6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM VOL. 120 
Pterophyllum altum Pellegrin 
PLATE 3 
Pierophyllum altum Pellegrin, 1903a, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, vol. 9, p. 125 
[Rio Atabapo, Orinoco]; 1903b, Mem. Soe. Zool. France, vol. 16, p. 252, 
pl. 4, fig. 4 [Atabapo].—Regan, 1905, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, vol. 16, 
p. 442 [Rio Orinoco].—Higenmann, 1910, Rep. Princeton Univ. Exped. 
Patagonia 1896-1899, vol. 3 (Zool.), pt. 4, p. 479 [Orinoco].—Ahl, 1928, Zool. 
Anz., vol. 76, p. 255 [Orinoco].—Schultz, 1949, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. 99, 
p. 167 [Rio Atabapo]; 1953, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 5-7, 
20 [key to aquarium-bred angelfish]. 
Specimens studied (see page 2 for more precise locality): BMNH 
1904—6—28-2-3, Rio Orinoco, 2 (59 and 60 mm); MNHN 221-61-1-3, 
Chaffanjon (Rio Atabapo), 5 syntypes of P. altum (42 to 62 mm); 
MNHN 221-61-1-1, Chaffanjon, 4 syntypes of P. altum (63 to 75 
mm); MNHN 221-61-1-2, Chaffanjon, 5 syntypes of P. altum 
(59 to 65 mm); USNM 163204, Venezuela, 1 (79 mm); USNM 
196007, Colombia, 1 (67 mm); CAS [no number], Rio Casiquiare, 
1 (53 mm). 
Pterophyllum altum Pellegrin has a color pattern identical with 
that of P. scalare; however, no black spot occurs on the upper midside 
as in P. dumerilu. The black bar through the eye curves dorso- 
posteriorly to the origin of the spimy dorsal and is not broken into 
three separate bars as in P. dumerilia. 
This species is best recognized from P. scalare by the greater 
average number of median fin rays, oblique scale rows, and vertebrae 
(tables 1-4). Undoubtedly P. altum represents the P. scalare type 
of angelfish in the upper Orinoco, and in having a higher average 
number of dorsal, anal, oblique scale rows and vertebrae than P. 
scalare, it might be considered to represent only a subspecies of 
P. scalare; however, since P. altum has been taken so far only in the 
upper Orinoco basin, I prefer tentatively to recognize it as a distinct 
species. 
Pterophyllum scalare (Lichtenstein) 
PLATE 4 
Zeus scalaris Lichtenstein, 1823, Verz. Doubl. Zool. Univ. Berlin, p. 114 [Brazil]. 
Platax scalaris Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831, Histoire naturelle des poissons, 
vol. 7, p. 237 [Brazil, in “Collection de Bloch, au Musée de Berlin’’]. 
Pterophyllum scalaris Heckel, 1840, Ann. Wien. Mus., vol. 2, p. 335, pl. 30, 
figs. 5, 6, 7-7a, 8-8b [Reo Negro]. 
Pierophyllum scalare Giinther, 1862, Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum, 
vol. 4, p. 316 [Rio Cupai; Brazil]—Kner, 1862, Sitz. Akad. Wiss. Wien., 
vol. 46, p. 295, pl. 1, figs. 1-la—Cope, 1872, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 
delphia, p. 250 [Rio Ambyiacu].—Steindachner, 1875, Sitz. Akad. Wiss. 
Wien., vol. 71, p. 76 [Amazon at Santarém, Monte Alegre, Villa Bella, 
Obidos, Coary, Ueranduba, Tonantins, Tabatinga, Rio Jutahy, Xingu, Lago 
Manacapurti, Lago Maximo, Pard, Rio Ambyiacu; ?Barra do Rio Negro].— 
Higenmann and Eigenmann, 1891, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. 14, p. 71 
