218 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Platystomatichthy* Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dier- 

 kunde, i, 98, 1863 (sturio). 



Type: Platystoma sturio Krier. 



This genus consists of a single species, the most 

 aberrant of the species with depressed and elongate 

 heads. 



Head rather narrow, depressed anteriorly; snout 

 long and pointed, projecting far beyond the lower jaw, 

 its entire under surface covered with teeth; vomerine 

 teeth in a single patch, palatine teeth in elongate 

 patches removed from the vomerine teeth; eyes supe- 

 rior. Maxillary barbels much longer than the total 

 length, osseus or wiry; adipose fin longer than anal; 

 caudal deeply forked, the lobes pointed, half as long as 

 body or longer. 



159. Platystomatichthys sturio. 



Platystoma sturio Kner, 1. c. (Kio Branco.) 



Platystomatichthys sturio Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierkunde, 

 i, 98, 1863 (name only); Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. v, 110, 

 1864 (Kio Branco); Eigenm. & Eigenm. Proc. Cal. Acad. 2d Ser. 

 i, 139, 1888 (Para; Curuca, Eio Muria). 



Habitat: Amazon and its tributaries. 



The specimens examined were collected by the Conts 

 de Magalhaes and Prof. Agassiz at Para and Curuca on 

 the River Muria. 



Body rather slender; head long acuminate, the pro- 

 longation of the snout beyond the lower jaw being con- 

 tained 2J in head; width of the head at the mouth 1| in 

 its greatest width, 3J in length of head. 



Maxillary barbel osseus or wiry more than half its 

 length; mental barbels remote from each other, not 

 extending to pectoral, 2J diameters of eye from lower 

 lip; postmental barbels beyond base of pectorals. 



Eye 12 in head; 8J in snout, 3 diameters from angle 

 of mouth, 4 diameters from maxillary barbel. 



