NO. 10 FISHES FROM PERU — HILDECRAND AND BARTON 17 



cantly the two agree in the small number of gill rakers present, 

 wherein this species seems to differ from related ones. It is close to 

 P. alius, from the West Indies and the Atlantic coast of the United 

 States, apparently differing principally in having 17 gill rakers on 

 the lower limb of the first arch, instead of 20 as in P. alius. P. serrula 

 also is close to P. niphonius, a Japanese species, from which it also 

 differs in having fewer gill rakers, a broader interorbital, and rather 

 longer fin spines. The small specimen, 73 mm. in total length, from 

 Cape San Lucas, Baja California, described by Clark (1936, p. 388) 

 as P. lucasanus, probably is the same as P. serrula, though a few 

 characters as given are in disagreement. The anal formula, "II, 10," 

 perhaps may be dismissed as a typographical error, as the presence 

 of 3 spines is the normal number for the members of the family. 

 The oversight of teeth on the vomer and palatines, also a family char- 

 acter, presumably led to the assertion than none were present. 



Range. — Previously reported only from Panama Bay. The known 

 range is now extended southward to Talara, Peru, and somewhat 

 doubtfully, northward to Cape San Lucas, Baja California. 



Family POMADASIDAE: Grunts 

 ORTHOPRISTIS CHALCEUS (Giinther) 



Orthopristis chalceus Hildebrand, 1946, p. 284 (description). 



A single specimen, 59 mm. in standard length (caudal fin broken), 

 is present in the collection. The species probably is not common in 

 Peru, as the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mission to Peru in 1941 

 did not obtain any specimens. It has been recorded, however, from 

 two places in Peru, namely, from Lobos de Afuera, and from Callao 

 (Hildebrand, 1946, p. 248). 



Range. — Gulf of California to the Galapagos Islands and northern 

 Peru. 



Family SCIAENIDAE : Croakers, Drums, etc. 

 Genus EQUETUS Rafinesque, 1815 



Body oblong, compressed ; back much elevated anteriorly, descend- 

 ing rapidly posterior to first dorsal fin ; mouth small, inferior, lower 

 jaw included; snout with rather prominent pores and slits; preopercle 

 with serrated membranous border; teeth in jaws in villiform bands, 

 some of them occasionally enlarged; gill rakers short and rather 

 few, about 8 to 12 on lower limb of first arch; scales rather small, 

 ctenoid ; soft part of dorsal very long, with about 35 to 55 rays ; anal 

 small, with only about 5 to 8 soft rays. 



