402 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



23; P. 13; scales (pores) in lateral line 61 or 62, just above lateral line 

 77 to 84; vertebrae 40 (one specimen dissected). 



Body elongate, moderatel}^ compressed, its greatest thickness 

 about three-fourths its depth; dorsal outhne gently convex; head low, 

 tapering to a rather pointed snout (not becoming deep with age), 

 broader than anterior part of trunk, about equal in width and depth 

 at nape; caudal peduncle short, strongly compressed, 3.55 to 4.0 in 

 head; snout rather pointed, 3.2 to 3.5 in head; eye 6.1 to 6.3; inter- 

 orbital 12.1 to 13.6; mouth moderately large, oblique; lips thick; 

 lower jaw projecting; maxillary reaching to or somewhat beyond mid- 

 dle of eye, 2.0 to 2.1 in head; teeth in each jaw in an outer series con- 

 sisting of slightly enlarged teeth followed anteriorly by a band of 

 minute teeth; those on vomer and palatines minute, in bands, the vo- 

 merine band well separated from the palatine bands; anterior nostril 

 with a tuft of minute tentacles; upper posterior part of eye with one or 

 tw^o minute tentacles; nuchal "comb" absent or represented by a tuft 

 of minute tentacles at each side of midUne; gill rakers developed as 

 spiny tubercles, about nine on lower limb and about two on upper one 

 of first arch ; lateral line curved anteriorlj^, reaching middle of side and 

 becoming straight over beginning of about second fourth of anal, far 

 behind tip of pectoral, the straight part shorter than curved portion; 

 pores on head numerous, some of them in ridges and papillae; scales 

 thin, only moderately small, not extending on head, eight or nine 

 oblique rows between lateral line and sixth dorsal spine, those in 

 anterior part of lateral line enlarged, and with free margins straight 

 or concave; dorsal beginning over or slighth^ behind margin of pre- 

 opercle, the spines rather strong, sharp, graduated, the longest ones 

 near middle of fin, 3.3 to 3.9 in head, the soft part of fin much shorter 

 and notably higher than spinous portion; caudal broadly convex, only 

 about as long as postorbital part of head ; anal })eginning under about 

 middle of spinous part of dorsal, and ending under next to last ray of 

 dorsal, its base 2.3 to 3.4 in length; ventral rather short, 1.9 to 2.1 in 

 head; pectoral broad, the longest rays at middle of fin, 1.4 to 1.5 in 

 head, 4.8 to 5.1 in length. 



Color grayish brown above, with or without dark cross bars; lower 

 parts pale or brownish, sparingly to profusely dotted and spotted with 

 roundish dark dots or spots; fins of about same color as adjacent parts 

 of body. 



The Mission secured four specimens, 265 to 283 mm. (230 to 243 mm. 

 to base of caudal) long, two of which were taken in Independencia 

 Bay, in a trammel net, and the other tw^o in San Juan Bay, with the 

 same gear. 



Range. — Coasts of Peru and Chile. 



