THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 57 



and on the tail; a low ridged buckler on orbital ridge in front of eye 

 and another behind the eye, a small nuchal spine, and a series of 

 larger ones on median line of tail, the last one being situated between 

 the dorsal fins; two rather definite rows of spines on outer parts of 

 pectoral; two dorsal fins, the second somewhat larger than the first, 

 separated by a distance scarcely more than a fourth as long as base 

 of first dorsal; base of first dorsal 2.9 in snout; second dorsal partly 

 separated from the rather well developed rudimentary caudal by a 

 notch; ventral not especially deeply notched, the outer lobe 3.4 in 

 length anterior to axil of pectoral, 5.15 in width of disk; claspers very 

 long and pointed, extending somewhat beyond origin of first dorsal, 

 3.3 in total length, equipped with a large flat, sharply pointed spine, 

 bent outward rather sharply. 



Color brownish, with rather obscure light spots on middle portion 

 of body from interorbital to base of tail; snout with a large pale area, 

 narrower anteriorly; very small scattered dark specks also present. 



The description is based on the type, a male 390 mm. long, the 

 only specimen at hand (U.S.N.M. No. 77710), identified as Raja 

 s^emc^acAnen Delfinby Evermann and Radclift'e (see reference above), 

 who had a second specimen, which is not available now. However, 

 Norman (1937, p. 34) considered R. steindachneri Delfin a synonym 

 of P. lima (Poeppig). Although P. caudispina is related to P. lima, 

 it seems to differ, according to Norman's account of the latter, in 

 several respects as follows: The vent is about equidistant from tip of 

 snout and end of tail in lima, whereas it is much nearer end of tail in 

 caudispina; the interorbital is 3 to nearly 4 times longitudinal diam- 

 eter of eye in lima, and only about 2 times in caudispina; the teeth 

 are in 40 to 44 transverse rows in lima, and in only 33 rows in caudi- 

 spina; and the color in lima is described as more or less uniform 

 grayish or brownish above, whereas it is brownish with rather large 

 pale spots and a large pale area on snout in caudispina. 



The name caudispina was suggested by the spines on the tail. 



Range. — The type, and only specimen known, was taken at Chim- 

 bote by R. E. Coker. 



PSAMMOBATIS ASPER, new species 



Platillo 

 Figure 10 



Disk rather broad, tip of snout slightly projecting, moderately 

 convex opposite posterior part of snout, gently concave opposite and 

 posterior to spiracle, moderately to strongly convex elsewhere; width 

 of disk 1.3 in total length; its greatest length 1.6; length anterior to 

 axil of pectorals 1.85; length anterior to vent 1.8; length posterior to 

 vent 2.3; tail very strongly depressed, its depth 1.7 in its width at axil 

 of ventral, with a cutaneous lateral fold beginning as a keel opposite 



