THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 279 



blue above, silvery below; first dorsal and pectoral almost colorless; 

 second dorsal and ventral lemon yellow; caudal largely orange; 

 axil of pectoral dusky. 



This species, although originally described from the Gulf of Guaya- 

 quil at Tumbes, has not been taken there by recent collectors. It has 

 been described here from specimens from Panama Bay, 230 to 685 

 mm. (190 to 587 mm. to base of caudal) long, the proportions and 

 enumerations mostly being based on 12 specimens. This is the 

 "white corbina" of Panama Bay, where it is an important and highly 

 prized food and game fish. 



Range. — Panama Bay to Callao, Peru. 



CYNOSCION PHOXOCEPHALUS Jordan and Gilbert 



Cynoscion phoxocephalus Jordan and Gilbert, 1882c, p. 318, Panama Bay 

 (original description). — Evermann and Radcliffe, 1917, p. 97, Tumbes, 

 Peru (description, based on a specimen 295 mm. long). — Meek and Hilde- 

 BRAND, 1925, p. 660, Panama Bay (synonymy; description; range). 



Head 3.1; depth 4.3; D. X-1, 20; A. II, 10; P. 17; scales about 

 105. 



Body quite elongate, its greatest thickness about two-thirds its 

 depth; dorsal outline nearly straight from nostrils to nape; headlong, 

 low, compressed; caudal peduncle fairly slender, 4.1; snout pointed, 

 3.8 in head; eye 6.3; interorbital 4.4; mouth large, oblique; lovrer 

 jaw projecting very strongly; maxillary not quite reaching posterior 

 margin of eye, 2.2 in head; teeth largely in 2 series anteriorly, re- 

 duced to one series posteriorly, in each jaw, upper jaw anteriorly with 

 a pair of moderately large, curved canines, the outer lateral teeth in 

 lower jaw slightly enlarged, pointed; membranous margin of pre- 

 opercle slightly crenulate; opercle with two flat spines; gill rakers 

 slender, those at angle about half length of eye, seven on lower and 

 three on upper limb of first arch; lateral line straight anteriorly, de- 

 scending to middle of side under anterior part of soft dorsal; scales 

 very small, cycloid, extending on the vertical fins, but not covering 

 them completely, about 15 scales between lateral line and base of first 

 dorsal spine, and about 12 or 13 between it and middle of second 

 dorsal; dorsal fins close together, spines slender, the last one of first 

 fin separate, the third longest, reaching beyond the succeeding 4 

 spines if deflexed, much longer than the longest soft ray, 1.9 in head; 

 caudal fin damaged, emarginate in Panama specimen of about the same 

 size as the Peruvian specimen here described; anal with round margin, 

 its origin about under middle of soft dorsal, its base 2.4 in head; 

 ventral inserted just behind base of pectoral, 2.0 in head; pectoral 

 small, short, rounded, 1.95 in head, 6.25 in length. 



