PISHES OF EL SALVADOB 
271 
This fish ranges from Lower California to Panama. The specimens from EI 
Salvador are from the TJio Lempa at San Marcos, and from salt water at Triunfo. 
16. Centropomus pectinatus Poey 
ROBALO; ROVALO 
Centropomus undecimalis Cuvier and Valenciennes (part), Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 1828, 102. 
Centropomus pectinatus Poey, Memorias, II, 1860, 121 (Cuba); Jordan and Evermann, Bull., U. S. Nat. Mus., XLVII, 1896. 
1122; Regan, Biol. Cent. Amer., Pisces, 1907, 46; Meek and Hildebrand, Pub., Field Mus. Nat. Hist.,Zool. Ser., XV, Part 
II, 1925, 421. 
Centropomus medius Gunther, Proc., Zoiil. Soc, London, 1864, 144, and Trans., Zool. Soc, London, VI, 1868, 406 ("Chiapam," 
Pacific coast of Guatemala). 
Centropomus granioculatus Jenkins and Evermann, Proc, U. S. Nat. Mus. XI, 1888(1889), 139 (Guaymas). 
Head 3 to 3.15; depth 3.5 to 3.7; D. VIII-I, 10; A. Ill, 7; scales 58 to 62. 
Body elongate, compressed; profile concave over eyes; caudal peduncle long, 
its least depth 2.55 to 2.8 in head; head long; snout rather broad, its length 2.8 
to 2.9 in head; eye 4.15 to 5.1 ; interorbital 4.45 to 5.6; mouth large, oblique; lower 
jaw strongly projecting; luaxillary reacliing nearly opposite middle of eye, 2.2 to 
2.35 in head; preorbital with small serrations; preopercle strongly serrate, several 
serrse at angle enlarged; preopercular ridge with 2 spines at angle; gill rakers slender, 
13 or 14 on lower limb of first arch; scales of moderate size, 5J^ or 6 rows between 
rniddle of base of second dorsal and lateral line, somewhat reduced in advance of 
dorsal, about 14 rows crossing the back anterior to spinous dorsal, small scales 
extending on base of second dorsal, caudal, and anal; origin of spinous dorsal an 
eye's diameter behind base of pectorals, tlie spines long, tlie tliird the longest, reach- 
ing to or a little beyond the tip of the fourth when dettexed, 1.5 to 1.7 in head; 
origin of second dorsal a little nearer base of caudal than preopercular margin; 
caudal fin forked, both lobes acute; origin of anal fin under the posterior third of 
second dorsal, the second spine much enlarged but not reaching beyond tlie tip of 
the third when deflexed, 1.3 to 1.6 in head; ventral fins inserted less than an eye's 
diameter behind base of pectorals, reaching to or a little beyond vent; pectoral 
fins reaching somewhat past middle of ventrals, 1.7 to 1.75 in head. 
Color bluish or grayish above; sides and abdomen silvery; tip of snout dusky; 
lateral line in a black streak; dorsals, caudal, and anal all more or less dusky; the 
membrane between the second and third anal spines darker than rest of fin but not 
black; ventrals and pectorals yellowish green; tips of ventrals black in young, this 
color disappearing with age. 
Three specimens of this species, respectively 220, 280, and 350 millimeters in 
length, were preserved. The largest of these was taken in strictly fresh water in 
the Rio Lempa at San Marcos. 
This species occurs on both coasts of tropical America where it enters fresh 
water freely. On the Atlantic it ranges from Cuba to Panama and on the Pacific 
from Guaymas to Colombia. 
The El Salvador specimens are from the Rio Lempa at San Marcos and from the 
salt water estuary at Triunfo, 
