Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2771 



Subgenus GALEICHTHYS. 



Shields of head mostly covered by soft skin, hiding the granulations. 

 163. GALEICHTHYS LENTIGINOSTJS (Eigenmann & Eigenmann) . 



Head 4 to 4; depth 5 to 6. D. I, 6; A. 22. Eye 2 in snout, 8| in 

 head, 4 in interocular, 2J in interorbital. Body nearly terete anteriorly, 

 becoming compressed backward ; the width, above the pectorals, a little 

 greater than the depth. Head flat, depressed, its depth at base of occipital 

 process 1^ in its greatest width, which is about 1 in its length. Occipi- 

 tal process somewhat roughened, about twice as long as its greatest 

 width, its margin straight and oblique ; the middle of the fontanel above 

 the posterior part of the eye. Head everywhere covered with skin ; sides 

 of the head and opercle with vermiculatiug canals. Snout somewhat 

 pointed ; upper jaw very little projecting; lips thick; teeth all villiform; 

 the intermaxillary band strongly curved; vomerine teeth in 2 oval patches 

 joined to the larger patches of the palatines; mandibulary band of teeth 

 separated in front, the outer margins, if continued forward, forming an 

 angle at the symphysis. Maxillary barbels reaching beyond base of pec- 

 torals ; mental barbels reaching about f toward the gill opening ; the post- 

 mentals to the gill opening in 1 specimen, a little before in the other. 

 Gill membranes forming a broad, free margin across the isthmus. Gill 

 rakers 3 -{- 4. Pectoral pore minute ; humeral process pointed behind. 

 Distance of dorsal from snout 2i in the length, the dorsal spine covered 

 with a membrane, its outer margin granular, its height If in the head, 

 the first soft ray If the length of the fin; distance of adipose fin from the 

 dorsal 3| to 4 in the length, the fin adnate, longer than the dorsal; caudal 

 lunate, the upper lobe longer, somewhat falcate, 4|- to 5 in the length ; 

 anal fin twice as long as high, the highest ray 2 to 2 in the head; ven- 

 trals short and broad, If in the head; pectoral spine covered with a mem- 

 brane, 1| to If- in head. Light brown, becoming nearly white below, 

 the sides freckled; fins reddish. Panama. (Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 

 Nematognathi, 50.) 



164. GALEICHTHYS PERUVIANUS, Liitken. 



Head 3| ; depth 4 to 5|. D I, 7; A. 14 to 16. Eye 2 in snout, 7 in 

 head, 4 in the interocular, 2 in the interorbital. Subterete, tapering to a 

 long, slender caudal peduncle; the greatest width about equal to the 

 greatest depth Head not much depressed; interorbital area flattish, 

 the greatest depth of the head If in its length, its greatest width If to 

 If ; the width at angle of mouth 2 in its length ; the surface of the cranial 

 bones longitudinally furrowed, covered with muscle and skin. Occipital 

 process more than 3 times as long as wide; anterior fontanel elongate, its 

 center over the middle dl the eye, continued as a deep groove to the base 

 of occipital process; a small opening a pupil's distance behind the ante- 

 rior fontanel, and a larger one in the occipital bone at the end of the 

 groove. Snout, upper part of the neck, and the opercle sometimes with 

 conspicuous reticulating mucous canals. Snout blunt, decurved. Max- 

 illary barbels extending beyond base of pectoral, mentals about to gill 



