1899.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 349 



The conditiou of the reproductive orwaus indicates the time of cap- 

 ture (January) to have been the height of the breeding season. 



Length 180-220 mm. 

 52. Diplectruni conceptione (Cuvier and Valenciennes). 



Strraims cvitfeptlonis Cuv. andVal., Hist. Nat. Poiss., ii, 246, 1828 

 [Conception de Chile] ; Bouleuger, Cat. Brit. Mus., 1, 296, 1895. 



Centropristis conceptionis Giinther, Cat. Brit. Mus., i, 84. 1859. 



Diplectrum concepiioiw Jordan and Eigenmann, Bull. U. S. F. C, 

 viii, 1890 (1888), 399. 



Local name, Mojarrilla. 



Five specimens, length 180-200. 



Depth 3|-4, head 2|-3, eye 4f in head, interorbital |-^ in eye. 



D. X, 12. A. Ill, 7. Lateral line (pores) 53 circ. 



Body outline low. Profile almost straight from anterior edge of 

 orbit to beginning of dorsal. Snout broad but sharp. Mouth 

 rather large, maxillary reaching to posterior edge of pupil, its 

 distal end about ^ of eye in Avidth, its dorsal edge with a longitu- 

 dinal groove and ridge, somewhat imitating the accessory maxillary 

 bone of the Epinephelinse. Canines weakly developed. Cheeks 

 and opercles covered with strongly ctenoid scales. Snout, jaws and 

 interorbital space as far as occiput, including ring about the eye, 

 naked. Opercle with a stoutish spine. Angle of preopercle with 

 three or four stout plectroid spines — above and below are two or 

 three weaker and gradually shorter spines merging above into the 

 fine dentieulations of the vertical edge of preopercle. Lower edge 

 entire. Gill rakers slender, 8-1-14. Lateral line concurrent with 

 back, about 6 or 7 scale rows between it and dorsal. 



Dorsal spines rather Aveak, the fourth and fifth the longest, sub- 

 equal, 3 in head. Tenth spine about two-thirds of first ray. 

 Origin of dorsal on the vertical with that of pectoral. Ventrals 

 very slightly in advance of latter. Pectorals If. Ventrals 2 in 

 head. Caudal lunate, the upper lobe the longer. Anal spines 

 rather weak, the third the longest, 4^ in head. 



Head dark reddish brown, a black blotch on opercle. Inner 

 surface of opercle black. Side of body with seven or eight bars of 

 rose to level of pectoral, dirty yellow below. Soft dorsal mottled. 

 Ventrals and margin of caudal dark. A few spots on caudal. 



Range. — Coasts of Chile and Peru. 



