THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 121 



its width and length generally about equal; origin of dorsal about 

 twice diameter of eye behind base of pectoral spine; distance anterior 

 to origin of dorsal 2.8 to 2.9 in length; dorsal spine sharply pointed, 

 merely rough on anterior and posterior margins, without distinct 

 barbs, not surmounted by a filament, failing by more than diameter 

 of eye to reach tips of longest soft rays, 1.5 to 1.75 in head; adipose 

 very short and rather high, over posterior third of anal, its base 7.5 

 to 8.4 in head; caudal deeply forked, the upper lobe rather narrower 

 and notably longer than the lower one; anal long, with concave mar- 

 gin, its base 1.4 to 1.5 in head; vcntrals short, nearly or quite reach- 

 ing origin of anal, inserted about equidistant from base of pectoral 

 spine and beginning of posterior third of anal; pectoral spine sharply 

 pointed, with small barbs on outer margin only, with a filament 

 extending to or beyond origin of anal, the spine 1.35 to 1.45 in head. 



Color very dark metallic blue above, shading into the silvery color 

 of sides; pale underneath; fins rather pale, the dorsal and caudal 

 rather dusky in one specimen. 



The Mission took four specimens, 233 to 275 mm. (174 to 205 mm. 

 to base of caudal) long, with a dredge in shallow water, in the Gulf 

 of Guayaquil, off Puerto Pizarro. Although this species has been re- 

 ported from Ecuador twice, it has not previously been recorded from 

 Peru. The specimens apparently are too young to have developed 

 secondary sexual characters distinctly, though one specimen has 

 rather longer fins than the others and therefore probably is a female. 

 In large specimens from Panama the ventral fins are much longer in 

 the female than in the male, and the anal is much more strongly 

 elevated anteriorly. This species differs from related species in the 

 absence of a filament surmounting the dorsal spine. 



Range. — Guaymas, Mexico (from where a specimen, U.S.N.M. 

 No. 119728, is at hand), to Puerto Pizarro, Peru. 



BAGRE PINNIMACULATUS (Steindachner) 



Aelurichthys pinnimaculatus Steindachner, 1875b, p. 15, pi. 8 figs. 1-3, Panama, 

 Altata (Sinaloa), and west coast of Costa Rica (original description). 



Felichthys pinnimaculatus Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, p. 100, Panama Bay 

 (synonymy; description; range). 



Head 3.6; depth 5.0; D. I, 7; A. 29; P. I, 11. 



Body anteriorly somewhat broader than deep, tapering posteriorly; 

 caudal peduncle moderately slender, compressed, 3.3 in head; head 

 low and broad, its greatest width only a little less than its length; 

 interorbital space broad, convex, 1.5 on head; snout broad, its an- 

 terior margin broadly convex, 2.75 in head; eye lateral, 7.3; mouth 

 arched forward rather broadly, though narrower than snout, its 

 width at angles 1.6 in head; teeth all pointed, in bands on jaws, 

 vomer and palatines; the band on upper jaw anteriorly narrower than 



