306 SILURID^E. 



3. EUTEOPIUS. 



Miiller & Troschel, Hor. Ichthyol. iii. p. 6 (1849) ; Giinther, Cat. Fish. v. p. 52 (1864) ; 

 Boulenger, Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 266 (1901). 



Body moderately elongate, strongly compressed, the praecaudal region short. Dorsal 

 fin short, with a spine and 5 or 6 branched rays ; a very small adipose dorsal fin ; 

 anal fin much elongate. Pectoral fin with an outer spinous ray. Ventral fin with 

 six rays, inserted under the dorsal fin or behind the vertical of the latter. Four pairs 

 of barbels : nasal, maxillary, and two mentals or mandibulars. Nostrils widely 

 separated. Eye large, with free border. Jaws with a band of villiform teeth ; a band 

 of villiform vomero-palatine teeth. Gill-membranes free, deeply notched. Air-bladder 

 large, free. 



49 vertebrae (11 + 38) in JE. niloticus. 9 or 10 branchiostegal rays. The end of 

 the caudal region is more or less distinctly bent downwards. The supraoccipital 

 sends off a long styliform process to join the first interpleural bone supporting the 

 dorsal fin. 



Males are distinguished by a pointed anal papilla. 



This genus is restricted to Tropical Africa and the Nile. Eleven species appear to 

 be properly characterized. 



1. EUTROPIUS NILOTICUS. 



(Plate LV. fig. 1.) 



Hypopldhalmus niloticus, Piippell, Beschr. n. Fische Nil, p. 6, pi. i. fig. 1 (1829). 



Chilbe zerege, Rifaud, Voy. Egypte, pi. cxciv. no. 4 (1830). 



Schilbe hasselquistii, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Poiss. xiv. p. 377 (1839). 



Bagrus schilbeoides, Cuvier & Valenciennes, t. c. p. 389. 



Bagrus adanso?iii, Cuvier & Valenciennes, t, c. p. 391, pi. ccccxiv. 



Eutropius niloticus, Giinther, Cat. Fish. v. p. 52 (1864), and Petherick's Trav. ii. p. 225 (1869). 



Eutropius obtusirostris, Giinther, Cat. t. c» p. 53. 



Eutropius adansonii, Giinther, t. c. p. 54 ; Steindachner, Sitzb. Ak. Wien, lx. i. 1870, p. 985, 



pi. v. 

 Eutropius altipinnis, Steindachner, Notes Leyd. Mus. xvi. 1894, p. 57, pi. i. fig. 1. 



Depth of body three to four and two-thirds times in the total length, length of 

 head five to six times. Head once and one-fourth to once and two-thirds as long as 

 broad ; snout broad, projecting slightly beyond the mouth, as long as or a little 



