THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 



487 



2.8 in head; pectoral broad, margin of upper two-thirds of fin gently- 

 convex, the lower 4 or 5 rays rather notably shorter, the longest ones 

 2.1 to 2.5 in head. 



Color dark brownish gray above, pale underneath; back with in- 

 distinct pale lines, the most evident ones consisting of one between 

 anterior and one between posterior margms of eyes, and a third cross- 

 ing line at nape, another line crossing back a little in advance of tips of 

 pectorals, joining horizontal lines extending forward from origin of 

 dorsal, sometimes visible; a small ellipse, within the figure formed by 

 lines just mentioned, occasionally present; some specimens with two 

 cross lines behind dorsal fin; a few specimens with a bar darker than 

 the ground color, as broad as eye, extending across interorbital, more 



Figure 92. — Sfhoeroides sechurae, new species. From the type, ^ 

 Peru (U.S.N.M. No. 128122). 



mm. long, Sechura Bay, 



frequently merely with a dark spot above each eye; side, posterior to 

 pectoral fin, usually with roundish black spots; dorsal grayish brown 

 at base, the rest of fin plain translucent; basal third of caudal oliva- 

 ceous, the rest of fin nearly black, with a pale margin; anal plain 

 translucent; pectoral with a narrow dark bar at base, though not 

 extending across a few of the lower rays, the rest of the fin plain 

 translucent. 



This species is represented in the Peruvian collections studied by 

 31 small specimens, 37 to 73 mm. (29 to 58 mm. to base of caudal) 

 long. One was taken off Paita by W. L. Schmitt; and the others were 

 collected in Sechura Bay, and in Chimbote Bay by the Mission. There 

 are at hand also three specimens, 70 to 85 mm. long, collected at 

 Guayaquil, Ecuador, by Dr. Schmitt, which belong to this species. 

 A few from the Gulf of California also seem to be of this species, 



