258 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



about uniform size; vertical margin of preopercle serrate, the serrae 

 at angle farther apart and slightly enlarged, horizontal margin mostly 

 smooth; gill rakers shorter than pupil, 14 more or less developed on 

 lower and 6 on upper limb of first arch; scales firm, rather weakly 

 ctenoid, 6 horizontal rows between lateral line and base of first dorsal 

 spine, 4 between lateral line and base of first soft ray of dorsal: dorsal 

 deeply notched, the fourth spine longest, 1.9 in head; second anal 

 spine greatly enlarged, grooved, much longer than the third, reaching 

 tip of longest soft rays, 1.75 in head; ventral inserted under base of 

 pectoral, the spine rather strong, 2.2 in head; pectoral very long, 

 pointed, the sixth ray (counting downward) longest, reaching far 

 beyond tip of ventral, nearly to origin of anal, 1,1 in head, 2.9 in length. 



Color brownish; opercle with an obscure dark blotch, and its mar- 

 ginal membrane above angle slightly darkened; a slight suggestion of 

 a dark bar at nape, and another in advance of dorsal; a small dark 

 spot below base of pectoral; fins brownish. 



The description is based on the same specimen (U.S.N.M. No, 

 77607), 220 mm, (183 mm. to base of caudal) long, reported by Ever- 

 mann and Radcliffe (1917, p. 85) from Tumbes, Peru, It was com- 

 pared with specimens from Panama Bay and Mazatldn, Mexico, 

 identified as P. macracanthus (Giinther), from which it apparently is 

 scarcely distinct, though it does seem to have rather larger scales on 

 the chest and opercle. 



Range. — Known only from the Gulf of Guayaquil, in Ecuador and 

 Peru. 



Family SCIAENIDAE: Croakers, Drums, etc. 



Body generally quite elongate, usually more or less compressed; 

 mouth various, teeth in one or more series or in bands, canines some- 

 times present, no incisors or molars, no teeth on vomer, palatines, 

 pterygoids, or tongue; maxillary usually broad, slipping at least partly 

 under preorbital; premaxillaries protractile; gills 4; slits and pores 

 usually developed about the mouth; chin often with one or more bar- 

 bels; lateral line usually following contour of back, extending to end 

 of caudal fin; dorsal fin deeply notched or divided, the second dorsal 

 long ; anal with one or two spines ; ventral with one spine and five soft 

 rays, inserted below or somewhat behind base of pectoral. 



This is a large family including many choice food fishes. Many of 

 the species are capable of making a noise, variously known as croaking, 

 drumming, and grunting. The species are carnivorous, mostly living 

 near shore in warm seas, though a few inhabit fresh water. Eleven 

 genera are represented in the collections from Peru, upon which the 

 present work is based. Five of these previously were not reported 

 from Peru. 



