FISHES OF THE FAMILY LORICARIID.E. 231 



Abdomen in great part covered with granular scales. D. I 7, the first ray as long as 

 the head ; length of base of dorsal a little more than its distance from adipose fin. 

 A. I 4. Pectoral spine extending beyond base of ventral. Caudal emarginate. 

 Caudal peduncle about 2|- times as long as deep. Numerous small dark spots on 

 head, body, and fins. 



Total length 280 mm. 



One specimen (a skin) : Veragua, Pacific Slope of Panama. 



11. fANCISTEUS BRACHYURUS. 

 Ancistrus pictas (non Casteln.) Kner, Denksclir. Ak. Wien, vii. 1854, P- 277, pi. iv. fig. 2. 

 Ancistrus Irachyurus Kner, t. c. p. 279, pi. iv. fig. 1. 

 Chaetostomus pictus Giinth. Cat. Fish. v. p. 242 (1864). 

 Chci'tostdmus Irachyurus Giinth. t. c. p. 243. 

 Hemiancistrus pictus Eigenm. & Eigenm. Proc. Cal. Ac. (2) ii. 1889, p. 43 ; Kindle, Ann. Ac. 



N. York, viii. 1895, p. 254. 

 Hemiancistrus brachyurus Eigenm. & Eigenm. 1. c. ; Kindle, t. c. p. 255. 



Apparently closely allied to A. aspidolepis, with which it agrees in the depressed 

 head with broad snout and the strongly carinate scutes. Diameter of eye 5 times in 

 the length of head (in specimens 150 mm. in total length). Interoperculum with 

 about 20 setiform spines, the longest equal to -3- the length of head. 23-24 scutes in 

 a longitudinal series, 12 between anal and caudal. Abdomen naked. D. I 7, the 

 first ray shorter than the base of the dorsal, which is considerably longer than its 

 distance from the adipose fin. A. I 5. Pectoral spine extending nearly to the 

 middle of ventral. Caudal obliquely truncate. Head and body usually marbled with 

 light and dark, fins with two or three dark cross-bands ; in the young, body with five 

 vertical bars, fins with one or two cross-bands. 



Rio Negro. 



- b 



12. Ancistrus scaphirhynchus. 



Ancistrus scaphirhynchus Kner, Denkschr. Ak. Wien, vii. 1854, p. 280, pi. iii. fig. 2. 

 Choetostomus scaphirhynchus Giinth. Cat. Fish. v. p. 244 (1864). 



Hemiancistrus scaphirhynchus Eigenm. & Eigenm. Proc. Cal. Ac. (2) ii. 1889, p. 43, and Occ. Pap. 

 Cal. Ac. i. 1890, p. 419; Kindle, Ann. Ac. N. York, viii. 1895, p. 254. 



Depth of body 6f times in the total length, length of head 3 times. Head lj times 

 as long as broad and 2-^ times as long as deep. Diameter of eye 7f times in the 

 length of head, interorbital width If times, length of snout twice. Length of 

 mandibular ramus 3| times in the interorbital width. Snout broad, rounded; head 

 nearly flat above, without keels or ridges; interoperculum armed with about 15 

 slender spines, the longest 1^ times the diameter of eye. Scutes spinulose, carinate 

 except those of the upper series and the anterior ones of the second series, 26-27 in a 

 longitudinal series, 8 between dorsal and adipose fin, 13 between anal and caudal. 



vol. xvii. — part in. No. 6. — Octoler, 1904. 2 1 



