178 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



GENUS GALEICHTHYS. Cuvier. 



Head rounded, smooth, unarmed. Dorsal and pectoral fins long ; the first ray of each 

 roughened, and ending in filaments. An adipose dorsal. Teeth on the jaws and vomer. 

 Branchial rays six. Mouth with from four to six barbels, 



Obs. This small group, containing at present but five species, is closely allied to Bagrus. 

 One is found at the Cape of Good Hope, and the others are from the coast of North and South 

 America. They are all marine species. On the coast of New- York, I have to describe one 

 species. 



THE OCEANIC CATFISH. 



GiLEICHTBYS MARIKUS. 



PLATE XXXVII. FIG. 118. — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Bagre. Farra, Descripcion dc diferehtes piezas, etc. p. 68, pi. 31, fig. 1. 



The Salt-water Cat-fish, S. Marimts. Mitchill, Lit. and Phil, Soc. N. Y. Vol. 1, p. 433. 



Le Galiichthe de Parra. Cnv. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. Vol. 15, p. 33. 



Characteristics. Maxillary barbels not extending to the ventrals. Filament of the pectoral 

 fin reaching to, and occasionally extending beyond, the ventrals. Caudal 

 lunate, with pointed tips. Length one to two feet. 



Description. Body cylindrical, tapering behind ; its greatest depth at the origin of the first 

 dorsal, where it is one-sixth of the total length. Skin smooth. Lateral line slightly descending 

 from beneath the first dorsal, anterior to which it can scarcely be traced ; its course is indicated 

 by a series of shght elevations. Back slightly carinated. Head broad, flattened above, smooth, 

 with a few scattering patches of granulations. Jaws equal, broad and rounded. A band of 

 velvet-like teeth on each jaw, and above there is a transverse band of teeth on the vomer. 

 Two flattened cirri or barbels 1  5 long, depend from the chin ; and two, similar in shape, 

 from the angle of the mouth, are six inches long, and extend to the pectorals. Eyes oval, 

 and are placed above the angle of the mouth. Nostrils double, without membrane or cirrus ; 

 the anterior round, and near the lip ; the posterior, oval. 



The first dorsal fin high, triangular, with one bony and seven soft rays ; it is placed on the 

 anterior third of the body, shghtly behind the base of the pectorals. The first ray with rough 

 granulations in front, three inches high, but continued six inches further by a soft flattened 

 articulated filament ending in a fine point. The second ray four inches long, with a filament, 

 but much shorter than the first ; the filament is often wanting : the following rays rapidly 

 shorter. Second dorsal fin adipose, small, and above the anal. Pectoral fins placed low 

 down, and with thirteen rays ; the first bony, with strong dentations behind, and continues 

 by a similar filament to that of the first dorsal fin, six inches. Ventral fins a little in advance 

 of a point midway between the first and second dorsal fins ; it is composed of six rays. Anal 



