348 Fretp Museum or Naturat History — Zoétoey, Vor. X. 
48. Genus Neetroplus Giinther. 
Neetroplus Ginther, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, VI, 1869, 469 (type 
Neetroplus nematopus Ginther). 
Body ovate toelongate, compressed; mouth small; the anterior teethin 
each jaw compressed and incisor-like. In other respects like Cichlasoma. 
This genus contains three species, one each in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, 
and Panama. 
79. Neetroplus panamensis Meek & Hildebrand. 
Neetroplus panamensis Meek & Hildebrand, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 
Pub., Zodl. Ser., X, 1913, 90 (Rio Mandingo, Bas Obispo, Canal 
Zone, Panama). 
Head 2.9 to 3.1; depth 2 to 2.25; D. XVII (rarely XVIII), 9 or 10; 
A. VI (rarely VII), 7; scales 27 to 30. 
Body rather short, compressed; head moderate; snout blunt, equal 
to or shorter than postorbital part of head, 2.4 to 3 in head; eye 3 to 
3.84; mouth small, terminal; maxillary failing to reach anterior margin 
of eye, 3.25 to 3.75 in head; cheeks with 3 rows of rather large scales; 
lips thin, the lower one free only at sides; teeth in the jaws distinctly 
compressed, incisor-like, with reddish brown tips; gill-membranes 
broadly connected across isthmus; gill-rakers short, 7 or 8 on lower limb 
of first arch; scales moderate, ctenoid, 244 to 3 rows between lateral line 
and middle of base of dorsal; lateral line interrupted under soft portion 
of dorsal, reappearing on third row of scales below its original course; 
origin of dorsal over margin of opercle, the spines graduated, the last 
one 2.3 to 2.8 in head; the soft portion scaly at base, pointed, a few of 
the middle rays produced, reaching to distal fourth of caudal; caudal 
fin scaly at base, its margin evenly convex; anal fin with 6 or rarely 7 
strong, graduated spines, the soft portion similar to that of dorsal; 
ventral fins with the outer rays produced, often reaching opposite the 
4th or sth anal spine; pectoral fins not quite reaching origin of anal, 1.1 
to 1.24 in head. 
Back bluish black; sides reddish or brownish. Young with black- 
ish bars, these obscure or wanting in adult; a prominent dark blotch on 
middle of sides below posterior portion of spinous dorsal, and sometimes 
with a series of irregular black blotches on lower part of side from above ~ 
base of pectorals to base of caudal; vertical fins dark, tinged with red in 
adult; ventral fins always pale blue. 
There are 42 specimens, ranging from 65 to 103 mm. in length, in the 
present collection. 
Habitat: Rio Chagres Basin. 
