Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2783 



development. The specimens are males, from 6 to 7 inches long, and in 

 each the stomach was almost empty. Although the eggs might have been 

 put into the mouth of the fish by their captor, this does not appear prob- 

 able. On the other hand, it is a well-known fact that the American 

 Siluroids take care of their progeny in various ways ; and I have no doubt 

 that in this species and in its allies the males carry the eggs in their 

 mouth, depositing them in places of safety, and removing them when 

 they fear the approach of danger or disturbance. (Gtinther, Cat., v, 172.) 



199. TACHYSURUS SPIXII (Agassi/). 



Head 3J to 4; depth 5 to 5|. D. I, 7; A. 21. Body compressed, espe- 

 cially toward the caudal fin, the depth greater than the width. Head 

 narrowed forward, its greatest width \\ in its length, its greatest depth 

 1^ ; width at the mouth 2i in the length of the head. Top of the head 

 granular in the young, the granules becoming more or less united in the 

 adult, forming fine reticulating ridges, especially on the occipital process, 

 longer than broad, with a blunt median ridge, the margins concave. Fon- 

 tanel narrow, without interruptions, continued as a deep tapering groove 

 to near the base of the occipital process ; interorbital area with 4 ridges ; 

 opercles and humeral process roughened, covered with skin ; sides of the 

 head, and snout with reticulating mucous canals. Eye 1^ to 2 in the snout, 

 5 to 6| in the head, 2f to 3 in the interocular. Maxillary barbels varying 

 in extent, from about the middle of the pectoral to the base of the ven- 

 trals; postmental barbels extending to the base of pectoral or to near its 

 tip; mentals to edge of gill membrane or to beyond base of pectoral. 

 Upper jaw projecting; lips more or less papillose; teeth on the intermax- 

 illary and the outer ones of the mandible, villiform; the inner series of 

 the mandible and the palate with granular teeth; the palatine patches of 

 teeth small, subovate, sometimes contiguous in front. Gill membranes 

 united, joined to the isthmus, not forming a free margin across it; gill 

 rakers 6 -f- 11 to 13. Pectoral pore moderate ; distance of dorsal spine from 

 snout 2 to 2f in the length; the spine 1 to 1| in head, serrated on its 

 inner margin, granular or almost smooth on its outer margin. Distance 

 of adipose from the dorsal fin 3| to 3f in the length, the adipose fin shorter 

 than the dorsal fin, free posteriorly ; caudal forked, the upper lobe slightly 

 the longer, 4 to 5 in the length ; anal fin scarcely longer than high, its 

 highest ray about 2 in head; ventral fin If to 2 in head; pectoral spine 

 strong, about as long as the dorsal spine, serrated on its inner margin, 

 granular or scarcely roughened on the outer margin. Color brownish 

 above, sides and ventral surface silvery, sometimes with brown dots. We 

 have examined over 70 specimens measuring from 0.07 to 0.24 m. froniMaran- 

 hao, Bahia, Rio Janeiro, Para, Santos in Sao Paulo, Abrolhos, Brazil. The 

 specimens from Para are much darker in color, the lips more papillose, the 

 barbels longer than those of other specimens. The Santos specimens are 

 ashy above, white below the lateral line, with rather large brown dots on 

 sides, becoming fewer below. (Eigenmann & Eigenmann, Nematog- 

 nathi, 89.) 



