PISHES OP NEW YORK 95 



53 Schilbeodes insignis (Richardson) 

 . Margined Stone Cat 



Pimelodus insigne Riciiaedsox, Fauna Bor.-Amer. Ill, 132, 1836 (name only, 



based upon the Pimclode livrie Le Sueue, Mem. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. 



V, 155), 1819. 

 Koturits lemniscatus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. Y, 104, 1864; Jordax, 



Man. Vert. 303, 1876. 

 Noturtis insignis Joedax & Gilbeet, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 100. 1883; 



Bean, Fishes. Penua. 19, pi. 19, fig. 26, 1893. 

 SiMlieodes iiisignis Joedan & Eveemanx, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 147, 



1896, pi. XXYIII, fig. 66, 1900. 



The margined stone cat has a moderately elongate and low 

 body, its width greater than its depth, and the least depth of 

 the caudal peduncle about three fourths the greatest depth of 

 body. The head is rather long and depressed, one fourth of 

 total without caudal, the snout short and rounded. The eye 

 is small, its length one half the width of interorbital space and 

 little more than one half the length of snout. The lower jaw 

 is slightly shorter than the upper; the width of the mouth equals 

 postorbital part of head. The w'idth of the maxillary band of 

 teeth equals one third the length of head; there is no extension 

 backward. The maxillary barbel reaches nearly to the end of 

 the head. Six short gill rakers below the angle of the first gill 

 arch. The dorsal origin is about over the middle of the space 

 between the pectoral and ventral origins; the length of the 

 dorsal base equals the distance between the eyes, and also the 

 length of its spine. The longest ray is half as long as the 

 head. The ventral reaches beyond the vent and almost to the 

 anal origin, its length half the head. The pectoral does not 

 reach to the ventral origin, its spine half as long as the 

 head, rough along its front edge and coarsely serrate behind. 

 The adipose fin is little developed; it begins over the anal origin 

 and is continuous with the caudal. The anal origin is nearly 

 midway between the pectoral origin and the base of the caudal; 

 the base is scarcelv tw^o ninths of total length without caudal; 

 the posterior and longest rays are scarcely one half as long as 

 the head. The caudal is rounded. D. I, 7; A. 17; V. 10; P. 1, 9.^ 

 In spirits the upper parts are dark brown, the belly and under 



