252 
BULI.ETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
5. Rhamdia guatemalensis (Giinther) 
FiLIN 
Pimelodus guatemalensis Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mu.s., V, 1864, 122 ("Huamuchal," Pacific slope of Guatemala). 
Rhamdia wagneri Jordan and Evermann, Bull., V. S. Nat. Mus., XLVII, 1896, 152; Regan, Biol. Cent. Amer, Pisces, 1907, 132. 
Head 3.65 to 4.25; depth 4.4 to 6.25; D. I, 6; A. 11 to 13. 
Body elongate, compressed posteriorly; caudal peduncle strongly compressed, 
its depth 2 to 2.45 in head; head depressed, its depth about three-fourths its width; 
snout broad, its length 2.55 to 2.8 in head; eye 5.3 to 6.2; interorbital 2.95 to 3.6; 
mouth broad, almost wholly transverse, its width equal to length of snout and half 
of eye; teeth small, in rather broad villiform bands in each jaw; maxillary barbel 
variable in length, apparently always reaching past the origin of the adipose and 
occasionally nearly to the end of this fin; dorsal fin rather small, round, the spine 
about three-fourths the length of the longest rays, 2.4 to 3.3 in head, origin of fin 
equidistant from tip of snout and vertical from origin of anal or a little nearer 
the latter; adipose fin long, its base 2.4 to 2.7 in body; caudal fin deeply forked, 
the median rays scarcely half the length of the longest; anal fin with convex mar- 
gin, its origin a little anterior to middle of base of adipose; ventral fins short, in- 
serted at vertical from end of dorsal base; pectorals small, the spine strong, without 
definite barbs on the inner margin, its length 2.2 to 3 in head. 
Color in life plain dark green, usually with a dark lateral band ; dorsal, adipose, 
caudal, and anal dusky; the other fins paler. 
This fish is represented by 9 specimens ranging from 90 to 185 millimeters 
in length. The species does not appear to be abundant enough anywhere to be of 
much commercial importance. The few individuals that were seen were quite 
small, none of them exceeding 185 millimeters in length. This catfish inhabits 
both lakes and streams, and it is said to be nocturnal in its habits, hiding during 
the day and coming out to feed principally at night. It is taken chiefly with hook 
and line. 
The contents of the stomachs examined consisted of the remains of fish, frag- 
ments of insects, and strands of algae. The ovary of a fish 185 millimeters long, 
taken in Lake Guija on January 25, was fairly well developed. Its length was 
48 millimeters, and it contained several thousand eggs approximately 0.5 milli- 
meters in diameter. It seems probable that this fish would have spawned within 
about one month. 
This catfish is recorded from western Guatemala, and according to Kegan it 
also occurs in southern Mexico and in British Honduras. The El Salvador speci- 
mens are from Lake Guija, Rio del Desague, Lake Metapan, Rio Sucio at Sitio 
del Nino, Rio Lempa at Suchitoto, and Lake Olomega. It was not seen elsewhere. 
