FISHES OF WEST COAST OF PEEU. 47 



Genus BASILICHTHYS Girard. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



o\ Depth of body 5 to 5.6 in length ; five to seven spines in first dorsal ; inter- 

 dorsal space .15 to .175 of the total length affinis, p. 47. 



a^ Body slender, its depth 6.8 in length ; 8 spines in first dorsal ; interdorsal 

 space .19 of the total length octavius, p. 49. 



70. BASILICHTHYS AFFINIS (Steindachner). 



PEJE-BEY. 



Plate 4, fig. 3. 



Chirostoma afflne Steindachner, Fauna Chilensis, 1898, p. 313; Iquique; 



Herpet.-ichthyol. Ergebnisse einer Relse nach Siidamerika, Denkschr. 



Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. 72, 1902, p. 40 ; Callao, Peru, Market. 

 BasiUchthys regillus Abbott, Marine Fishes of Peru, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Phlla., 1899, p. 339 ; Callao. — Starks, Fishes from Ecuador and Peru, 



Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 30, 1906, p. 783 ; Callao. 

 BasiUchthys jordani Abbott, Marine Fishes of Peru, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Phila, 1899, p. 341 ; Callao. 

 BasiUchthys affinis Abbott, Marine Fishes of Peru, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Phila., 1899, p. 342. 



Two specimens, field No. 409, 25 and 27 cm, in length, from Callao, 

 and three specimens, jSTo. 09620, 19 to 21 cm. in length, from Paracas 

 Bay region of Pisco, taken June 30, This species was spawning at 

 that time. Point Lastre of the chart, locally known as Punta peje- 

 rey, is the favorite fishing gTound for these large Atherinoids during 

 their spawning season. 



Seven specimens, field No. 09154, 6.1 to 17.3 cm. in length, from 

 Ancon, taken b}^ a haul with the seine (Chinchoro) on the beach. 



Head 4 to 4.25 in length; depth 5 to 5.6; eye 4.3 to 5.5 in head; 

 snout 2.9 to 3.15 ; interocular 3 to 3.66 ; D. VI or VII-1, 9 or 10 ; A. I, 

 16 or 17; transverse rows of scales 85 (+3) ; in cross-series between 

 origin of second dorsal and origin of anal 15. 



Body somewhat spindle-shaped; head long, depressed; jaws sub- 

 equal, premaxillaries protractile; premaxillary teeth mainly in two 

 rows, two additional partial series; vomerine teeth variablej in one 

 of the larger specimens they are mainly in three patches, one at 

 the apex and the others at the sides but not symmetrically placed; 

 in other large examples they are quite symmetrical, the definite sepa- 

 rations into patches often disappearing. In other examples, espe- 

 cially the smaller individuals, the teeth are few, bristle-like, easily 

 broken off or apparently absent. In those specimens in which large, 

 well- developed teeth are present, there are smaller bristle-like teeth 



