NOTES ON THE COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT 

 FISHES OF CHILE 



By Paraienio A. Yanez 



University of Chile Marine Biological Station 

 Montemar, Chile 



The fish fauna of the coast of Chile, which extends from the border 

 of Peru (18°22'S) to Cape Horn (56°S), is constituted of coastal 

 species typical of the Chilean district, generally understood to be the 

 region between the latitudes of Valdivia (39°45'S) and Tocopilla 

 (22°41'S) . Among these species are also found northern and southern 

 fishes from the Peruvian and Magellanic districts. Besides these species, 

 other pelagic ones are also found which migrate to the south through 

 the outer waters of the Coastal Current of Peru following, during their 

 transgresses and regiesses, the tropical and subtropical oceanic waters. 



The transgression of these waters, at a temperature and salinity of 

 about 15° and 35%, respectively, starts approximately in October, 

 reaches its maximum in February and its minimum in August, when 

 they move away from the coast, between Tocopilla and the province 

 of Cautin, a short distance north of Valdivia. 



At the time of the regression of the warm waters, the cold waters, 

 with temperatures around 12 °C, which during the summer do not sur- 

 pass the latitude of the peninsula of Taitao (46°30'S), extend towards 

 the north on a narrov/ coastal strip reaching as far as 32 °S, a little 

 north of the site of the Marine Biological Station of Montemar (Esta- 

 cion de Biologia Marina de Montemar), (32°5r24"S), located in the 

 Bay of Valparaiso. 



The analysis of the observations made in the Marine Biological 

 Station since 1947, shows that the surface temperature of the sea water 

 fluctuated in February between 14° and 16 °C; in August between 

 11° and 12°C, and in October, between 12° and 13°C. Occasionally 

 there has been a maximum of 18 °C in February and a minimum of 

 around 9°C in August, 



Thanks to the indicated facts, the Marine Biological Station is 

 located in the most favourable point of the Chilean coast regarding 

 ichthyological observations. The majority of the species character- 

 istic of the Magellanic and Peruvian districts reach the latitude of 

 the Station in question. Of the 50 species of commercial importance 

 considered below, only 7 were not caught in the neighbourhood of 



287 



