FISHES OF WEST COAST OF PEEU. 115 



Family APLODACTYLIDAE. 



Genus APLODACTYLUS Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



143. APLODACTYLUS PUNCTATUS Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



JERGTJILLA. 



Plate 11. fig. 1. 



Aplodactylus punctattis. Cvyi'er and Vaxenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 8, 

 1831, p 352 (477), pi. 242; Valparaiso.— Jenyns, Zool. Voy. Beagle, 

 Fisli., 1842, p. 15.— Gay, Hist. Chile, Zool., vol. 2, 1848, p. 156. 



H aplodactylus punctatus Gxjnthek, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, 1859, p. 

 434; Challenger Exp., Shore Fishes, 1880. p. 24. — Delfin, Cat. Feces de 

 Chile, 1901, p. 71. — Steindachner, Herpet.-ichthyol., Ergebnisse einer 

 Reise nach Siidamerika, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, vol. 72, 1902. 

 p. 30. 



Two specimens, field Nos. 430 and 09723, respectively 32 and 36.5 

 cm. long, from Callao, and one, field No. 47,7, 24.5 cm. in length from 

 Ballestas Island, region of Pisco, taken with a trammel net in 1 to 3 

 fathoms of water, where this species is known as " Nuiiora " or 

 " Senorita." 



Head 3.72 in length; depth 2.83; eye 5.92 in head; snout 2.68; 

 maxillary 3.32; interorbital 3.32; pectoral 1.15; ventral 1.41; D. 

 X V-I, 20 ; A. Ill, 9i ; 100 pores in the lateral line. Body stout, 

 caudal peduncle deep, 2.18 in head; head conic; snout blunt; inter- 

 orbital low, convex ; eye small, high, its diameter above level of tip of 

 snout ; lips fleshy ; mouth small, maxillary not reaching front of eye ; 

 teeth strong, flat, tricuspid in outer row, small cardiform teeth behind 

 these; scales small, lateral line with a long low curve; fins scaly; 

 dorsal spines stout; anterior rays of soft dorsal longest; caudal 

 lunate ; anal long ; six lower rays of pectoral simple, thickened ; first 

 simple ray longest. 



Color in alcohol : Ground color yellowish olive, everywhere dotted 

 with small black spots, in many places the spots united to form rivu- 

 lations. Described from an example 36.5 cm. long from Callao. 



Specimen, field No. 477, has head 3.54 in length ; depth 3 ; eye 5 in 

 head; snout 2.5; interorbital 3.05; pectoral 1.14; six lower pectoral 

 rays simple ; D. XV-I, 20 ; A. Ill, 9^. 



The validity of Aplodactylus reginae^ A. vermiculatus, and A. gut- 

 tatus of Gay, as distinct species, is questionable, the main point of 

 dijfference appearing to be one of coloration. 



