■7' 

 1 



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SPECIES ACCOUNTS 



Artificial Key to the Species of Ageneiosidae 



la. Caudal fin obliquely truncate or weakly emarginate, with rounded lobes and 

 8+10 principal rays 2. 



lb. Caudal fin moderately to deeply forked or strongly emarginate, usually with 

 pointed lobes and 8 + 9 principal rays 4. 



2a (la). Adults of both sexes with a single pair of filiform mental barbels, each 

 bearing a small tuft distally. Swimbladder large, ovoid, not encapsulated by 

 bone, and with a large fleshy caecum posteriorly. Nuptial males with an 'i 

 elongate, rod-like, ossified maxillary barbel (extending beyond posterior margin 

 of eye), lacking sharp, recurved odontodes. Coloration on body deep brown, 

 variably mottled with irregularly arranged black spots or blotches on sides. 

 Tetranematichthys quadrifilis. 



2b. Mental barbels absent in adults of both sexes. Swimbladder variable, but never 

 with a single, large posterior caecum. Maxillary barbels of nuptial males 

 ossified, relatively short (not extending beyond posterior margin of eye), and 

 with several recurved, tooth-like odontodes on dorsal margin. Coloration 

 variable, often with spots or blotches, but rarely or never dark brown over most 

 of sides 3. 



^^'K 



181 



