506 MR. C. TATE REGAN ON THE 
Subfamily [V. NEOPLECOSTOMIN &. 
Vertebre below the dorsal fin with bifid neural spines; those above the anal fin with 
bifid heemal spines; lower and fourth upper pharyngeals toothed ; teeth in the jaws in 
a single series; no pseudobranchie ; upper part of the body enclosed in bony scutes, 
which form 5 series anteriorly on each side of the nearly cylindrical caudal peduncle, 
3 posteriorly ; lower part of clavicle and coracoid not exposed ; anterior rudimentary 
ray of ventral represented by a small internal plate, elongate-oval in form. 
‘This subfamily is here established for a single genus and species, which, although 
it bas been referred to Plecostomus, proves to be far more nearly allied to Loricaria 
than to that genus. It is also of considerable interest as being the nearest repre- 
sentative among the forms with the body enclosed in bony scutes to the naked 
Argiine. 
15. NEOPLECOSTOMUS. 
Neoplecostomus Higenm. & Eigenm. Proe. Cal. Ac. (2) i. 1888, p. 170. 
Body moderately elongate ; eyes small; teeth bifid. Abdomen with a large square 
patch of small granular plates. Dorsal originating above or a little behind the 
ventrals, with I 7 rays, anal with I 5—6, pectoral with I 6, ventral with 15. Adipose 
tin present. Caudal emarginate. Vertebre 54+8+418. Ribs slender. 
NEOPLECOSTOMUS GRANOSUS. 
Hypostomus granosus Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. xv. p. 502 (1840), 
Plecostomus granosus Giinth. Cat. Fish. v. p. 237 (1864). 
Plecostomus microps Steind. Sitzb. Ak. Wien, lxxiv. 1876, pt. i. p. 688, pl. xii. 
Neoplecostomus microps Eigenm. & Eigenm. Proc. Cal. Ac. (2) i. 1888, p. 170, and Oce. Pap. Cal. 
Ac. i. 1890, p. 395. 
Neoplecostomus granosus Eigenm. & Eigenm. |. c. et 1. c. 
Depth of body 63~7 times in the total length, length of head 33 times. Breadth of 
head 14 times in its length, diameter of eye 10-13 times, interorbital width 3 times, 
length of snout 1}-14 times. Length of mandibular ramus 1}-2 times in the inter- 
orbital width. Head depressed, nearly flat above ; snout broad, rounded; barbel very 
short or absent. Scutes spinulose, not carinate, 28-30 in a longitudinal series. 
Lower surface of head naked ; abdomen with a square patch of small granular plates. 
D. 17; length of base of dorsal about equal to its distance from the supraoccipital. 
A. 15-6. Pectoral spine extending to anterior $ of ventral. Caudal emarginate. 
Caudal peduncle 33-44 times as long as deep.  Brownish, marbled with darker ; fins 
with dark spots or cross-bars. 
Total length 102 mm. 
Several specimens (including the types of the species) : Cayenne ; Eastern Brazil. 
