THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 359 



caudal) long, from Sechura Bay, caught in an otter trawl. These 

 specimens were compared with two from Panama Bay, with which 

 they seem to agree. The small specimens are proportionately deeper, 

 the head is less quadrangular, the caudal fin is rounder, and the color 

 markings, particularly the black on the chin and on the fins, are more 

 distinct. 



Range. — Gulf of California to northern Peru. Previously appar- 

 ently not reported from south of Panama. 



Family GEMPYLIDAE: Snake Mackerel; Escolares 



Body elongate, more or less compressed; head large, compressed; 

 mouth moderately large; lower jaw projecting; teeth strong; gill 

 openings wide, the membranes not united and free from the isthmus ; 

 gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; opercles unarmed in adults; lateral 

 line various, sometimes obsolete; scales minute; dorsal fin long, with 

 a notch or space between the spines and soft rays, often followed by 

 finlets; caudal forked; anal similar to soft dorsal; ventral thoracic, 

 often small. 



The fishes of this family occur in the high seas and descend to con- 

 siderable depths. A single genus and species has been reported from 

 northern Peru. 



Genus XENOGRAMMA Waite, 1904 



"Body fusiform, moderately elongate, somewhat compressed, round- 

 ed below. Head conical, compressed behind, preopercle unarmed, 

 branchiostegals seven, gill rakers rudimentary, jaws nearly equal, with 

 strong sharp teeth, much larger and fang-like in the mandible; vomer 

 and palatines toothed, tongue smooth. The first dorsal fin low, uni- 

 form with about nine weak spines, not widely separated from the soft 

 portion, the anterior lobe of which is well developed; six finlets. Anal 

 fin with two spines and five finlets. Ventrals moderate, thoracic; no 

 detached spine behind vent; pectorals sub-median. Tail well de- 

 veloped, strongly keeled. Scales small thin cycloid adherent, with 

 scalelets, no corselet. Lateral line remarkably tortuous; vertebrae 

 about thirty." (Waite, 1904, p. 157.) 



XENOGRAMMA CARINATUM Waite 



Xenogramma carinatum Waite, 1904, p. 158, Lord Howe Island, Australia (original 

 description; discussion of relationship). — Nichols and La Monte, 1943, p. 

 50, 25 miles off Cabo Blanco, Peru (discussion; description; references). 



"Depth in standard length, 4.5 (est.) ; head, 3.6, Eye in head, 5.6; 

 snout, 2.5; interorbital, 3.6; maxillary, 2.3; pectoral, 1.8; ventral, 2.4; 

 height of dorsal and anal lobes (center), 2.6; upper caudal lobe, 1.4^; 

 lower caudal lobe, 1.6. 



" Maxillary to under front of pupil. Gill-rakers obsolete. Tongue 

 broad, free, smooth. A row of sharp, pointed teeth in the jaws, those 

 in the lower jaw and an inner row in the front of upper jaw of three on 



