144 On a new Characinid Fish. 



XXV. — Description of a neio Characinid Fish discovered hi/ 

 Dr. W. J. Ansorge in Southern 2\ijeria. By G. A. 

 BOULENGER, F.R.S. 



[Plate III.] 



CiTHARIDIUM. 



Mouth wide, with a marginal series of very minute pointed 

 teeth ; maxillary very small, toothless. Suborbital bones 

 moderately broad, not entirely covering the cheek; nostrils 

 close together, separated by a valvular papilla; a narrow 

 tontanelle along the skull ; occipital process long, raised. 

 Branchiostegal membrane free, with four rays. Body strongly 

 compressed ; belly rounded in front of the ventrals, trenchant 

 behind. Scales moderately large, strongly ctenoid; lateral 

 line complete, with stiaight tubules, following tlie middle of 

 the side; a scaly process at the base of the ventral fin. 

 Dorsal fin with 17 rays, opposite to the ventrals ; anal with 

 21 rays; adipose fin well developed. 



This genus, differing from Citharinus in the ctenoid scales, 

 is of great interest as lessening the gap which existed between 

 the latter genus and Xenocharax. 



Citharidium Ansorgii. (PI. III.) 



Depth of body twice in total length, length of head 3 times. 

 Bead twice as long as broad, flattened above, with the eyes 

 visible from below and not from above ; snout twice as broad 

 as long, as long as the diameter of the eye, which is con- 

 tained 4 times in the length of the head and 2^ times in the 

 interorbital width : a narrow adipose lid in front of and 

 behind the eye. Gill-rakers very short, closely set. Dorsal 

 fin with 17 rays (3 rudimentary), much deeper than long, the 

 longest rays nearly as long as the head ; first ray equally 

 distant from the snout and the base of the caudal fin. Adipose 

 fin scaly, as long as its distance from the rayed dorsal. Anal 

 with 21 rays (2 rudimentary), the anterior rays at least 5 

 times as long as the posterior. Pectoral half the length of 

 the liead. Ventral § the length of the head, inserted below 

 the origin of the dorsal, nearly reaching the vent. Caudal 

 forked. Caudal peduncle a little deeper tlian long. .51 scales 

 in the lateral line, j^ in a transverse series, 12 between the 

 lateral line and the root of the ventral fin ; each scale bears 

 G to 10 ridges, ending in a spine on its free edge. Brown 



