THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 437 



in length; pectoral filaments 6, variable in length, the longest some- 

 times scarcely reaching origin of anal, occasionally opposite middle of 

 anal base. 



Color grayish above ; pale silvery below lateral line ; a dark opercular 

 spot present; pectoral dusky to black, other fins slightly dusky; 

 pectoral filaments white. 



The Mission collected five specimens, 135 to 260 mm. (96 to 185 

 mm. to base of caudal) long, four in the Gulf of Guayaquil, off Puerto 

 Pizarro, and one at Lobos de Tierra Island. Those from the Gulf of 

 Guayaquil were in part taken in an otter trawl and in part in a trammel 

 net, and the one from Lobos de Tierra Island was seined. There is at 

 hand, also, a specimen taken in the Tumbes River by R. E. Coker. 

 The six specimens listed form the basis for the description. These 

 examples were compared with others from Panama Bay, in which 

 similarly great variations in the length of the pectoral fins and the 

 filaments occur. 



Two juveniles, 8 and 9 mm. long, taken in a surface net off Sechura 

 Bay, at latitude 5°52'30'' S., longitude 81°28'30'' W., probably also 

 belong to this species. They are very similar to the juvenile described 

 under P. opercularis, differing, however, in having 6 instead of 9 

 separate rays below the pectoral fin. The separate rays are fully as 

 short, in proportion to the connected rays of the pectoral, as in the 

 juvenile P. opercularis. The fin spines are not fully developed though 

 the soft rays may be counted fairly accurately, the dorsal having 12 

 or 13, the anal 14, and the pectoral apparently 15. In shape and 

 color they agree essentially with the juvenile of P. opercularis. 



Range. — Southern California (San Diego) to northern Peru. 

 Abundant in Panama Bay. 



Family SCORPAENIDAE: Rockfishes 



Body oblong, more or less compressed; head large, rough, with 

 bony ridges usuallj^ terminating in spines ^^ ; mouth large, generally 

 nearly or quite terminal; teeth small, pointed, in bands on jaws and 

 vomer, and often on palatines; premaxillaries protractile; maxdlary 

 broad, with a supplemental bone ; a narrow bony ridge or stay on cheek; 

 gUls 4, no slit behind the fourth, the opening wide, the membranes free 

 from the isthmus; scales moderate or small, cycloid or ctenoid; lateral 

 line more or less concurrent with outline of back ; dorsal fin continuous, 

 sometimes rather deeply notched, with 8 to 16 spines and about an 

 equal number of soft rays; anal with 3 spines and 5 to 10 soft rays; 

 ventral thoracic, with 1 spine and 5 soft rays. 



Four genera are now known to occur in Peru. 



8* For the more or less usual position, and the names used in the description that follows, see fig. 86, p. 446. 

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