THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 375 



head, its distance from tip of mandible 2.8 in length; pectoral pointed, 

 reaching about half an eye's diameter beyond corselet, 2.35 in head. 



Color dark blue, with metallic reflections, above; this color merging 

 gradually into silvery along middle of side. Upper part of side with 

 four longitudinal dark stripes; the second stripe (from above) is bent 

 upward, and the next one below it is bent dow^nward somewhat under 

 the second dorsal, and between them are two short oblique bars, the 

 second of these being forked. The fins are all more or less dusky, 

 the anal and ventral being lighter than the other fins; ventral and 

 pectoral notably darker on inner surface than on outer one. 



A single specimen, 650 mm. (565 mm. to base of caudal) long, was 

 furnished by the Mission. This specimen was taken by trolling in the 

 Gulf of Guayaquil, near Cabo Blanco, and so far as known it is the 

 only example taken on the coast of Peru. There are two specimens 

 from the Galdpagos Islands, 475 and 645 mm. (407 and 556 mm. to 

 base of caudal) long, and two from the Pearl Islands, Panama, 540 and 

 555 mm. (460 and 475 mm. to base of caudal) long, at hand for com- 

 parison. The following proportions and enumerations are based on 

 the Panama specimens, which in general agree closely with the Peru- 

 vian example: Head in length 3.3, 3.4; depth 4.4, 4.6; distance from 

 snout to origin of dorsal 3.35, 3.5; distance from tip of mandible to 

 base of ventral 2.8, 3.0. Eye in head 6.35, 6.4; snout 2.95, 3.0; 

 maxillary 1.9, 1.9; interorbital 3.4, 3.7; caudal peduncle 11.7, 12.7; 

 ventral 3.3, 3.35; pectoral 3.15, 3.5; D. XVIII-16-VIII, XVIII-16- 

 VIII; A. II, 14-VI, II, 13-VI; P. 24, 24; gill rakers 2 + 8, 2+9. 



This species differs prominently from S. chilensis in the fewer gill 

 rakers and in color, as shown in the key and descriptions. It also 

 differs in having a somewhat larger mouth, and usually it has one 

 more ray in the second dorsal. 



Range. — Magdalena Bay, Baja California (Walford, 1937, p. 23) to 

 the Galapagos Islands and northern Peru. This species has also been 

 recorded from Block Island, R. I., on the Atlantic (Breder, 1932, 

 p. 31). 



Genus SCOMBEROMORUS Lacepede, 1802 



Body elongate, compressed; head moderately low, compressed; 

 snout long, pointed; mouth large; maxillary not concealed by preor- 

 bital; teeth in jaws rather strong, compressed, with sharp cutting 

 edges; vomer and palatines with granular teeth; gill rakers short, 

 rather few; scales small, rudimentary, not forming a corselet; caudal 

 peduncle with a keel in lateral line; first dorsal with about 14 to 18 

 slender flexible spines ; interval between dorsal fins slight ; second dor- 

 sal and anal each followed by 7 to 10 finlets; pectorals placed near 

 level of eye; air bladder present. 



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



