,-:::- _ . -v ■ - , •■' •^;"^;- 278 



slightly rounded from snout to anal-fin origin, gradually tapered to caudal-fin base. 

 Snout broadly rounded, gape relatively large. Mouth distinctly inferior, the upper 

 jaw extending beyond the lower and exposing the premaxilljiry tooth patch in ventral 

 profile. Teeth numerous, setiform. Eyes moderately large (10-16% HL), sublateral, 

 invested in thick fatty tissue. Lateral margins of nuchal shield gradually tapered to 

 dorsal-fin origin. Fontanelle relatively large, opaque, lying within a slightly recessed 

 groove formed by the medial margins of the frontals, not extending far onto 

 supraoccipital. Posterior nares remote from anterior pair. Maxillary barbels small, 

 fiHform, concealed in rictal groove except in breeding males. Barbels of nuptial 

 males elongate, ossified, modally with 8 (range = 6-14; N = 10) sharp, recurved 

 odontodes on dorsal margin. Longest gill rakers weakly crenulate on irmer margin, 

 3-5 on outer row of first epibranchial, 9-12 on ceratobranchial, totalling 12-17 (X = 

 14.6) (Fig. 13b). Gill membranes fused to isthmus behind margin of eyes; 

 branchiostegal rays on each side 9-11 (modally 10). *' 



Dorsal-fin spine relatively thin, weakly serrated along distal half or two-thirds 

 of posterior margin, with about 14-16 short, retrorse serrae. Nuptial males with 

 hyperossified dorsal spine, elongate and sinuous, armed along anterior margin with 

 a total of about 40-50 sharp, antrorse serrae, in a basal cluster of about 10 laterally 

 directed serrae, followed distally by an alternating series along the remaining distal 

 portion of the spine; posterior edge of spine smooth. Adipose fin small, posterior 

 margin free. Caudal fin deeply forked, with 8 + 9 principal rays and 17-21 

 procurrent rays in each lobe (upper lobe averaging 2 more than lower lobe). 

 Pectoral fin not reaching to pelvic origin, triangular and constricted at base, with 11- 

 14 branched rays; pectoral spine relatively thin, with 11-18 short, retrorse teeth 

 along distal half of posterior margin (Fig. 26d). Anal fin with 32-37 pterygiophores 

 (modaUy 34) and 33-39 rays (modally 37). 



