THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 455 



apart, with one spine and five soft rays; pectoral large, often quite 

 long, somewhat as in flyingfishes, the three lower rays free from rest 

 of fin and from each other, forming feelers. 

 A single genus and species is known from Peru. 



Genus PRIONOTUS Lacepede, 1802 



Head large; snout broad; opercle with 1 spine; preopercle with 2 

 spines; shoulder girdle with 1 spine; mouth broad; teeth very small, 

 in a band on each jaw, and on vomer and palatines; gill rakers mod- 

 erately developed; lateral line complete; scales rather small, about 60 

 to 100 in a lateral series; first dorsal with about 8 to 10 spines; second 

 dorsal and anal each with about 10 to 13 rays; ventral fins far apart, 

 with a flat space between them. 



Some of the species live regularly along the shores in shallow water; 

 others live in rather deep water. The genus is rather widely distributed 

 on both coasts of America, The usual length attained is under 250 mm. 



PRIONOTUS QUIESCENS Jordan and Bollman 



Prionotus qviescens Jordan and Bollman, 1890, p. 166, Albatross stations 2800, 

 2801, 2802, 2805, in Panama Bay (original description). — Meek and Hilde- 

 BRAND, 1928, p. 857, Panama Bay (references; description, based on type 

 material; range). 



IPrionotus aspersus Tortonese (probably not of Meek and Hildebrand), 1939b, 

 p. 366, pi. 9, fig. 2, Callao, Peru (discussion). 



Head 2.0 to 2.5; depth 3.9 to 4.25; D. X-12 or 13; A. 11 or 12; 

 P. 11 or 12+3; scales about 85. 



Body little compressed, its greatest thickness about five-sixths its 

 depth; dorsal outline convex; ventral outline nearly straight; head 

 large, scarcely deeper than broad at margin of preopercles; snout 

 broader than deep, emarginate anteriorly, 2.5 to 3.0 in head; eye 4.5 

 to 5.0; interorbital concave, 4.7 to 5.7; mouth large, nearly horizontal; 

 lower jaw included; maxillary reaching below front of eye, 2.3 to 2.5 

 in head; teeth small, in bands on jaws, vomer and palatines, the band 

 on upper jaw with a broad interruption anteriorly; no groove across 

 head behind orbits; spines on head rather prominent; margin of 

 snout with about 12 to 15 small spines or serrations directed more or 

 less forward, and laterally with a rather strong spine directed back- 

 ward, followed by serrations; a small preocular spine, with blunt 

 serrations below it; a blunt postocular spine, preceded by blunt serra- 

 tions; a bony ridge behind eye, ending in a blunt spine; bony armature 

 of head ending posteriorly, in scapular region, in a prominent spine; 

 center of radiation on cheek without a spine; opercle and preopercle 

 each with a strong spine, the former extending well beyond opercular 

 margin; a single strong spine on shoulder girdle above base of pectoral; 



