142 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



ing length of snout, and also the distance between the two openings 

 ventrally; dorsal and anal fins in grooves, the grooves especially deep 

 near end of tail, the fins moderately broad, with rather definite rays, 

 both ending about an eye's diameter in advance of tip of tail; origin 

 of dorsal somewhat variable, sometimes over beginning of the distal 

 fourth of pectoral, sometimes over tip of pectoral, distance anterior 

 to dorsal 5.2 to 5.5 in length anterior to vent; pectoral quite long, 

 2.3 to 2.6 in head. 



Color of preserved specimens grayish to brownish above, pale 

 underneath, the change of color being rather abrupt in the smaller 

 specimens; nape, at least in small specimens, and the lateral line 

 anteriorly and sometimes throughout with very small pale spots, 

 surrounding pores, the number of spots and their spacing very vari- 

 able; gill slit with a dark membrane anteriorly in adults; dorsal and 

 anal with manj'" dark points, the fins becoming quite dark posteriorly 

 in adults, paler in young; pectoral pale in young, grayish or brownish 

 in adults, the upper margin and inner surface darkest. 



The Mission collected eight specimens, ranging in length from 165 

 to 825 mm., which were taken at Talara, Chimbote Bay, Mazorka 

 Island, in the Huaura group, and at Pachacamac Island, The two 

 large specimens were taken on a trawl line, two smaller ones were 

 taken with poison, and the rest were caught at night under a light. 

 The larger of the two specimens reported by Evermann and Rad- 

 cliffe (see reference above), taken at Paita by R. E. Coker, also is 

 at hand. 



Range. — Coasts of Peru and Chile. 



OPHICHTHUS CALLAENSIS (Gunther) 



Anguila 



Ophichthys callaensis GxJ'nther, 1873, p. 92, Callao, Peru (original description). 

 Ophichthus callaensis Jordan and Davis, 1892, p. 633, Coquimbo and Valparaiso, 



Chile (original description republished). — Nichols and Murphy, 1922, p. 



505, Independencia Bay, Peru.^ — ^Fowler, 1941a, p. 364 (references). 



Body not much deeper than broad; head and trunk much shorter 

 than tail, length anterior to vent 2.3 to 2.5 in total length; head at 

 posterior angle of mouth a little deeper than broad, its length ante- 

 rior to gUl opening 7.5 to 8.5 in total length, 3.1 to 3.4 in length ante- 

 rior to vent; depth 8.3 to 10 in length anterior to vent, 2.4 to 3.4 in 

 head; snout rather pointed, extending length of pupil beyond man- 

 dible, 6.0 to 7.6 in head; eye 8.4 to 10 in head, 1.4 to 1.45 in snout; 

 mouth large, the gape reaching far beyond eye, 2.1 to 2.4 in head; 

 teeth fairly small, largest anteriorly, in two series in each jaw, inner 

 series in lower jaw incomplete, present only on posterior half of jaw; 

 vomer with 4 or 5 enlarged teeth anteriorly, in an irregular series 

 rather than in definite pairs, followed by a straight series of 8 to 10 

 smaller teeth; anterior nostril with a short tube, the posterior one 



