476 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Color plain brown or with indefinite pale dots in small example; 

 opercular region a little darker than rest of body; dorsal and anal 

 nearly colorless anteriorly, becoming diisl^y gradually, and quite 

 dark posteriorly, with pale margin; caudal dark, like posterior parts 

 of dorsal and anal, with a white distal margin. 



This apparently new species is represented in the collection fur- 

 nished by the Mission by 4 specimens, 70 to 115 mm. (64 to 102 mm. 

 to base of caudal) long, dredged in Sechura Bay, near Sechura, Next 

 to the largest one (U.S.N.M. No. 128170), which is 110 mm. (98 

 mm. to base of caudal) long, has been selected as the type, and the 

 following proportions and enumerations apply to that specimen: 

 Head 5.2 in length; depth 3.4. Eye in head 10; snout 4.5; maxillary 

 3.6. D. 98; A. 77; scales 89, oblique series between lower eye and 

 indentation in opercular margin 22. 



In addition to the specimens from Peru, herein described, a speci- 

 men (U.S.N.M. No. 88832), 163 mm. long, from Gua3^aquil, Ecuador, 

 another (U.S.N.M. No. 50333), 233 mm. long, from Panama Bay, and 



Figure 89. — Symphurus sechurae, new species. From the type, 110 mm. long, Sechura 

 Bay, Peru (U.S.N.M. No. 128170). 



two (U.S.N.M. No. 126741), 132 and 140 mm. long, from the Gulf of 

 California (lat. 30° N., long. 144° W.), also seem to belong to this 

 species. The largest specimen has dark lines along the rows of scales, 

 which are faintly visible also in next to the largest one, though not 

 in the others, and it has 89 rays in the anal, which is 8 rays more 

 than are found in any other specimen. In other respects it is in 

 agreement with the rest of the material studied and accordingly may 

 at least tentatively be placed with the present species. 



This species differs from the other two local ones herein described in 

 the larger mouth, with the maxillary extending nearly or quite to 

 posterior margin of lower eye, and in the uniform dark color of the 

 posterior parts of the dorsal and anal fins. Other differences are 

 shown in the key to the species. It differs from S. elongatus (Gtinther), 

 a species occurring in Panama Bay, in having a notably deeper body, 

 a somewhat smaller mouth, and weaker dentition. From S. leei 

 Jordan and BoUman, another species inhabiting Panama Bay, it 



