THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 463 



a slenderer body, a narrower interorbital, and fewer pectoral rays, its 

 depth being contained 1.8 in the length, the interorbital equalling the 

 width of the eye, and the pectoral having 10 rays. In all these respects 

 it differs from the adult specimens now at hand. 



A specimen from the vicinity of Cocos Island, off the coast of Pana- 

 ma, has a distinct spine just behind premaxillary on ocular side. 

 Several other specimens have a decided protuberance in the same place 

 though not a definite spine. Specimens with this protuberance or 

 spine may be regarded as males. 



Range. — Baja California to Peru and the GaUpagos Islands. 

 Reported from "Low Archipelago, Oceania" (Norman, 1934, p. 233). 

 Previously not recorded from Peru. 



Genus PARALICHTHYS Girard. 1858 



Body ovate or oblong, not especially strongly compressed ; interorbital 

 generally moderately wide and flat; mouth large, oblique, maxillary 

 about half length of head; teeth in jaws pointed, in a single series, 

 none on vomer; gill rakers rather long and slender; lateral line equally 

 developed on both sides, with a prominent arch above pectoral fin, 

 supratemporal branch of lateral line often not distinctly developed; 

 scales small, cycloid or ctenoid, minute accessory scales present (except 

 in small specimens), small scales extending on rays of unpaired fins; 

 first ray of dorsal over, or a little in front of, anterior part of eye; 

 interhaemal spine weak, not projecting in front of anal; ventral fins 

 subequal, nearly symmetrically placed; pectoral fins unequal, that of 

 ocular side the larger. 



Two species are known to occur in Peru. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 

 a. Scales of ocular side sharply ctenoid; 15 to 19 gill rakers on lower limb and 6 



or 7 on upper limb of first arch adspersus (p. 463) 



aa. Scales cycloid; 11 to 13 gill rakers on lower and 4 or 5 on upper Umb of first 

 arch woolmani (p. 465) 



PARALICHTHYS ADSPERSUS (Steindachner) 



Lenguado 



Pseudorhombus adspersus Steindachner, 1867, p. 9, pi. 2, "Chinchas Islands," 

 Peru (original description). 



Paralichthys adspersus Jordan and Goss, 1889, p. 246, Callao, Peru (synonymy; 

 description, based on Peruvian specimens; range, stated as extending from 

 "Cape San Lucas to Peru." Specimens from Panama Bay and northward 

 now are known to be of a different species). — Abbott, 1899, p. 363, Callao, 

 Peru (synonymy; note on differences between this species and P. sinaloae 

 Jordan and Abbott, with which it had been confused). — Starks, 1906, p. 800, 

 Callao, Peru. — Evermann and Radclipfe, 1917, p. 140, Callao and Mol- 

 lendo, Peru (synonymy; description). — Nichols and Murphy, 1922, p. 512, 

 Chincha Islands, Independencia Bay, and Callao market, Peru. — Norman, 

 1934, p. 83, fig. 49, Peru and Chile (synonymy; description; range). 



Head 3.2 to 3.5; depth 2.0 to 2.3; D. 67 to 75; A. 54 to 59; P. 11 or 

 12, rarely 13; scales about 95 to 112. 



