BUTLER and AHLSTROM: NEW SPECIES, SCOPELENGYS CLARKEI 



tween specimens from these areas and from the 

 Pacific. Because there is no clinal pattern in the 

 variation and because of extensive overlap in all 

 counts, no taxonomic importance was placed on 

 the small meristic differences. 



Garman distinguished S. dispar from S. tristis 

 by the lower dorsal and anal-fin ray counts: D 11 

 vs. 12 and A 12-11 vs. 13 (Garman 1899). The types 

 of S. dispar are in poor condition but the anal fins 

 appear to have 12 or 13 rays (Robert Schoknecht 

 pers. commun.). The counts of S. dispar are 

 within the range of S. tristis. Scopelengys dispar 

 has been correctly considered a junior synonym 

 by Parr (1928), Bohn (1939), and Norman (1939). 

 Scopelengys lugubris Garman 1899:400, the 

 specific name regarded as a lapsus calami by 

 Bolin (1939), is a synonym ofS. dispar, hence ofS. 

 tristis. Scopelengys whoi was described from the 

 Carribbean Sea (Mead 1963). The diagnosis was 

 based on a shorter head, higher number of anal 

 fin rays (14 vs. 12-13), and the insertion of the 

 pelvic fin in advance of the origin of the dorsal. 

 According to Mead (1963), however, the head 

 length is ". . .a poor measurement because of the 

 condition of the opercular flap." The anal-fin ray 

 count is within the range of S. tristis (Table 3). 

 The insertion of the pelvic fin is a variable 

 character in S. tristis. In most specimens the fin is 

 inserted below the origin of the dorsal fin but in- 

 sertion in advance of the dorsal is not uncommon. 

 Based on this study, we conclude that S. whoi is a 

 junior synonym of S. tristis. 



Study Material 



PACIFIC OCEAN ADULTS.— SIO 51-186 1 

 (134); SIO 64-21 6(78-148); SIO 65-243 2(122-134); 

 SIO 64-997 1(122); SIO 65-244 1(75); SIO 55-229 

 9(31-113); SIO 65-206 1(92); SIO 60-212 4(20-133); 

 SIO 52-309 2(36-56); SIO 73-170 1(49); SIO 73-171 

 1(30); SIO 55-265 1(54); SIO 65-620 1(139); SIO 

 65-606 4(92-151); SIO 65-220 5(14-138); SIO 



65-611 17(85-176); SIO 51-84 3(74-123); SIO 

 69-497 6(92-170); SIO 72-186 8(73-179); SIO 

 65-215 1(121); SIO 54-124 1(147); SIO 52-367 

 1(145); SIO 60-232 1(168); SIO 65-213 3(88-158); 

 SIO 60-219 2(42-170); SIO 55-246 4(65-140); SIO 

 68-579 1(140); SIO 53-235 1(154); SIO 51-146 

 3(127-144); SIO 65-603 17(62-160); SIO 55-244 

 2(159-167); SIO 72-195 17(88-175); SIO 65-608 

 14(43-200); SIO 72-193 2(106-169); SIO 72-192 

 18(10.2-177); SIO 60-216 2(42-76); SIO 60-218 

 1(48); SIO 66-355 1(135); SIO 69-19 1(24); SIO 

 72-182 1(90); SIO 66-407 1(42); SIO 64-24 1(116); 

 SIO 60-234 1(69); SIO 64-13 1(113); SIO 52-409 

 1(65); SIO 59-202 1(83); SIO 52-90 1(113); SIO 

 64-15 1(85); SIO 63-444 1(103); SIO 60-243 4(18- 

 44); SIO 68-534 1(28); SIO 65-443 1(142); SIO 

 68-104 1(97); SIO 60-209 1(78); SIO 52-363 2(56- 

 115); SIO 64-28 3(95-144); SIO 57-43 1(126); SIO 

 65-237 1(128); SIO 61-32 2(105-106); SIO 63-42 

 1(109); SIO 66-30 1(113); SIO 51-45 1(132); SIO 

 60-215 7(19-94); SIO 52-32 1(150); SIO 50-270 

 2(110-115); SIO 51-77 1(110); SIO 51-189 1(120); 

 SIO 54-82 1(107); SIO 54-102 2(116-147); USC Vel- 

 ero IV, cruise 1238, stn. 18762/10; MCZ 41695 

 2(121-141); USNM 135842 1 (X-ray); MCZ 28058 1 

 (X-ray) (lectotype S. dispar Garman). 



PACIFIC OCEAN LARVAE^.— Larvae taken 

 at 17 EASTROPAC stations and 2 CalCOFI sta- 

 tions as follows: EASTROPAC stations 11.282 

 1(4.8); 13.105 1(5.5); 13.172 2(6.4, 6.8); 20.018 

 1(5.5); 30.114 2(4.0, 4.5); 45.032 1(8.1); 45.073 

 1(6.0); 45.078 1(10.3); 45.293 1(6.6); 45.316 1(6.9) 

 46.034 1(6.2); 46.096 2(6.7, 6.9); 47.001 1(5.2) 

 47.005 4(3.5-4.3); 47.035 1(7.0); 47.040 1(5.3) 

 47.065 1(9.2); CalCOFI 7205-20.127 1(5.0); 4907- 

 112 1(9.1). 



ATLANTIC OCEAN.— MCZ 41638 l(X-ray) 



^Station data in EASTROPAC Information Paper 6 and Ahl- 

 strom (1972). 



Table 3. — Means and differences among means of meristic counts of Scopelengys tristis from four areas (eastern North 

 Pacific, ENP; eastern tropical Pacific, ETP; Indian Ocean, 10; and Atlantic Ocean, AO) and S. clarkei. 



147 



