312 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



dorsal composed of flexible spines, rather high anteriorly, longest 

 spine 1.3, 1.4 in head, origin of fin over base of pectoral; second dorsal 

 well separated from the first, its orignal nearly equidistant from poste- 

 rior margin of eye and base of caudal, its margin convex, the last ray 

 somewhat longer than the preceding one; caudal deeply forked; 

 anal small, its origin scarcely behind that of second dorsal, its base 

 2.25, 2.6 in head; ventral nearly as long as pectoral; pectoral long, 

 narrow, 1.2, 1.25 in head. 



Color nearly uniformly grayish above; pale below; the smaller 

 specimens with indefinite dark blotches along back; dorsal and caudal 

 fins more or less dusky; other fins pale. Body largely rose-red in life. 



The Mission secured two specimens, 80 and 95 mm. (62 and 73 mm. 

 to base of caudal) long, in Chilca Bay, upon which the foregoing de- 

 scription is based. The family apparently had not previously been 

 reported from Peru. 



The specimens in the collection were compared with several of 

 equal size and larger ones from Panama Bay, and one 220 mm. long 

 (U.S.N.M. No. 41475), from Chatham Island, Galapagos. The larger 

 specimens differ from the smaller ones in having a proportionately 

 deeper body, and in having two instead of one row of teeth anteriorly 

 in the upper jaw. The additional row is composed of blunt stocky 

 teeth on the outside of the main row. These teeth do not appear 

 when the fish reach any definite size, but seem to develop at rather 

 various sizes. For example, a specimen 145 mm. long already has 

 the second series, whereas another one 185 mm. long still has only a 

 single series. 



Range. — Gulf of California to northern Peru. Now recorded from 

 Peru and the Galdpagos Islands for the first time. 



Family SPARIDAE: Porgies 



Body oblong or ovate, usually rather strongly compressed; back 

 sometimes rather high ; mouth small or of moderate size, usually nearly 

 or quite horizontal; maxillary slipping under preorbital for most of 

 its length, with a supplemental bone; preorbital usually very broad; 

 teeth strong, those in anterior part of jaws conical, incisorlike or 

 molarlike, those at sides blunt molars ; no teeth on vomer or palatines ; 

 gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; gUl rakers small or obsolete; opercle 

 without spine; lateral line complete, not extending on caudal fin, 

 following outline of back; scales rather large and firm; dorsal fin long, 

 continuous, the spines rather large, about 10 to 13 in number; caudal 

 usually well forked ; ventral fins thoracic. 



A single genus has been reported from Peru. 



