440 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



ing forward only to nuchal spines, a few rather scattered scales on 

 opercle and preopercle usually present, the head otherwise naked, 

 scales extending somewhat on bases of caudal and pectoral, 4 or 5 

 rows between lateral line and base of first dorsal spine, and an equal 

 number between it and last ray of dorsal; dorsal fin moderately 

 notched, the eleventh spine about three-fourths length of twelfth, 

 the third and fourth spines longest, 2.4 to 2.6 in head; soft part of 

 dorsal with convex margin, the last ray bound to the back by a mem- 

 brane for most of its length, the longest rays about same length as 

 the longest spines; caudal fin rather longer than snout and eye, with 

 convex margin, the rudimentary rays not modified; anal rather 

 small, its origin under first soft ray of dorsal, the second spine not 

 much longer or stronger than the third, 2.4 to 2.75 in head, the longest 

 soft rays a little longer than the second spine ; ventral inserted a little 

 behind base of pectoral, reaching to or slightly beyond vent, 1 .6 to 1 .75 

 in head; pectoral large, extending beyond tip of ventral, 1 or 2 upper 

 rays simple, the next 6 or 7 divided, the remainder simple and with 

 free tips in adults, only 1 or 2 rays indefinitely divided in the smallest 

 specimens at hand, the sixth to the eighth (counting downward) 

 longest, 1.3 to 1.4 in head, 3.1 to 3.4 in length. 



General color varying from grayish to dark brown. The smaller 

 specimens (53 and 67 mm. long) with a large dark blotch on back 

 under spinous dorsal and another under soft part of dorsal, each 

 extending below lateral line; another dark blotch on caudal peduncle; 

 and three rather definite dark bars on caudal fin; anal somewhat 

 similarly barred; ventral and pectoral largely dusky. A specimen 

 113 mm. long is too dark to show the marking of the smaller ones, 

 exclusive of those on the caudal and anal fins; dorsal, caudal, and 

 pectoral quite dark, with pale marblings. The two largest specimens, 

 160 and 195 mm. long, show very indefinite blotching, and each has 

 a definite dark spot nearly as large as eye a short distance behind 

 margin of opercle and just below lateral line; the fins are rather pale 

 and, exclusive of the ventral, are spotted and marbled, though 

 feebly so in next to the largest specimen. 



The description is based on five specimens, 53 to 195 mm. (40 to 

 156 mm. to base of caudal) long. The four smaller ones were fur- 

 nished by the Mission and were taken in Lobos de Afuera Bay, 

 Chimbote Bay, and at Don Martin Island. The largest specimen 

 was secured by R. E. Coker at Lobos de Afuera. They were compared 

 with a specimen from the Galapagos Islands, the type locality, with 

 which they agree. It is difiicult to classify the young as to genus, 

 because the pectoral rays are imperfectly divided, as pointed out 

 in the description. 



Range.— TaiiSimsi Bay to Peru and the Galdpagos and Juan Fernan- 

 dez Islands. 



