THE SHORE FISHES OF PERIJ 229 



in head; head long, rather low, somewhat concave over snout; snout 

 long, moderately broad, 3.6 in head; eye 7.15; interorbital 8.1; mouth 

 large, slightly oblique; lower jaw projecting strongly, pointed, its tip 

 entering dorsal profile; maxillary about two-thirds as wide as eye, 

 reaching below posterior margin of pupil, 2.35 in head; teeth minute, 

 in rather broad bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines; preorbital entire; 

 preopercle serrate, the serrae at its angle somewhat enlarged; pre- 

 opercular ridge with only one definite spine: supraclavicle sharply 

 serrate; gill rakers at angle of first arch only a little shorter than eye, 



9 on lower limb and 4 on the upper one; lateral line decurved ante- 

 riorly, reaching middle of side above vent; scales rather small, 8 

 complete rows between lateral line and middle of second dorsal, 

 forming a narrow sheath at base of dorsals and anal, and extending 

 more or less on caudal, ventral, and pectoral; first dorsal separated 

 from the second a distance fully equal to diameter of eye, its origin a 

 little more than length of snout behind base of pectoral, its distance 

 from tip of snout 2.4 in length, its first spine a mere rudiment, the 

 third longest, 1.9 in head; second dorsal high anteriorly, with con- 

 cave margin, its spine about half length of longest soft ray; caudal 

 deeply forked, both lobes acute, the upper the longer; anal small, its 

 origin about under middle of second dorsal, the second spine enlarged, 

 a little longer than the third, 2.5 in head; ventral fully halfway to 

 anal, 5.2 in length; pectoral extending opposite beginning of distal 

 third of ventral, 5.3 in length. 



Color brownish above; silvery below; lateral line in a dark streak; 

 sides with dusky punctulations; fins brownish to dusky, with few to 

 many dusky points. 



This genus and species, previously not reported from Peru, is 

 represented in the collections by one specimen about 400 mm. (313 

 mm. to base of caudal) long, taken at Paita by W. L. Schmitt. It 

 agrees well with specimens from Panama Bay. 



Range. — Baja California to northern Peru. Previously reported 

 from only as far south as Guayaquil, Ecuador. Enters fresh-water 

 streams. 



Family LUT I ANIDAE: Snappers 



Body elongate, compressed; head large, more or less pointed; mouth 

 usually large, terminal or lower jaw projecting; teeth present on jaws, 

 and usually on vomer, palatines, and tongue; premaxillaries protrac- 

 tile; maxillary without a supplemental bone; preopercle serrate or 

 entire; opercle without spines; gill arches 4; gill rakers rather various; 

 gill membranes free from isthmus; pseudobranchiae large; lateral line 

 complete; scales firm, ctenoid; dorsal fin continuous or divided, with 



10 to 13 rather strong spines; anal with 3 spines; caudal emarginate 

 to forked; ventral fins thoracic, each with a spine and 5 soft rays; 

 pectorals usually rather long. 



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