THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 465 



The report of the Mission (1943, p. 284) indicated that flounders 

 ("lenguado") are of moderate commercial importance in Peru. As 

 the species are not separated for the market, and presumably are not 

 recognized, it is not known definitely which ones enter into the com- 

 mercial catch. It seems highly probable, however, that it is com- 

 posed almost entirely of P. adspersus and P. woolmani, as the other 

 species herein described apparently do not grow large enough to be of 

 much commercial value. Judging further from the general distriba- 

 tion and the rather numerous specimens preserved of P. adspersus in 

 comparison with the apparently limited distribution in Peru and few 

 specimens preserved of P. woolmani, we may conclude that the 

 commercial catch very probably is made up principally of P. adspersus. 

 The report of the Mission stated further that the local fishery for 

 flounders is carried on with haul seines, trammel nets, hand lines, cast 

 nets, and spears. Nearly the entire catch is said to be consumed in 

 the fresh state, and the fish are higlily regarded as food and are 

 served in many of the better restaurants. 



Range. — Coasts of Peru and Chile. 



PARAUCHTHYS WOOLMANI Jordan and WUliams 



Lenguado 



Paralichthys woolmani Jordan and Williams, in Gilbert, 1897, p. 457, Panama 

 Bay, erroneously credited to the Galdpagos Islands (original description). — 

 EvERMANN and Radcliffe, 1917, p. 140, Paita, Peru (synonymy; descrip- 

 tion; distinguishing characters of this species and P. adspersus). — Meek 

 and Hildebrand, 1928, p. 974, Panama Bay (synonymy; description; range). — 

 Norman, 1934, p. 86, fig. 51, Baja California, Panama Bay, and Galdpagos 

 Islands (synonymy; description; range). 



Head 3.4 to 3.6; depth 2.2 to 2.3 ;'D. 73 to 82; A. 55 to 62; P. 11 or 

 12; scales about 95 to 115. 



Body fairly elongate; profile concave in front of eyes; head rather 

 small; caudal peduncle short, 2.2 to 2.6 in head; snout (in front of lower 

 eye) 4.2 to 4.7; eye 6.25 to 8.2; interorbital narrow, without definite 

 ridges, about 1.2 to 3.1 in eye; mouth large, oblique, terminal, or the 

 lower jaw slightly projecting; maxillary almost as broad as eye, reaching 

 below or a little beyond posterior margin of lower eye, 2.05 to 2.2 in 

 head; teeth sharply pointed, largest anteriorly; mandible with a 

 rather prominent knob at symphysis, and another posteriorly; gill 

 rakers with strong denticles along inner margin, those at angle about 

 two-thirds length of eye, 11 to 13 on lower and 4 or 5 on upper limb 

 of first arch; lateral line with a rather long arch; its chord 1.75 to 1.9 in 

 head; scales small (difficult to enumerate accurately), cycloid, acces- 

 sory scales rather numerous, small scales extending on rays of unim- 

 paired fins, and on head to interorbital; first ray of dorsal over anterior 

 rim of orbit; caudal slightly angulate, the middle rays longest, some- 

 what shorter than head; first ray of anal under base of pectoral; 



