FISHES OF WEST COAST OF PEEU. 103 



evenly serrate on its vertical border, the serrations at angle on hori- 

 zontal border somewhat enlarged ; teeth in villif orm bands, unequal, 

 an outer row on the premaxillary somewhat enlarged; gillrakers 

 small, slender, 6-|-14:, the longest at angle equal to diameter of pupil. 



Scales regular, slightly deciduous; soft dorsal and anal scaled at 

 base only, the scales extending but a short distance on the membranes. 



Dorsal spines moderate, the 4th longest, 2.74 in head; soft dorsal 

 low, rays graduated; caudal lunate, upper lobe longer; first anal 

 spine very small, second slender, 3.5, much shorter than soft rays; 

 ventrals short, reaching one-half distance from their base to posterior 

 border of vent; pectoral reaching to below origin of soft dorsal. 



Color in alcohol, dusky on back and sides, becoming silvery on 

 belly; faint dark lines following rows of scales; a dark area on 

 opercle; fins dusky; axil of pectoral blackish. Description based on 

 a specimen 22.5 cm, long from Callao. 



An example from Mollendo has 23 dorsal raj^s and the belly and 

 sides strongly silvery. 



This species does not attain as large a size as some of the other 

 important food fishes of the genus, but it is one of the most abundant 

 and highly prized food fishes on the coast of Peru. It is abundant 

 at Callao and has been recorded as far north as Panama. 



131. SCIAENA GILBERTI Abbott. 



CORBINA: CORBINITA. 



Plate 10, fig. 1. 



Sciaena gilherti Abbott, Marine Fishes of Peru, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1899, p. 355; Callao. — Steindachneb, Herpet.-ichthyol., Ergeb- 

 nisse einer Reise nach Siidamerika, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. 

 72, 1902, p. 32 ; Callao. 



Three specimens, field Nos. 09727 (=09102), 09104 and 09111, re- 

 spectively 33, 28.5, and 38 cm. long, from Callao, taken with gillnet, 

 fishing in the surf at La Ventanilla, between Ancon and Callao. 



Head 3.3 in length; depth 3.52; eye 6 in head; snout 3.16; maxil- 

 lary 2.54; interorbital 4; D. IX-I, 23; A. II, 9; scales 11-60 (+5) -14, 

 60 pores. 



Body elongate, fusiform, back little elevated; curvature of dorsal 

 and ventral outlines similar; head not elevated; snout rather long 

 and sharply pointed, not projecting beyond mandible; mouth large, 

 oblique; maxillary extending to below middle of pupil; posterior 

 nasal slit shorter and larger than usual in related species; free margin 

 of preopercle armed with small, equal serrae, these weak and rather 

 flexible; teeth in jaws in two or three rows, the outer row slightly 

 enlarged; third dorsal spine longest, 2.18 in head, outline of fin 

 triangular; soft dorsal highest anteriorly; caudal lunate; first anal 

 spine very small, the second slender, about 1.75 in longest anal ray, 



