THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 157 



This species is known from Peru from a dry specimen from Lobos 

 de Tierra Island reported by Nichols and Murphy (see reference 

 above), which I have not seen, and another dry one from Talara lent 

 for study by the Chicago Natural History Museum, which is before me. 



This species has 11, rarely 12, trunk segments, and 38 to 40 caudal 

 ones; D. 19 to 21; P. 15 to 17; tubercles well developed in fish of me- 

 dium size, becoming amost obliterated in large males; coronet moder- 

 ately high, becoming somewhat lower in large males; snout long, about 

 10 percent of length; body spotted, often profusely, with whitish dots, 

 tending to form fine white streaks, small dark spots also numerous; 

 dorsal fin generally with a submarginal dark streak, its margin hyaline, 

 fin below the dark streak more or less dusky, diffusely spotted, or 

 sometimes colorless. 



Range. — San Diego, Calif., to northern Peru. 



Family MERLUCCIIDAE: Hakes 



Body elongate; caudal peduncle distinct; head long, low, depressed 

 above, shaped as in the pikes; mouth large; lowxr jaw projecting; 

 maxillary reaching beyond anterior margin of eye; teeth strong, present 

 on jaws and on vomer; no barbels; gill membranes nearly separate; 

 branchiostegals seven ; scales small ; more or less deciduous ; dorsal fins 

 two, the first one short, the second long, with an indentation, both 

 fins composed of soft rays; anal similar to second dorsal; ventral well 

 developed, subjugular, with seven rays. 



This family is composed of a single genus. 



Genus MERLUCCIUS Rafinesque, 1810 



The characters of the genus are sufficiently indicated for identifi- 

 cation in the family description. 



A single species is known from Peru. Norman's revision of the 

 genus (1937, pp. 44-49) was used freely in determining the affinity 

 of the species herein described and related ones. 



MERLUCCIUS GAYI (Gnichenot) 



Peje-palo 



Merlus gayi Guichenot, in Gay, 1848, p. 329, Chile (original description). 

 Merluccius gayi Eveemann and Radcliffe, 1917, p. 156, Callao and Paita, Peru 



(synonymy; description). — Norman, 1937, p. 47, fig. 20, B (synonymy; 



description; range). 



Head 3.0 to 3.2; depth 5.4 to 6.2; D. 11 or 12-35 to 39; A. 36 to 38; 

 P. 15 to 18; scales about 120. 



Body slender, compressed, its greatest thickness about tw^o-thirds its 

 depth; head long, compressed, flat above; caudal peduncle very slender, 

 7.0 to 9.5 in head; snout fairly long, depressed, 3.3 to 3.9; eye 5.1 to 

 5.9; interorbital 3.7 to 4.3; mouth large, moderately obhque; lower jaw 



