190 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



zontal margin smooth; gill rakers slender, those at angle a little more 

 than half length of eye, 26 more or less developed on lower and 12 on 

 upper limb of first arch; scales small, ctenoid on body, greatly reduced 

 and with smooth edges on head, small and more or less embedded on 

 chest, present on maxillary; dorsal spines from the fourth to the 

 ninth all of about equal length, of about the same height as the soft 

 rays, the fourth 2.6 in head; tail very deeply lunate, the lobes pointed, 

 the upper one longer than the lower, about equal to depth of body; 

 anal spines moderately strong, the second stronger though not longer 

 than the third, 2.8 in head; ventral inserted well behind base of pec- 

 toral, with a slender spine contained 2.2 in head; pectoral inserted 

 about under origin of dorsal, somewhat pointed, the ninth ray (count- 

 ing downward) the longest, 1.15 in head, 3.7 in length. 



Color dark brown above, paler underneath; a series of 4 small dark 

 spots on side above lateral line, the first one under middle of spinous 

 dorsal and the last one on base of caudal, a few more indefinite spots 

 on chest; fins of about the same color as adjacent pa^ts of body. 



"Color in life: Back and sides dark olive green, lighter on lower part 

 of sides; ventral part of head, body, and peduncle a thin scarlet, 

 deeper in places; small spots (about one-half diameter of pupil) 

 irregularly disposed over posterior part of body; most of these spots 

 white, some green; a green spot of same size on the flap just above 

 insertion of pectoral; dorsal tipped with reddish; anal reddish, espe- 

 cially toward tip ; caudal narrowly margined all around with reddish ; 

 ventral reddish, the exterior margin, including the spme, blue; a 

 very pleasing fish in form and color" (Evermann and Radcliffe). 



The description is based on the only specimen (U.S.N.M. No. 77653) 

 in the collections from Peru. It is 190 mm. (137 mm. to base of caudal) 

 long and was taken at Lobos de Afuera by R. E. Coker. I have iden- 

 tified it, together with numerous specimens from Panama Bay, with 

 P. pinguis recently described from Guaymas, Mexico, by L. A. Wal- 

 ford, of which I have had the paratype (U.S.N.M. No. 101067) 

 for comparison.^* 



Until Walford (1936, p. 2) described P. pinguis, all the representa- 

 tives of the genus had for many years been regarded as of one species. 

 I have now examined many specimens from Panama Bay and quite 

 a few from the Galapagos Islands, besides the specimen from Peru 

 and the paratype of P. pinguis from Guaymas, Mexico. I have also 

 had two specimens from the West Indies for comparison. There 

 certainly are two distinct forms on the Pacific coast, and possibly 



u Although Walford stated that F. pinguis has only about 76 scales in a lateral scries, I am able to count 113 

 vertical series above the lateral line between the upper anterior angle of the opercle and base of caudal in the 

 paratype. These series of scales can be seen rather clearly with a jeweler's glass if the fish is held at the 

 proper angle in good light. Walford believed that the place of origin of the dorsal fin was a diagnostic charac- 

 ter. This does not seem to be the case, however, as its place of origin varies among individuals. I am unable 

 to use the color In identifying the long- preserved specimens studied. 



