Coloration 



No information is available on live coloration. 

 In alcohol, specimens are a uniform straw^ color 

 except for a variable number of small spots of 

 dark pigment scattered over head and body 

 (some larger spots of pigment usually present, 

 mainly above the lateral line). Dorsal fin and 

 proximal part of caudal fin usually have a con- 

 siderable number of small spots of dark pigment 

 (caudal fin of holotype with a very narrow dusky 

 border distally) ; other fins mostly pale. (Pig- 

 ment spots are not easily seen without magnifica- 

 tion.) 



PREVIOUS REFERENCE TO 

 SYMPHYSANODON OCTOACTINVS 



The species designated as "Symphysanodon 

 sp. B" by Anderson (1967 : 12) is S. octoactinus. 



SEXUAL DIMORPHISM 



No external evidence of sexual dimorphism 

 was observed in S. octoactinus. 



COMPARISONS 



Specimens of Symphysanodon octoactinus may 

 be readily distinguished from specimens of all 

 other species of the genus by their deeper bodies, 

 by their usual possession of an additional anal 

 soft ray, and by the relation of number of total 

 gill rakers on the anterior gill arch to number 

 of pored lateral-line scales (table 1). 



DISTRIBUTION 



Symphysanodon octoactinus has been collected 

 in the western Atlantic off the Bahamas, Puerto 

 Rico, Nicaragua, and Panama in 85 to 160 fath. 

 (156-293 m.). The holotype of S. octoactinus 

 was caught along with one specimen of S. berryi 

 at Gerda station 693 off Grand Bahama Island 

 in 160 to 150 fath. (293-274 m.) . 



ETYMOLOGY 



The name octoactinus, suggested by Albert 

 Schwartz (Miami Dade Junior College), is from 

 the Greek (octo, eight; actis, ray) and refers 

 to the usual number of anal soft rays (eight) 

 found in this species. This name should be con- 

 sidered as an adjective. 



MATERIAL EXAMINED 



I examined 19 specimens, 58 to 108 mm. SL. 



Holotype 



USNM 204084, formerly UMML 20775, (79 

 mm. SL), off southern coast of Grand Bahama 

 Island, lat. 26°34' N., long. 78°26-25' W., 160 

 to 150 fath. (293-274 m.), Gerda station 693, 

 July 21, 1965. 



Paratypes 



FMNH 66924 (1, 108 mm. SL), off western 

 coast of Puerto Rico, lat. 18°24' N., long. 67°15' 

 W., 100 fath. (183 m.), Oregon station 2655, 



October 6, 1959 UMML 12273 (2, 69-85), 



off eastern coast of Nicaragua, lat. 12°32' N., 

 long. 82°25' W., 85 fath. (156 m.), Oregon sta- 

 tion 3577, May 23, 1962 15 specimens, 58 



to 101 mm. SL, off northern coast of Panama, 

 lat. 09°02' N., long. 81°26' W., 100 fath. (183 

 m.), Oregon station 3595, May 30, 1962; ANSP 

 112723 (1, 75), BMNH 1969.5.16.4 (1, 76), 

 TABL 101314 (2, 69-101), UMML 11050 (8, 

 58-78), and USNM 204085 (3, 70-82). A total 

 of 18 paratypes, 58 to 108 mm. SL. 



ZOOGEOGRAPHY AND PHYLOGENY 

 OF THE GENUS SYMPHYSANODON 



All of the specimens of Symphysanodon known 

 are from the western Pacific, central Pacific, or 

 western Atlantic, and most specimens (155 of 

 200) are from a relatively small area in the 

 western Atlantic (the Caribbean Sea and off 

 the islands of the West Indies) from which a 

 large number of collections have been made 

 within the last 20 years. 



Species of Symphysanodon show a marked 

 predilection for moderate depths — 65 to 260 

 fath. (119-476 m.)— around islands. The three 

 Pacific species (S. typus, S. katayamai, and S. 

 maunalose) have been captured exclusively off 

 insular areas, whereas the two western Atlantic 

 species (S. berryi and S. octoactinus) have been 

 collected off both the Caribbean coast of con- 

 tinental America and off islands in the West 

 Indies. Most of the specimens of S. berryi have 

 been collected off islands in the West Indies, but 

 most of those of S. octoactinus are from the 

 Caribbean Sea off Central America. 



Although depth data for Pacific Symphy- 

 sanodon are meager (only four depth records, 

 none for S. katayamai), these species may fre- 

 quent somewhat shallower waters — 65 to 130 



344 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



