480 DR. atJNTHER ON THE FISHES OF CENTRAL AMERICA. 



tins midway between praeoperculum and root of the caudal, extending nearly to the end 

 of the base of the anal. The dorsal commences far in advance of the anal, its anterior 

 rays being half as long as the head. The distance between the first dorsal ray and the 

 first rudimentary caudal ray equals the length of the head. There are thirty-four scales 

 between the occiput and origin of the dorsal, and nine longitudinal series of scales 

 between the origin of the dorsal and the lateral line. Pectoral with numerous small 

 roundish blackish-brown spots and with the lower and upper rays whitish. Ventral 

 white, the middle rays greyish. 



Two examples, 10 inches long, were obtained by Capt. Dow on the Pacific coast of 

 Panama. 



Characodon. 

 Giintli. Fish. vi. p. 308. 



Cleft of the mouth small, developed laterally and horizontally ; mandible short, with 

 the bones of each side firmly united. Snout short. Teeth rather small, bicuspid, in a 

 single series ; but there is a narrow band of villiform teeth behind the series of incisors. 

 Scales of moderate size. Origin of the anal fin opposite, or nearly opposite, to that of 

 tlie dorsal. Sexes not differentiated. Intestinal tract but slightly convoluted. 



247. Characodon lateralis. (Plate LXXXIl. fig. 2, fem.) 

 D. 10-11. A. 13 in fem., 15-16 in male. L. lat. 35. L. transv. 12. 



In general habits very similar to a Cyprinodon. Body rather elevated, with the neck 

 somewhat arched, its greatest depth being rather more than the length of the head, 

 and one-third of the total (without caudal). Head thick and broad, with the snout 

 obtuse, as long as, or rather longer than, the diameter of the eye, which is one-fourth 

 or two-ninths of the length of the head. The mandible ascends obliquely, and is longer 

 than the eye. There are about twenty smallish teeth in each jaw, their apex is indistinctly 

 notched. Interorbital space flat, its width being two-fifths of the length of the head. 

 The origin of the dorsal fin is a little nearer to the end of the caudal than to the 

 occiput, and a little behind that of the anal. Both fins are small and rounded. In the 

 male the six anterior rays of the anal are of nearly equal length, but considerably 

 shorter than the following, forming a very distinct portion of the fin ; all these rays 

 are very closely set. Caudal fin small, truncate or slightly convex. The distance 

 between dorsal and caudal is somewhat more than the least depth of the tail, and equal 

 to the distance between eye and gill-opening. Brownish olive (in spirits), with a darker 

 band running from the eye to the root of the caudal : this band is soiiietimes broken up 

 into a more or less regular series of brownish-black spots. 



There are several examples, from If to 2^ inches long, in the British Museum; they 

 are from Dr. Seemann's collection, who obtained them in Southern Central America. 



