NEMACH1LUS. 217 



Lateral line along the middle of the side. Mouth small, inferior, sur- 

 rounded by a circular lip ; three pairs of barbels, two on the snout and 

 one at the sides of the mouth. Suborbitals small, without spine. Gill- 

 openings restricted to the sides. Dorsal fin short, with 10 to 17 rays, 

 opposite to the ventrals or just behind the vertical of the latter. Anal 

 fin short, with 7 to 9 rays. Pharyngeal teeth small, pointed and more 

 or less distinctly hooked, in a single series. Air-bladder entirely or 

 partially enclosed in a bony capsule open at the sides. 

 Europe and Asia, A single species in Africa. 



1. NEMACHILUS ABYSS INICUS. 

 Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (7) x. 1902, p. 437, and Fish. Nile, p. 274, pi. xlviii. 

 fig. 6 (1907). 



Depth of body 7 times in total length, length of head 5 times. Head 



Fig. 191. 



NemacMlns abyssinicus. 

 Type. xlj. 



feebly compressed behind, twice as long as broad. Snout a little shorter 

 than postorbital part of head, a little depressed; eye 5^ times in length 

 of head, f- interorbital width ; longest barbels twice diameter of eye. 

 Dorsal 10, a little nearer caudal than occiput, originating immediately 

 behind vertical of root of ventral, middle rays longest, nearly f length 

 of head. Anal 9. Caudal feebly emarginate. Caudal peduncle 1\ 

 times as long as deep. Yellowish brown, Avith irregular dark spots, and 

 a series of ten large transverse dark spots along the back ; a small round 

 black spot on the dorsal fin ; caudal fin with dark spots. 



Total length 40 millim. 



Lake Tsana, Abyssinia. 

 1. Type, Bahardar. Mr. E. Degen (C). 



