OCR Text |
Show 72 DR. GUNTHER ON FISHES FROM KILIMA-NJARO. [Feb. 19, a broad fold pendent from the end of the snout. Eye of moderate size, somewhat behind the middle of the length of the head, two ninths of the length of the head, and nearly one half of the broad and flat interorbital space. There are three longitudinal series of scales between the lateral line and the root of the ventral fin. Body rather elongate, its depth being equal to the length of the head and two ninths of the total length, without caudal. The origin of the dorsal fin is considerably in advance of that of the ventral; in fact, the fin occupies the middle of the distance between the end of the snout, and the root of the caudal. Pectorals inserted at the lower side of the body, horizontal, but not reaching the ventral; ventrals long, broad, nine-rayed, extending beyond the vent ; caudal fin deeply forked. Coloration uniform ; a small black spot on the shoulders behind the upper end of the gill-opening. One specimen, 5 inches long. Unless one or the other of the Abyssinian fishes described by Ruppell as Barbus belongs to Tylognathus, this would seem to be the first African species of this genus which hitherto has been known to be represented in India and Syria. However, it should be remembered that the separation of this genus from Labeo is artificial, and maintained for other reasons (see Catal. Fish. vii. p. 62). Labeo is well known to be a type common to both the African and Indian regions. BARBUS JACKSONI, sp. nov. D. 10. A. 8. L. lat. 37. L. transv. 6/5. Two pairs of barbels, the posterior rather longer than the anterior and about as long as the eye. Eye large, longer than the snout and two sevenths of the length of the head. Interorbital space convex, much wider than the orbit. The osseous dorsal ray is very strong and smooth, longer than the head. There are three and a half series of scales between the lateral line and the root of the ventral fin. Body compressed, its height being two sevenths of the total length, without caudal; head small, two ninths of the same length. The small mouth is anterior, the upper jaw but slightly overlapping the lower, lips not thickened. The origin of the dorsal fin is opposite to the root of the ventral, and but little nearer to the end of the snout than to the root of the caudal; caudal fin forked. Three round black spots on the side of the body ; the two anterior above, and the third on, the lateral line ; the first opposite to the seventh, and the second opposite to the sixteenth scale of the lateral line. One specimen, 3| inches long. |