or less completely covered with small 
granular scales, never as in the Neoplecostomine . . . - . PLecostoMIN® (p. 202). 
Abdomen with a large, regular, nearly square patch of small granular 
plates, naked at the sides and anteriorly and posteriorly. . . Nropiecostomin# (p. 306). 
b. Lower transverse portion of coracoids and clavicles 
exposed, appearing as 2 pairs of plates extending 
between the bases of the pectorals. . . . . . . Hyporroromatinx (p. 262). 
B. Caudal peduncle strongly depressed, broad, elongate; lower 
transverse portions of clavicles and coracoids not exposed Loricartin2& (p. 269). 
Wi Bodymaked . 2. . + ee ho) © 2 es + 6s AROTING (p. 307). 
2B 
