166 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



A specimen from Lobos de Afuera Bay, Peru, 204 mm. (160 mm. to 

 base of caudal) long (U.S.N.M. No. 127950), has beeen selected as the 

 type. The following proportions and enumerations are based on this 

 specimen: Head in length 2.7; depth 2.4; length from snout to origin 

 of dorsal 2.7. Eye in head 4.7; snout 5.3; interorbital 8.4; maxillary 

 2.2; caudal peduncle 3.1; fourth dorsal spine 2.3; second anal spine 

 2.4; ventral spine 3.3; pectoral 1.5. D. XI, 19; A. Ill, 9; P. 16; gill 

 rakers 5 + 14 ; scales about 70. The type is a grayish-brown specimen, 

 on which the color markings described are quite distinct. 



According to the report of the Mission (1943, p. 289) the common 

 name "mero" is applied also to Oplegnathus insignis (see p. 322). It 

 is stated in the same report that this fish is caught only in northern 

 Peru, where it is considered a fine food fish. The fish are taken 

 chiefly with handlines over rocky bottom in shallow to moderately 

 deep water, the largest commercial catches coming from Talara and 

 Cabo Blanco. 



Range.— NoTtheni Peru, Galapagos, and Cocos Islands. 



Genus HEMANTHIAS Steindachner, 1874 



Body elongate, compressed; head rather short; eye large; mouth 

 strongly oblique; lower jaw projecting; teeth in jaws in narrow bands, 

 a few anterior ones enlarged, caninelike, small teeth present on vomer 

 ane palatines; both limbs of preopercle serrate, the serrae at angle not 

 especially enlarged; gill rakers slender, about 20 to 30 on lower limb 

 of first arch; lateral line rather high, not following the contour of back; 

 scales ctenoid, about 45 to 60 in lateral series; dorsal with 9 or 10 

 spines; caudal long, some of the rays produced; anal with three grad- 

 uated spines and about 8 soft rays; ventral inserted under base of 

 pectoral. 



A single species comes within the scope of the present work. 



HEMANTHIAS PERUANUS (Steindachner) 

 DoiNCELLA 



Figure 37 



Anthias (Hemanthias) peruanus Steindachner, 1874, p. 4, Paita and Trujillo, 



Peru (original description). 

 Hemianthias peruanus Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 1222 (description; range; 



synonymy). — Evermann and Radcliffe, 1917, p. 79, pi. 7, fig. 3, Paita, 



Peru (synonymy; description). 



Head 2.8; depth 2.9; D. X, 14; A. Ill, 8; P. 18; scales about 60, lost 

 in part, 55 with pores. 



Body rather compressed, its greatest thickness somewhat more than 

 a third of its depth; back not greatly elevated; dorsal profile of head 

 concave; caudal peduncle rather compressed, 2.6 in head; snout 4.7; 

 eye 4.7; interorbital 5.0; mouth strongly oblique, lower jaw strongly 



