THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 251 



dorsal deeply notched, the fourth spine generally longest, variable, 

 usually a little longer than longest soft rays, 1.9 to 2.6 in head, soft 

 part with a nearly straight to slightly concave margin; caudal with a 

 shallow fork, upper lobe the longer, somewhat shorter than head ; anal 

 spines strong, the second rather longer and stronger than the third, 

 2.2 to 3.4 in head, margin of soft part concave, origin of fin a little 

 behind beginning of soft part of dorsal; ventral inserted a little behind 

 base of pectoral, reaching nearly or quite to vent, shorter in very large 

 specimens, its spine fairly slender, 2.1 to 2.7 in head; pectoral pointed, 

 fifth and sixth (counting downward) rays generally longest, usually 

 about as long as head, 3.0 to 3.9 in length. 



Color of preserved specimens varying from grayish to rather dark 

 brown above and from pale silvery to grayish brown below; longitu- 

 dinal rows of scales on some specimens rather well marked with dark 

 lines; membranous margin of opercle usually rather dark; some speci- 

 mens with a bar from nape across base of pectoral, appearing only as 

 a dark spot above and below base of pectoral in some specimens; fins 

 in adults generally quite dark; dorsal and anal usually each with a 

 black spot at base of last ray; ventral distally sometimes very dark, 

 with a black axil. In the young the posterior parts of the soft rays of 

 dorsal and anal are pale, and in the very young (under about 50 mm.), 

 the soft dorsal and anal are pale, except for a bit of dusky on the distal 

 part of the anterior rays; other fins also largely or wholly pale. 



"Color in life: Silver-gray, slightly olivaceous above; fins dark; 

 opercle margined with black; axil of pectoral black; a black bar cross- 

 ing base of pectoral externally; a black spot at posterior base of dorsal 

 on back and fin, the spots of the two sides being confluent; similar spots 

 confluent around posterior margin of anal." (Evermann and RadcMe, 

 after R. E. Coker's field notes.) 



The Mission secured many specimens of this species, 15 to 400 mm. 

 (11 to 320 mm. to base of caudal) long, taken at Paita, Lobos de 

 Tierra Bay, Guafiape Island, Chimbote Bay, Samanco Bay, Chilca 

 Bay, North Chincha Island, Point Ripio, La Lagunilla, and Viejas 

 Island, in Independencia Bay. I have also had most of the speci- 

 mens listed by Evermann and Radcliffe (see reference above), and two 

 specimens taken by the Wilkes Expedition. The proportions and 

 enumerations are based on 13 specimens (and some of them on several 

 more), ranging in length from 65 to 400 mm. The young, at least, 

 seem to have been rather common when the collections were made. 

 The 12 adults collected by the Mission were caught either in seines or 

 with trammel nets, and the young with small collecting seines. One 

 specimen is entirely without ventral fins, which it may never have 

 possessed, as no scar is evident. 



According to the report of the Mission (1943, p. 276), the "chita" is 

 of some value as a food fish, the principal landings being made at 



