288 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM VOL. 95 
helping clear up this matter is a redescription of Parodon suborbitale 
and the form collected by me in the Orinoco Basin, along with other 
data obtained on specimens in the National: Museum. 
KEY TO THE GENERA OF PARODONTINAE 
la. Teeth in upper jaw 0+6-+0 and not in a straight line; edge of thin upper 
lip free and crossing middle of teeth on premaxillaries; no teeth in lower 
jaw, the edge of which is 5-lobed; pectoral rays ii, 12 to 16; pelvies i, 8. 
Saccodon Kner and Steindachner 
1b. Teeth in upper jaw normally 2+8-+42 (2 teeth on each maxillary); upper 
lip not free but forming part of flesh between bases of teeth on premax- 
illaries. | 
2a. Pectoral rays ii, 14 to 17; pelvics i, 8; no teeth on lower jaw. 
Parodontops Schultz and Miles 
2b. Pectoral fin rays i, 11 to 16; pelvics i, 7, rarely i, 8. 
3a. No teeth) on) lower jaws 255225. See Apareiodon Higenmann 
3b. Teeth at sides of lower jaw normally 3+3, but one or more may be 
lacking cinawy Ou ee ce Us Dis aap ee NT ee Parodon Valenciennes: 
Genus PARODON Valenciennes 
Parodon VALENCIENNES, 7m Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des 
poissons, vol. 22, p. 50, 1849. (Type: Parodon suborbitale Valenciennes.) 
TENTATIVE KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PARODON REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 
la. Color pattern consisting of about 13 to 15 vertical blackish color bars on 
sides, their width narrower than eye; pale interspaces a little narrower 
than black bars; each pair (usually with one or two exceptions) of these 
black vertical color bars more or less fuse to form a black saddle across: 
back that meets the corresponding pair on other side, the back thus. 
being crossed with about 9 saddles; no lengthwise black streaks, even 
along lateral line or on back; origin of dorsal closer to tip of snout than 
midbase of caudal fin by length of snout and eye; pectoral fin rays i, 14 
to i, 16, usually i, 15; dorsal ii, 10; anal ii, 7; pelvic i, 7; scales 35 to 38, 
usually 36 or 37, with 4 or 4% above lateral line to origin of dorsal and 4 
below lateral line to origin of anal fin; 16 scales in a zigzag row around 
caudal peduncle; 11% to 12% predorsal scales and 11% to 12% scales 
between base of dorsal fin and adipose origin; head 4 to 5%, depth 3% 
to 4, in standard length; least depth of caudal peduncle 1.4 to 1.6 in head. 
Parodon apolinari Myers 
1b. Color pattern consisting of a lateral streak, a little intensified at base of 
caudal fin and continuing nearly to end of midcaudal rays; this lateral 
streak or band, diffuse in adults, more intense in young about 60 mm. or 
shorter, crossed with about 18 or 19 very short blackish bars; about 8 or 9 
dark saddles across back, diffuse in largest specimens; in other specimens 
bars lacking and lateral band intensified and in addition a narrow black 
streak, well defined, extending along upper sides to behind adipose fin 
where it joins its fellow from the other side, this band separated from 
lateral band by a wide pale band, crossed by the 8 or 9 dark diffuse dorsal 
saddles; dorsal fin closer to tip of snout by snout and eye than to midbase 
of caudal fin; pectoral rays i, 13 toi, 15, usually i, 14; dorsal ii, 10; anal ii, 7; 
pelvic i, 7; scales 36 or 37 in lateral line to base of caudal, 4% above and 4 
