388 Synopsis of the Fresh Water Fishes, . 



Mouth with the gape moderate, and nearly square ; the in- 

 termaxillaries are slightly arched ; the maxillaries continued 

 into long and simple barbies ; from the skin behind the lower 

 jaw are also suspended two pair of barbies. 



Teeth equal and villiform in broad bands on both the inter- 

 maxillaries and the dentaries. 



Tongue thick and large, rounded in front, and attached by 

 the margin to the skin of the floor of the mouth. 



Lateral line extending in nearly a straight line along the 

 middle of the side to the caudal. 



First dorsal with the height and length nearly equal, situated 

 on the anterior part of the body ; its first ray is generally slender, 

 and not dentated. Second or adipose dorsal very long, com- 

 pressed, attached for its entire length to the back, with the 

 margin generally trenchant, and with the height increasing 

 towards the posterior half. 



Anal short, and with the length and height almost equal, 

 placed nearly under the middle of the adipose dorsal. 



Caudal forked. 



Pectorals moderate, with the first soft rays longest. 



Ventrals moderate, with rounded margins. 



The genus which we have thus named and described is one 

 of those that have been embraced by M. Yalenciennes in a 

 group which he, as well as other naturalists, considered to be 

 only of generic importance, and described under the name of 

 Pimelodus. The Pimelenotis are included in the " Ilistoire 

 Naturelle des Poissons" in a fourth section of that group, a 

 section which is thus defined : — 



" Dcs pimolodes qui ont, comme les precedens, lcs barbillons settle- 

 ment au nombre de six, ou un casque plus prononce, quoique non con- 

 tinu au bouclier, parce que sa production interparietal est trop courte 

 pour atteindre sa deuxieme plaque interepineuse, et pour couvrir ou 

 enchasser la premiere." 



