THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU HI 



SYNODUS SECHURAE. new species 



Figure 24 



Head 4.15; depth about 8.5; D. 11; A. 12; P. 14; scales 59, 4 com- 

 plete rows between base of dorsal and lateral line, 21 rows crossing 

 back before dorsal fin. 



Body apparently as broad as deep at base of ventrals (somewhat 

 distorted) ; caudal peduncle somewhat compressed, its depth 4.45 in 

 head; head notably depressed, its width exceeding its depth at margin 

 of preopercle by only a little less than diameter of eye; interorbital 

 2.25 in snout; upper anterior rim of orbit with prominent serrae, the 

 upper posterior rim rough but without definite serrae; snout only 

 moderately long, not sharply pointed, not projecting far beyond 

 mandible, 3.75 in head; mandible bluntly pointed, without a definite 

 fleshy knob, with definite vertical folds of skin laterally near tip; eye 

 moderately large, 5.8 in head, 1.5 in snout; mouth large, premaxillary 

 extending about an eye's diameter beyond orbit, 1.7 in head; scales 



Figure 24. — Synodus sechurae, new species. From the type, 150 mm. long, Sechura Bay, 



Peru (U.S.N.M. No. 127829). 



with membranous borders, the cu-culae well marked; dorsal fin high, 

 the longest rays not quite reacliing tip of the last somewhat produced 

 one if deflexed, 1.5 in head, origin of fin a little nearer anterior margin 

 of eye than adipose fin; adipose over middle of base of anal; caudal fin 

 short, the upper lobe the longer, a little longer than premaxillary; anal 

 much lower than dorsal, its base a little longer, 1.7 in head; inner rays 

 of ventral fully twice as long as the outer ones, reaching halfway to 

 anal, 1.25 in head; pectoral somewhat pointed, reaching opposite base 

 of ventral, 1 .8 in head. 



Color grayish above, side somewhat silvery, pale below; upper 

 surface of head and back in advance of dorsal with numerous pale gray 

 specks, becoming fewer posteriorly; sides of head with dark spots; 

 rows of scales on sides with indications of dark lines. Adipose ante- 

 riorly black; dorsal, caudal (especially the lower lobe), and pectoral 

 dusky; other fins pale; mandible with a dark cross bar just posterior 

 to its tip; a dark spot at base of first dorsal ray and at base of upper 

 ray of pectoral. 



The Mission obtained with an otter trawl a single specimen, 150 

 mm. (128 mm. of base of caudal) long, in Sechura Bay. The fore- 



