THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 223 



formed of a continuous bony plate, with two points (anal "spines") in 

 young, these scarcely evident in larger specimens; snout (measured 

 from eye to tip of upper jaw) 2.0 to 2.4 in head; eye 3.7 to 4.5; inter- 

 orbital 6.0 to 6.6 ; horizontal distance from eye to margin of profile less 

 than diameter of eye, and greater than half the space between eye and 

 premaxillary ; mouth very oblique ; mandible extending in front of gape ; 

 maxillary rather wider than half diameter of eye, 2.65 to 2.8 in head; 

 teeth in jaws minute, in a single series or in a narrow band; gill raker 

 slender, scarcely denticulate on inner edge, about two-thirds length 

 of eye, 29 to 32 on lower and 7 to 9 on upper limb of fii'st arch; lateral 

 line anteriorly with a high arch, chord of arch shorter than straight 

 part by length of caudal peduncle; scales small, rudimentary, some- 

 what enlarged and with free margins on caudal peduncle; first dorsal 

 with the anterior three or four spines connected by membranes, the 

 longest about half diameter of eye, slightly produced and about as long 

 as eye in the smallest specimen in the collection, the other spines 

 separate and very short; second dorsal with a slightly produced lobe 

 in front, equal to length of snout in the largest specimen in the collec- 

 tion, proportionately shorter in the others; anal similar to second 

 dorsal, though without an evident lobe in front, its origin under or a 

 little behind or slightly in front of that of second dorsal, its base 1 .85 

 to 2.0 in length; ventral very small, shorter than eye (somewhat en- 

 larged in very small specimens); pectoral falcate, proportionally 

 longer in large specimens than in small ones, 2.6 to 3.1 in length. 



Color bluish along back ; the rest of body silvery ; smallest specimen 

 in the collection with a dark blotch at beginning of straight part 

 of lateral line; dorsal fins more or less dusky; other fins pale to 

 straw yellow; axil of pectoral dusky. 



The Mission preserved 17 specimens, 50 to 145 mm. (37 to 112 mm. 

 to base of caudal) long, taken in the Gulf of Guayaquil, off Puerto 

 Pizarro, in Paita Bay, Sechura Bay, and in Chilca Bay, which form 

 the basis for the description. This material seems to agree in all 

 respects with specimens from Panama Bay, with which it was com- 

 pared. This species differs from the common Atlantic form (V. 

 setipinnis) in having one to four more gill rakers on lower limb of the 

 first arch, and the body is rather less angulate anteriorly and not quite 

 so deep. The difference in depth is evident only in measurements 

 based on specimens of equal size, as in both species the depth in 

 proportion to the length decreases with growth. 



Range. — Baja California to Peru. 



Genus SELENE Lacepede, 1803 



Body ovate, very strongly compressed; head short and deep, its 



anterior profile very steep, but not vertical, scarcely if at all concave; 



snout projecting moderately; mouth moderate, oblique; maxillary 



broad, with a supplemental bone; teeth minute, present on jaws, 



