THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 289 



rather long, compressed; caudal peduncle rather long, moderately 

 compressed, 2.95 to 3.0 in head; snout moderately long, conical, 3.5 

 to 3.7; eye moderate, 5.6 to 6.2; interorbital 4.25 to 4.5; mouth large, 

 oblique, nearly or quite terminal, anteriorly at or below level of lower 

 margin of eye; maxillary, lips, and chin not papillose; maxillary 

 extending to or a little beyond middle of eye, 2.5 in head; teeth in 

 each jaw in 2 or 3 irregular series, the outer ones in each jaw somewhat 

 enlarged; gill rakers short, those at angle scarcely longer than pupil, 13 

 to 15 more or less developed on lower and 6 to 8 on upper limb of first 

 arch; margin of preopercle with rather weak serrae; lateral line 

 slightly arched anteriorly, then curved downward, reaching middle 

 of side above origin of anal; scales small, with membranous, ctenoid 

 edges, extending forward on snout, missing on lips and on anterior half 

 or so of mandible, extending slightly on base of second dorsal, but 

 not forming a sheath, extending on lower two-thirds or so of membranes 

 of caudal, also somewhat on base of pectoral, 8 rows between lateral 

 line and first dorsal spine and 8 or 9 between it and first ray of second 

 dorsal; dorsal fins close together, the spines fairly long and slender, 

 the third slightly longer than the fourth, but not reaching beyond the 

 tips of any of the succeeding spines, 2.0 to 2.2 in head; second dorsal 

 long, with slightly convex margin, highest anteriorly, the longest rays 

 rather notably shorter than the longest spines; caudal lunate, both 

 lobes acute, the upper one slightly the longer; anal with a gently 

 concave margin, the second spine rather long and slender, about 

 two-thirds length of longest soft ray, 3.2 to 3.8 in head; ventral 

 inserted about half diameter of eye behind base of pectoral, the inner 

 ray without a filament, 1.5 to 1.9 in head; pectoral moderate, reaching 

 about to tip of ventral, pointed, the fourth or fifth ray (counting 

 downward) longest, 1.4 to 1.6 in head, 4.8 to 5.2 in length. 



Color grayish brown, with bluish reflections above ; pale silvery under- 

 neath; rows of scales with faint dark lines; inside lining of opercle 

 dusky; fins more or less dusky, at least at base; axil of pectoral dark. 



The description, exclusive of the color, is based on three specimens, 

 respectively 345, 375, and 385 mm. (278, 305, and 318 mm. to base 

 of caudal) long. The two larger ones were taken at Callao by R. E. 

 Coker and the smallest one in Sechura Bay by the Mission. The color 

 description is based on the last-mentioned specimens, as the others are 

 badly faded. This species agrees with S. wieneri in having small scales, 

 but they do not form a continuous sheath on the base of the second 

 dorsal; the teeth are different; the spines of the dorsal and anal are 

 longer, and those of the dorsal are fewer; the pectoral fin is longer; and 

 the eye is larger. 



Range. — Coast of Peru. 



