THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 197 



Family MALACANTHIDAE: Matajuelos 



Body elongate, fusiform or compressed; head usually rather short, 

 with convex dorsal outline; cranial bones not cavernous; suborbital 

 without bony stay; mouth moderate or small, terminal, little oblique; 

 teeth fairly strong, upper jaw usually with a posterior canine; pre- 

 maxillaries protractile; maxillary without supplemental bone, not 

 slipping under preorbital; gills four, a slit behind the fourth; lateral 

 line complete; scales small, ctenoid; dorsal fin long and low, usually 

 continuous, the soft part longer and more developed than the spinous 

 portion ; anal fin long, its spines few and feeble ; ventral thoracic with 

 I, 5 rays; pectoral not very broad, the rays all or nearly all branched. 



A single genus is included in the Peruvian collections studied. 

 Some recent authors have divided the family Malacanthidae, as set 

 up for example by Jordan and Evermann (1898, p. 2274). It seems 

 advisable to me, however, to delay the divisions at least until the re- 

 lationship of the genera of this general group is better understood. 

 The discovery of a Caulolatilus with a nearly smooth preopercular 

 margin seems to complicate the divisions further. 



Genus CAULOLATILUS Gill, 1862 



Blanquillos 



Body quite elongate, not strongly compressed, heaviest forward, 

 tapering posteriorly; dorsal profile of head strongly convex; mouth 

 moderate, generally terminal, little oblique; lips thick; maxillary not 

 slipping under preorbital; teeth anteriorly in a band in each jaw, 

 reduced to a single series laterally, the posterior teeth in each jaw 

 generally caninelike; no teeth on vomer or palatines; preopercle 

 usually serrate, occasionally nearly smooth; opercle with a flat spine; 

 gill membranes connected, free from the isthmus; gill rakers short, 

 rather stout; lateral line complete, concurrent with back; scales small, 

 firm, ctenoid; dorsal fin long, continuous, with about 8 to 10 spines, 

 and 22 to 26 soft rays; caudal deeply lunate to nearly straight; anal 

 similar to soft part of dorsal, with 1 or 2 weak spines and about 20 

 to 25 soft rays; ventral thoracic; no adipose appendage at nape. 



As far as known the species inhabit rocky bottom, apparently living 

 principally about islands. All are valued as food. A commercial 

 catch of "cabezudo" and "peje-blanco" of some importance was 

 reported from Sechura, Cabo Blanco, Paita, and Talara by the Mis- 

 sion (1943, pp. 277, 280). Three species, one of which is new, come 

 udthin the scope of this work. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



c. Head large and deep, with steep dorsal profile, 3.05 in length; preorbital 

 broad (nearly as broad as eye in a specimen 270 mm. long) ; scales rather 



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