THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 91 



behind vertical from origin of dorsal; and a little nearer base of pectoral 

 than origin of anal; pectoral notably larger, failing to reach base of 

 ventral by diameter of pupil 1.2 in head, 4.95 in length. 



Color in alcohol pale brownish yellow; sides with a very prominent 

 silvery lateral band, about three-fourths width of eye; median line of 

 back with a dark streak ; scales on side above lateral band with brown- 

 ish edges; tips of caudal lobes black. 



The single specimen from the Gulf of Guayaquil at hand forms the 

 basis for the foregoing description. It is one of two specimens de- 

 scribed b}^ Evermann and Radcliffe (see reference above) . This fish is 

 140 mm. (114 mm. to base of caudal) long and was secured at Capon 

 by R. E. Coker. It has been compared with specimens from Tumaco, 

 Colombia ; from the Panama Canal and Panama Bay; and from Mazat- 

 Idn, Mexico, the type locality. The specimen in hand has a somewhat 

 greater number of vertebrae, gill rakers, and anal rays than the other 

 specimens examined. It also has a rather slenderer body than the 

 specimens from Mazatldn and Panama, but it is not so slender as the 

 specimens from Tumaco, Colombia. The determination of the exact 

 relationship of the representatives from different regions will have to 

 await the collection of more specimens from the Gulf of Guayaquil. 

 On the basis of the single specimen at hand it would seem that this 

 southern fish is subspecifically distinct from the Panama ones. 



Range. — Concepci6n Bay, Baja California, to Cap6n, Peru. 



Genus ILISHA< Gray, 1845 



Body much compressed; thorax and abdomen armed with strong 

 scutes; upper jaw without notch; lower jaw strongly projecting; teeth 

 minute, present on jaws, palatines, pterygoids, and tongue, none on 

 vomer; gill rakers moderately long, not very close-set and not numer- 

 ous, about 20 to 25 on lower limb of first arch; anal fin very long, with 

 more than 35 rays; ventral fins small, inserted in advance of dorsal. 



A single species is known from the Pacific coast of tropical America. 



lUSHA FCRTHn (Steindachner) 



Machete 



Pellona fiirthii Steindachner, 1874, p. 14, Panama Bay (original description). 



Ilisha furthii Starks, 1906, p. 778, Guayaquil, Ecuador (recorded from 4 speci- 

 mens). — Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, p. 189 (synonymy; description; 

 range) . 



Head 3.5 to 3.75; depth 2.75 to 3.3; D. 15 or 16; A. 46 to 50; P. 15; 

 scales 59 to 61; vertebrae 52 (one specimen dissected). 



Body very strongly compressed, especially ventrally; ventral out- 

 line much more strongly convex than the dorsal; greatest thickness 



♦ I am unable to follow Norman (1923) who placed the species herein described in his new genus Neosieus, 

 which is said to have "a small toothed bone in place of the ligament (in Ilisha) between the distal end of the 

 premaxillary and the middle of the maxillary." The specimens from the Gulf of Guayaquil and others 

 from Panama Bay all seem to have a ligament instead of a toothed bone, and therefore the local species 

 apparently should remain in Ilisha. 



