Dec. 28, 1916. Fishes of Panama — Meek and Hildebrand. 241 



Numerous specimens of this species were collected. It is found in 

 all the streams of Panama. The specimens at hand vary in length from 

 45 to 350 mm. It is considered a food fish of some importance. In the 

 Rio Tuyra Basin the Indians quietly wade around in the streams and 

 seek their hiding places and take them with a spear. In this they are 

 so adept that they seldom miss their aim. 



Habitat: Streams of both slopes of Central America, from Costa 

 Rica southward to Ecuador. 



2. Genus Pimelodus Lac^p^de. 



Pimelodus Lac^p^de, Hist, Nat. Poiss., V, 1803 (species of several 

 genera); Cuvier, R^gne Animal, II, 181 7, 203 (species having a 

 single band of teeth in upper jaw); Lutken, Dan. Vidensk-Selsk., 

 Skr., (s) XII, 1875, 163 (type Pimelodus maculatusLaic6phde=Silu- 

 rus clarias Bloch). 

 Pseudariodes Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., I, 1863, 99 (type 



Psetidariodes clarias Bloch). 

 Psettdorhamdia Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., I, 1863, loi (type 

 Pseudorhamdia maculata Lacepede =Silurus clarias Bloch). 

 Body elongate, head covered with thin skin, granulose; occipital 

 process reaching dorsal plate; himieral process broad; fontanel not 

 continued beyond anterior margin of eyes; eye with a free orbital mar- 

 gin; one pair of maxillary barbels; 2 pairs of mandibular barbels; caudal 

 fin forked. 



2. Pimelodus clarias punctatus (Meek & Hildebrand). 



Megalonema punciatum Meek & Hildebrand, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 



Pub., Zool. Ser., X, 1913, 77 (Rio Tuyra, Marrigante, Panama). 

 Megalonema robustum Meek & Hildebrand, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 



Pub., Zool. Ser., X, 1913, 78 (Rio Tuyra, Marrigante, Panama). 



Head 3.9 to 4.1; depth 4.4 to 5.25; D. I, 6; A. 11 to 13. 



Body elongate, compressed; dorsal region elevated; head not much 

 wider than deep, its width 1.34 to 1.6 in its length; snout not very broad, 

 its length 2.04 to 2.25 in head; eye 4.7 to 6; interorbital 2.94 to 4; width 

 of mouth a little less than length of snout; maxillary barbels reaching 

 opposite anal or to base of caudal; occipital process rather wide, not 

 fully united with the dorsal plate, its greatest width greater than eye, 

 except in young of less than 150 mm. in length; teeth in villiform bands, 

 none on palatines or vomer; gill-membranes free from the isthmus; 

 humeral process rather narrow, pointed slightly upward; dorsal spine 

 equal to or a little longer than head, a rudimentary spine at its base; 



