THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 347 



Body moderately compressed, its greatest thickness about half its 

 depth; back elevated; dorsal outline anteriorly more strongly convex 

 than the ventral; caudal peduncle much compressed, 2.1 to 2.15 in 

 head; snout only moderately pointed, 2.4 to 2.5; eye 5.5 to 5.8; 

 interorbital 3.3 to 3.9; mouth terminal; each jaw anteriorly with 4 

 large canines, followed laterally by smaller, partly coalesced teeth, 

 the upper jaw with a moderately large canine posteriorly, near angle 

 of mouth; gill rakers small, 12 more or less developed on lower and 6 

 to 8 still smaller ones on upper limb of first arch; lateral line following 

 the general contour of back, attaining middle of side under last rays 

 of dorsal; scales rather small, with slightly crenulate, membranous 

 margins, extending on nape, opercle, and cheek, encroaching somewhat 

 on base of caudal, but not on the other fins, 8 or 9 complete rows 

 between lateral line and first dorsal spine; dorsal fin long, the spines 

 moderately strong, graduated, the last 3.2 to 3.6 in head; soft part of 

 fin much higher, its outer margin rounded; caudal rather short, the 

 middle rays about as long as snout and eye, the upper and lower rays 

 somewhat produced, especially in the largest example, the rest of 

 margin nearly straight; anal with a few of the middle rays somewhat 

 produced, forming an acute lobe, the margin posterior to the lobe 

 concave, the spines rather strong, the third 3.2 to 3.6 in head; ventral 

 inserted under base of pectoral, 1.6 to 1.75 in head; pectoral broadly 

 rounded, reaching a little beyond tip of ventral, 1.4 to 1.6 in head, 4.5 

 to 4.8 in length. 



Color brownish, somewhat paler below than on back; a dark shade 

 across nape in two specimens, missing in a third one; fins pale to brown- 

 ish, the dorsal anteriorly (including the first three or four spines) 

 notably darker than rest of fin, the outer margins of the soft part of 

 dorsal, caudal, anal, and ventral bro^vnish. Evermann and Radcliife 

 (see reference above), quoting K,. E. Coker, state that this species 

 "shows remarkable color variation in life." Some individuals are 

 said to be flaming red; others a somber chocolate, with a reddish tinge 

 only in places. 



The description is based on three of the four specimens from Lobos 

 de Afuera and Mollendo, collected by R. E. Coker and reported by 

 Evermann and Radcliffe (see reference above). These specimens, 

 the only ones now at hand, are 250, 267, and 280 mm. (211, 220, and 

 230 mm. to base of caudal) long. The species is not included in the 

 collection furnished by the Mission. 



Range. — Peru and the Galdpagos Islands, 



Genus HALICHORES Riippell, 1835 



Body moderately compressed; head rather pointed; mouth fairly 

 small; teeth strong, in a single series in each jaw, upper jaw with 2 

 enlarged canines anteriorly, and 1 on side near angle of mouth, lower 



