THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 107 



posterior margin of eye, 1 in front of lower part of eye, a pair near tip 

 of mandible, a row of 8 on bases of branchiostegal arches; scales mostly 

 lost in the specimens studied, making an enumeration impossible, 

 very thin, and at least posteriorly very large; dorsal somewhat elevated 

 anteriorly, the longest rays about as long as snout and eye, posterior 

 rays very short, its origin about an eye's diameter behind base of 

 ventral, and a little nearer tip of snout than tips of longest caudal 

 rays, its distance from tip of snout 1.65 to 1.8 in length; adipose fin 

 apparently very small, about equidistant from origin of dorsal and 

 tips of longest caudal rays, and over or just behind last ray of anal; 

 caudal moderately forked, about as long as head without snout; anal 

 similar to dorsal, its origin under eighth to tenth ray of dorsal, its 

 base 5.6 to 6.7 in length; ventral long, reaching more than halfway 

 to anal, fully half length of head, inserted equidistant from tip of 

 snout and base of caudal; pectoral inserted on ventral edge, below 

 margin of opercle, 6.1 to 6.9 in length. 



9 o » o e oo«6t)<j _ « o o 5 S. 



Figure 23. — Vinciguerria pacifici, new species. From the type, 58 mm. long, ofF Lobos de 

 Afuera Island, Peru (U.S.N.M. No. 128176). 



Color apparently largely dusky above; sides and ventral surface 

 bright silvery; light organs surrounded by dark at base, the sockets 

 being black; fins exclusive of the ventrals, with dark punctulations; 

 base of caudal with an irregular dark bar. 



The collection made by the Mission contains seven specimens, 57 to 

 65 mm. (48 to 55 mm. to base of caudal) long. These fishes, as shown 

 by the label with them, were removed from the stomach of a "skip- 

 jack," Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus), caught 50 miles south of Lobos 

 de Afuera Island, at latitude 7° 47' S., longitude 80° 32' W., on a line 

 trawl in 20 fathoms. The specimens are in fair condition, nearly all 

 characters being satisfactorily preserved in one or more individuals. 

 A specimen (U.S.N.M. No. 128176) 58 mm. (48 mm. to base of 

 caudal) long has been selected as the type. On it the foUowdng propor- 

 tions and enumerations are based: Head 4.0 in length; depth 7.15; 

 distance from tip of snout to dorsal 1.65; base of anal 6.9; pectoral 6.9. 

 Eye 3.5 in head; snout 4.8; interorbital about 6.0; maxillary 1.5; 

 caudal peduncle 5.0. D. 13; A. 15; V. 7; P. 10; gill rakers 9 + 22. 



This apparently new species agrees with V. lucetia (Garman), the 

 only other species of the genus reported from the eastern Pacific, in 

 the number and arrangement of the photophores and also in the 



