THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 



295 



as long as pupil, 14, 12 on lower and 7, 6 on upper limb of first arch; 

 lateral line with a long arch, becoming horizontal over anal; scales 

 strongly ctenoid, becoming smooth only in advance of interorbital, 

 exposed portion short and deep, especially anteriorly below lateral 

 line, few scales beyond the narrow sheaths at base of second dorsal 

 and anal, extending on bases of caudal, ventral, and pectoral, the 

 rows above lateral line oblique, those below it horizontal, 6 rows 

 between lateral Ime and first dorsal spine, 4 on caudal peduncle above 

 lateral line (exclusive of median row) and 5 below it; dorsal fins scarcely 

 separate, the second spine stronger than the third, and fully three- 

 fourths as long, the latter flexible, 1.6 in head; second dorsal highest 

 anteriorly, the longest rays about as long as the second dorsal spine; 

 caudal fin slightly damaged, apparently somewhat lanceolate; second 

 anal spine large, nearly as long as the longest soft rays, 1.9, 1.95 in 



Figure 63. — Ophioscion obscurus, new species. From the type, 72 mm. long, Lobos de 

 Tierra Bay, Peru (U.S.N.M. No. 128029). 



head ; ventral inserted at vertical from base of lower rays of pectoral, 

 1.3, 1.25 in head; pectoral short, scarcely reaching tip of ventral, 

 1.33, 1.33 m head, 4.6, 4.5 in length. 



Color dusky brown above ; this color shading into the dusky silvery 

 gray of the lower parts; everywhere, except chest and lower surface 

 of head, with dusky points of unequal size; an elongate dark blotch 

 on opercle in advance of lateral line; a narrow dark streak along about 

 anterior half lateral line; rather obscure dark lines along the rows of 

 scales; fins all with dusky dots, the spinous dorsal, anterior part of 

 anal, and the distal parts of the ventral and pectoral quite dark; 

 second dorsal with a translucent streak near base, then a dark band, 

 and again translucent distally; caudal with dark and pale blotches. 



The description is based on 2 small specimens with slightly damaged 

 caudal fins, about 72 and 68 mm. (56 and 54 mm. to base of caudal) 

 long, the only ones at hand. These were seined in Lobos de Tierra 

 Bay by the Mission. The larger specimen (U.S.N.M. No. 128029) 

 has been designated as the type. The proportions and enumerations 



