THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 205 



reach origin of second dorsal by fully half diameter of eye, nearly as 

 long as postorbital part of head; second dorsal and anal about equally 

 elevated anteriorly, the longest ray in dorsal a little longer than snout; 

 anal shorter than second dorsal, its origin fully length of snout behind 

 that of second dorsal, coterminal with the latter; ventral small, 

 inserted a little behind base of pectoral, reaching notably less than 

 halfway to vent, 2.4 in head; pectoral somewhat damaged, short, 

 not falcate, about 6.3 in length. 



"Color in alcohol, dusky blue on back becoming silvery, tinged with 

 yellow on belly; fins dusky; a dark area at tip of opercle and in axil 

 of pectoral" (Evermann and Radcliffe). 



The Mission did not secure this species. The description is based 

 on the type, about 285 mm. (240 mm. to base of caudal) long (U.S.N.M. 

 No. 77733), taken at Lobos de Afuera by R. E. Coker. It differs in 

 the lower position of the notch on shoulder girdle and in the absence 

 of scales on the interorbital from specimens from the Galapagos 

 Islands, Baja California, Hawaii, Japan, and the Atlantic. 



Range. — Northern Peru and probably to Baja California. 



Genus TRACHURUS Rafinesque, 1810 



Body rather elongate, more or less compressed; back little elevated; 

 head moderately pointed; lower jaw projecting; premaxillaries pro- 

 tractile; maxillary rather broad, with a supplemental bone; teeth 

 small, mostly in a single series in each jaw, present also on vomer, 

 palatines, and tongue; gill rakers fairly numerous, slender, about 

 35 to 50 on lower limb of first arch; lateral line with a long, low arch 

 anteriorly, armed with bony scutes throughout its length, only 

 those of straight part with a spine; an accessory dorsal branch of 

 lateral line present; first dorsal composed of slender spines connected 

 by membranes; second dorsal and anu,l similar, the last ray of each 

 nearly or quite separate in adults (and apparently may be correctly 

 indicated in a fin-ray formula either as connected or separate); 

 pectoral long, falcate in adults. 



A single species seems to occur on the coast of Peru.'^ 



" Tschudi (1845, p. 19) described a slender fish from Peru under the name Caranx peruanus. I am unable 

 to determine its relationship from the description. However, the proportions of depth to length, given as 

 "1:6.5" is about correct for large specimens of T. murphyi Nichols (the length of the fish described being 

 stated as "2'6"", presumably meaning 2 feet 6 inches). The number of rays for the dorsal fins, given as 

 "IX-I, 28," is nearly correct for T. murphyi, when it is assumed that the procumbent spine was included, 

 and the number of anal rays, stated as "II, 28," too is correct, if it is assumed that the third spine was counted 

 with the soft rays. The number of pectoral rays, "20," is correct, and the count of "1, 10" ventral rays may 

 be dismissed as an error. The head according to the proportion given, "1-3" in length of body, is much too 

 great for large specimens of Trachurus at hand. The large eye, projecting lower jaw, and the minute teeth 

 are all described as in agreement with Peruvian specimens now at hand. The lateral line, too, is described 

 approximately as in specimens before me, except that no bony scutes are mentioned for its curved part. 

 The last ray of the second dorsal, as well as that of the anal, is described as composed of five or six rays, 

 bound together and forming a pencil-shaped fin. This character strongly suggests Trachurus. The author, 

 finally, stated that the species is fairly common along the entire coast of Peru. If the fish described as 

 CaraTix peruanus by Tschudi should prove to be a Trachurus, which seems highly probable to the writer, 

 peruanus very probably would have to replace viurphyi. 



