326 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



dorsal; dorsal fins nearly or quite separate, the fourth or fifth spine 

 generally longest, 2.0 to 2.4 in head; second dorsal highest anteriorly, 

 the longest rays higher than the longest spines, its base of about same 

 length as that of first dorsal; caudal with a rather shallow fork, both 

 lobes acute, the upper the longer, equal to or a little longer than head; 

 anal small, the first 2 spines small, partly free, the third closely adher- 

 ent to first soft ray, its point concealed, the second one, 5.0 to 6.0 in 

 head, the anterior soft rays rather long, the longest only a little shorter 

 than head; ventral inserted far behind base of pectoral, about half as 

 far from pectoral as origin of anal, 1.1 to 1.3 in head; pectoral reach- 

 ing a little beyond midlength of ventral, the lower simple rays slightly 

 thickened distally, and free at tips, the uppermost simple ray gener- 

 ally the longest in the fin, about as long as head, 3.8 to 4.5 in length. 



Color brownish above, somewhat paler below; some specimens 

 considerably lighter, being grayish above; pale blotches, some of them 

 tending to form bars, along back and side; body and fins ahnost every- 

 where with dark spots. The color of a fresh specimen, now 280 mm. 

 long, was described by M. J. Lobell in his field notes as "olive green, 

 dotted with black spots, which sometimes coalesce to form rivula- 

 tions." 



The collection furnished by the Mission contains six specimens 245 

 to 280 mm. (190 to 123 mm. to base of caudal) long, all taken with 

 trammel nets, four at Viejas Island in Independencia Bay and two 

 in San Juan Bay. A specimen, 240 mm. long, collected by R. E. 

 Coker at Pisco also was examined. 



It is stated in the report of the Mission (1943, p. 275) that this fish is 

 Ivnown as "jerguilla" in northern Peru, and as "nonora" southward. 

 Steindachner (see reference above) who reported this species from 

 Callao, furnished the name "querguia." Although it was taken by 

 the Mission from Chilca south to San Juan Bay, includmg a catch of 

 33 fishes, 210 to 430 mm. long, made in 2 hours, commercial catches 

 were not reported in the statistics for 1940. The Mission found it to 

 be "an excellent pan-fish, with rich, white, sweet, flaky meat." 



Range. — Coasts of Peru and Chile. 



Family CHEILODACTYLIDAE 



Body oblong or ovate; branchiostegals 5 or 6; gills 4; teeth in the 

 jaws more or less conical, wanting on vomer and palatines; scales 

 cycloid, rather large, generally fewer than 75 in a lateral series; dorsal 

 fin single, often deeply notched, with about 16 to 19 spines and 20 or 

 more soft rays; anal with 3 spines and 9 or more soft rays; ventrals 

 inserted far behind pectorals, each with 1 spine and 5 soft rays; 

 several of the lower rays of pectoral simple, with free tips more or less 

 thickened, one or two of them often somewhat produced. 



A single genus comes within the scope of the present work. 



