b ’ 
MUD CATFISH. 7197 
Genus 12. PELODICHTHYS. Rafinesque. 
Pilodictis, Rafinesque (1819), Prodrome de Soixante dix Genres, etc., in Journal de 
Physique, de Chymie, et d’ Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 422. 
Leptops, RAFINESQUE (1820) Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 64. 
Opladelus, RAFINESQUE (1820), Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 64. 
Tlictis, RAFINESQUE (1820, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 66. 
Pylodictis, RAFINESQUE (1820), Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 67. 
Hopladelus, GiLu (1862), Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 45, and of most late authors. 
Pelodichthys, GILL and JoRDAN, MSS.—JorDAN (1876), Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist , N. Y ,—. 
Pimelodus sp , KIRTLAND, Cuy. and VAL., et Auct. 
Etymology, pelos, mud ;. ichthus, fish. 
‘Type, Pilodictis limosis, Raf. = Silurus olivaris, Raf. 
Body much elongated, very slender, much depressed, anteriorly broader than high; 
head. large, very wide and depressed, laterally expanded, above broadly ovate, and in 
profile cuneiform; skin very thick, entirely concealing the skull; supraoccipital bone 
entirely free from the head of the second interspinal; eyes small; mouth very large, 
anterior and transverse; the lower jaw always projects beyond the upper; teeth in 
broad villiform bands on the intermaxillaries and dentaries; the intermaxillary band 
is convex auteriorly, and proceeds to the insertion of the maxillaries, where it is ab- 
ruptly angularly deflected, and proceeds backward as an elongated triangular extension. 
The band at the symphysis is slightly divided and anteriorly separated by a small tri- 
angular extension of the labial membrane; the lower dental is anteriorly semicircular 
and attenuated to the corners of the mouth; there are about twelve branchiostegal 
rays on each side; the dorsal fin is situated over the posterior half of the interval be- 
tween the pectorals and ventrals, and has a spine and about seven branched rays; tke 
Spine is rather small, and more or less enveloped in the thick skin; the adipose fin is 
large, and has an elongated base resting over the anal; it is very obese and inclines 
rapidly backward; it is rather less free posteriorly than in Amiurus; the anal fin is 
small; it commences far behind the anus, is a little longer than high, and is composed 
of about fourteen rays; the caudal fin is oblong, subtruncated, placed on a vertical 
basis, and with numerous accessory simple rays, recurrent above and beneath the caudal 
peduncle; the pectorals have a broad, compressed spine, serrated or dentated on its 
external and internal margins, and with the prolonged fleshy integument obliquely 
striated ; the ventrals are rounded and have nine rays, one simple and eight branched ; 
vent well behind ventrals, much in advance of anal; coloration brown or yellowish 
more or less marbled or spotted. But one species is ce known. 
22. PELODICHTHYS OLIVARIS (Rafinesque) Gill and Jordan. 
Viud Catfish. 
Silurus olivaris, RAFINESQUE (1818), Am. Monthly Mag., iii, Sept., 355. 
Hopladelus olwaris, GILL (1862), Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 45.—Corr (1867), Journ, 
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 237.—JORDAN (1876), Man. Vert., 303; (1877), Proc. Acad, 
Nat. Sci. Phila., 46.—NELSON (1877), Bull. Ills. Mus. Nat. Hist., 50.—Gix1 (1876), 
Ich. Capt. Simpson’s Expl,, 426.—JORDAN and COPELAND (1876), Check List, 170. 
Pelodichthys olivaris, JORDAN (1876), Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., N. Y.. —; Bull. U. S. Nat. 
Mus., x, 1877, 95; Man. Vert., 2d Ed., 1878, 334. 
