88 HAPLOMI. 



7. CHARACODON, Giinth., 18G6. 



Characodon, Giintli. Cat. Fish. vi. p. 308 (]8GG) ; Jord. & Everm. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. xlvii. 



1896, p. 667. 

 Characndon and Chapalichthys, Meek, Puhl. Columbian Mus., Zool. v. 1904, pp. 118 & 123. 



Tiviparous. Anal fin of the male with the anterior five or six raya short, stiff, and subequal, separated 

 by a more or loss distinct notch from the rest of the fin. Mouth rather small, with short lateral cleft ; 

 rami of lower jaw firmly united ; minute teeth in bands, with an outer series of enlarged, fixed, bicuspid 

 teeth. 



Hah. Mexico and Lower California. 



Synopsis of the Species. 

 I. Dorsal and anal fins each with more than 25 rays . 1. midliradiaius. 



II. Dorsal and anal fins each with less than 20 rays. 



A. 32 to 36 scales in a longitudinal series. 



Origin of anal below middle of dorsal ; origin of dorsal equidistant from tip of 



snout and base of caudal or a little nearer the latter 2. encanstus. 



Origin of anal below anterior part of dorsal ; origin of dorsal about equidistant 



from tip of snout and posterior end of caudal fin 3. variaius. 



Origin of anal a little in advance o£ that of the dorsal, which is equidistant fi'om 



posterior part of head and posterior end of caudal fin 4. lateralis. 



B. 50 to 55 scales in a longitudinal series 5. furcidens. 



1. Characodon multiradiatiis. (Tab. Xll. figg. 3, 4.) 



Characodon multiradiatus, Meek, Publ. Columbian Mus., Zool. v. 1904, p. 119'- 



Depth of body 2| to 85- in the length, length of head 3| to 4. Snout a little shorter than eye, the diamct 



cr 



of wliich is 3 to 3^ in the length of head : interorbital width 2 to '2\ in the length of head. About 4U 

 scales in a longitudinal series *. Dorsal 28-33 ; origin nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal ( rf' ) 

 or nearer to the caudal ( 2 ). Anal 2'.)-'62; origin below the anterior part of the dorsal. I'ectoral ■; 

 to "I the length of head. Caudal subtrunoate. Olivaceous, with irregular dark cross-bars; vertical fins, 

 in the males, with blackish edges. 



Hal. Mexico, Rio Lerma System, Lerma ^ 



Here described from four specimens, measuring up to 45 mm. in total length, from 

 Lerma [Meek). 



2. Characodon encaustns- 



Characodon encauMus, Jord. & Suyd. Bull. U.S. Fish. Comm. xix. 1899, p. 126, fig. 7 (1900) '. 

 Chapalichthys encaustns, Meek, Publ. Columbian Mus., Zool. v. 1904, p. 123, fig. 36 ^ 



Depth of body 3 to 3| in the length, length of head 3i to 4. Snout as long as or shorter than eye, the 

 diameter of which is 3 to 3i in the length of head ; interorbital width 2| to 3 in the length of head. 



* When the scales are regularly arranged I count not more than 40 in a longitudinal series. Sometimes 

 they are irregular, two scales from series above and below meeting to exclude a scale from contact with what 

 should be the next one in its longitudinal series ; in one specimen this occurs to such an extent that more 

 than 45 may be counted from above the pectoral to the caudal. 



