PEARSE FISHES OF LAKE VALENCIA, VENEZUELA 23 



Like many catfishes, this little bagre is versatile in its food 

 habits. 



Plecostomus plecostomus Linnaeus, Panaque 



Isla del Euro, 9 m., off sandy shore; number examined 1; 

 length 283. Food: ostracods 5; sponge spicules 20; remains 

 of "old" plants 10; diatoms 10; filamentous algae 1; fine 

 bottom sediment 54. 



This fish usually lives in rivers and the Venezuelans were 

 greatly surprised to see it in the lake. It apparently feeds 

 largely on fine bottom mud. 



Rhamdia quelen Quoy & Gaimard, Bagre 



Rio Castano, under rocks, July 27; number examined 3; 

 lengths 155, 150, 62. Food: chironomid larvae 46.6; grass- 

 hopper 20; Sphaeridae 3.3; fine bottom debris 30. 



^. 



Symbranchus marmoratus Bloch, Anguila 



Isla del Euro, among rocks, July 9; number examined 3; 

 lengths 320, 240, 172. Food: Sialis larva 98; sand 2. 



Isla del Euro, among rocks, July 11; no. ex. 3; lengths 301, 

 150, 138. Food: fish 12; chironomid larvae 5; caddis-fly 

 larvae 72; insects 11. 



Isla del Euro, among rocks, July 12; no. ex., 5, lengths 

 272-150; ave. 233. Food: caddis-fly larvae 33.3; undeter- 

 mined insect larvae 43.3; sand and pebbles 23.3. 



Caught in mud dredge, off Maracay, 14.5 m.; July 25; 

 no. ex. 1 ; length 130. Food: the top layer of the bottom ooze 

 100. 



Young eels apparently live buried in the bottom mud in 

 both deep and shallow water. The adults subsist largely on 

 insects. 



