OCR Text |
Show 1896.] FISHES M A D E BY DR. A. D. SMITH. 219 4. CHROMIS SPILURUS, Gunth. Proe. Zool. Soc. 1894, p. 89. This species was discovered by Dr. Gregory in pools remaining in dried-up watercourses of North Giriama. Dr. Donaldson Smith found this species (30.12.94) under similar conditions near the Shebeli River, and (8.12.94) in water-holes near Sheikh Husein. All the specimens, those collected by Dr. Gregory as well as by Dr. D. Smith, are small, not exceeding 12 cm. in length. 5. CLARIAS SMITHII, sp. n. Clarias lazera, Gunth. P. Z. S. 1894, p. 89 (nee C. V.). D. 70-73. A. 58-62. V. 1/9. Vomerine teeth (Fig. 1) granular, forming a very broad band, nearly twice as broad as that of the intermaxillary teeth, with an obtuse, rounded projection behind in the middle of its concavity. Transversely the intermaxillary band is wider than the vomerine. The mandibular? dental band is as broad as the intermaxillary. Upper surface of the head with not very coarse granulations; the length of the head is two sevenths of the total, without caudal. The maxillary barbel reaches beyond the root of the pectoral, the nasal barbel being not quite half its length. The pectoral fin extends to, or nearly to, the origin of the dorsal, the spine being two thirds of the fin. Dorsal fin separated by a short interspace from the caudal. Fig. 1. Teeth of Clarias smithii. A single specimen, 45 centim. long, is in the collection, and was captured in the middle course of the Shebeli. The breadth of the intermaxillary band of teeth is 5 millim., that of the vomerine 8 millim.; the transverse width of the former is 51, of the latter 47 millim. A fish captured by Dr. Gregory at Ngatana, and enumerated by me under the name of Clarias lazera, is evidently of the same species. The African species of Clarias are extremely similar in general appearance and most difficult to define, chiefly on account of the uncertainty which attaches to almost all the taxonomic characters which have been used for distinguishing them. Some of the characters are certain to undergo considerable changes with age, for instance the vomerine teeth, which are not likely to be granular in very young specimens. The presence or absence of a posterior process of the vomerine band is a more reliable character, as is |