462 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



sometimes at least with a more widely spaced outer series anteriorly, 

 teeth not extending to angle of mouth on ocular side; gill rakers short 

 and thick, 9 to 11 on lower and 5 to 7 on upper limb of first arch; 

 lateral lino well developed on ocular side, very indefinite on blind side, 

 with a short, high arch over pectoral on ocular side, its chord rather 

 less than twice diameter of eye, with a V-shaped branch behind upper 

 eye; scales small, ctenoid on ocular side, cycloid on blind side, extend- 

 ing forward on interorbital, but not on snout, extending also on caudal, 

 and on some of the rays of dorsal and anal; first ray of dorsal over 

 anterior nostril, well in advance of lower eye; caudal somewhat pointed, 

 the middle rays about as long as head ; first ray of anal under base of pec- 

 toral; ventral of ocular side median, with a long base, that of blind 

 side with short base, the rays of each of about equal length 2.0 to 2.6 

 in head; pectoral of ocular side rather long, 1.1 to 1.25 in head, that of 

 blind side shorter, 1.75 to 2.2 in head. 



Color varying from rather dark brown to grayish; the light-colored 

 specimens with distinct pale spots surrounded by a dark, dotted circle, 

 the center of spot sometimes with a dark dot, the pale spots only faintly 

 visible on dark specimens; pale specimens also with many dark specks 

 or markings of various shapes, these extending on the fins, dark specks 

 or spots few on dark individuals; a series of four or five dark blotches 

 sometimes present in straight part of lateral line, the largest one some- 

 what behind midlength, present in all specimens at hand; fins plain, 

 except for dark specks. 



The description is based on seven specimens, 65 to 100 mm. (52 to 

 78 mm. to base of caudal) long. These specimens, and two juveniles 

 37 and 39 mm. long, were secured by the Mission in Samanco Bay, 

 Tortuga Bay, and in Chilca Bay in shallow water. The juveniles 

 differ from the larger specimens chiefly in being slenderer, the eyes 

 are much closer together, and the lower one is little in advance of the 

 upper. The color pattern already is rather fully developed in the larger 

 specimen, though less completely in the smaller one. In the following 

 proportions, which are based on these juveniles, those pertaining to 

 the smaller one are given first: Head in length 4.0, 4.05; depth 1.85, 

 1,95. Eye in head 4.1, 3.8; snout in advance of lower eye 6.3, 4,0; 

 interorbital 11.5, 7.6; maxillary 4.6, 4.0; caudal peduncle 2.3, 2.2; 

 pectoral, ocular side 1.6, 1.3, blind side 2.6, 2,5, 



The Peruvian specunens were compared with others from the 

 Galdpagos Islands, Panama Bay, and Mexico. Small specimens from 

 Port Utria, and Gorgona Island, Colombia, collected by W. L. Schmitt, 

 and a large one, taken by the Albatross (station 3369), in the vicinity 

 of Cocos Island, off the coast of Panama, in 66 fathoms, also are at 

 hand. All specimens examined seem to be of one species, though a 

 few specimens were labeled "Platophrys leopardinus." Norman (1934, 

 p. 221, see key), who examined the type of leopardinus, a specimen 

 147 mm, long, regarded it as distinct from constellatus because it has 



