THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 383 



already were pointed out in the original description. There can be 

 no doubt, then, that the specimens from the opposite coasts represent 

 different species. 



Range. — Coasts of Ecuador and northern Peru. Recorded, also, 

 from the Pedregal River, Honduras, by Clark (1936, p. 391). 



Family BLENNIIDAE: Blennies 



Body elongate; premaxillarics not protractile; teeth in jaws in a 

 single principal close-set series, with or without canines; scales want- 

 ing; spinous and soft parts of dorsal usually of about equal length; 

 caudal free, with about 13 principal rays; anal long, with 1 or 2 feeble 

 spines; ventral fins jugular, each with a small spine, and 2 to 4 simple 

 rays ; pectoral large, with broad base. 



KEY TO THE GENERA 



a. Gill membranes free and continuous across isthmus, openings not restricted 

 to sides. 

 b. Each jaw anteriorly with 2 to 4 hooked canines; caudal fin with concave 



margin Ophioblennius (p. 383) 



bb. Jaws not provided with anterior canines, lower jaw usually (if not always) 

 with a canine posteriorly, at or near angle of mouth; caudal fin in adults 



generally with convex margin Scartichthys (p. 386) 



aa. Gill membranes broadly united to isthmus, restricting openings to sides; no 

 canines Hypsoblennius (p. 390) 



Genus OPHIOBLENNIUS Gill, 1860 



Body elongate, compressed; head short, anteriorly moderately 

 decurved; mouth moderate, more or less terminal, or the lower jaw 

 included; lower jaw anteriorly with 4 hooked canines, and sometimes 

 with a few small lateral canines; upper jaw anteriorly with 2 or 4 

 hooked canines; minute, pointed, movable teeth on margins of jaws 

 also present; gill openings wide, not restricted to the sides, the mem- 

 branes continuous and free from the isthmus ; lateral line incomplete ; 

 scales missing; dorsal fin deeply notched, composed of about 10 to 14 

 spines, and 12 to 23 soft rays; anal with 2 feeble spines and about 14 

 to 25 soft rays; caudal usually free from dorsal and anal, its margin 

 concave. 



Two species appear to come within the scope of the present work. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



a. Anal with 20 to 21 (II, 18 or 19) rays; D. XII, 17, occasionally XII, 16; only 

 the 2 middle canines in upper jaw smaller than those in lower jaw; lower 

 jaw usually with 2 canines, occasionally with 1 or 3. 



mazorkae, new species (p. 384) 

 aa. Anal with 17 (II, 15) rays; D. XII, 16; canines in upper jaw smaller than 

 those in lower jaw; lateral canines in lower jaw probably miss- 

 ing ziphiodon (p. 386) 



