FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 71, NO. 1 



ever, some of his specimens were in poor state 

 of preservation and too fragile to be handled. 

 The list of specimens is as follows: 



ATLANTIC OCEAN AND 

 CARIBBEAN SEA 



U.S. National Museum (USNM): 25769-1 

 specimen; 26049-1; 26073-1; 31630-1; 31677-1 

 31686-1; 31739-1; 31741-1; 31822-1; 31842-2 

 31844-1; 31863-2; 32791-1; 33032-1; 44264-1 

 45920-1; 155475-2; 159214-1; 159230-1 

 186294-5; 186299-1; 186302-1; 190356-1 

 205223-1; 205224-1; 205230-1; 205231-1 

 205233-1; 205235-1; 205237-4; 205240-2 

 205241-1; 205242-1; 205243-1; 205244-1 

 205245-1; 205246-1; 250247-1; 205248-1 

 205249-1; 205251-1; 205252-1; 205253-1 

 205255-1; 205257-2; 205259-1; 205260-1 

 205262-1; 205263-2; 206190-1; 206191-1 

 206192-2; 206194-1; 206195-7; 206196-1 

 206197-1; 206198-1; 206199-1; 206200-1 

 206201-2; 206202-5; 206203-4; 206204-1 

 206205-30; 206207-2; 206208-5; 207187-3 

 207188-1; 207189-1. 



University of Miami Marine Laboratory 

 (UMML) : 3418-2 specimens; 3696-2; 4431-2; 

 22957-2; 29224-5; 29506-4; 29508-1. 



Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ): 

 37754-2 specimens; 38086-3; 38130-3; 38324-1; 

 38333-1; 38338-2; 38350-1; 38395-1; 38399-2. 



GULF OF MEXICO 



Figure 1. — Distribution of samples, western North At- 

 lantic Ocean; equator to lat 45°N. 



METHODS 



All counts and measurements were made as 

 described in Ginsburg (1954), so that the data 

 from both studies would be directly comparable. 

 The median fin rays, except the caudal, pectoral 

 rays on both sides, and gill rakers of the outer 

 arch on both sides were counted on all speci- 

 mens that were not damaged. Total vertebral 

 counts were made on selected specimens. Stan- 

 dard length, head length, snout length, maxillary 

 length, eye diameter, pectoral fin length, and 

 pelvic fin length were measured on all specimens 

 when possible. 



U.S. National Museum (USNM): 92045-2 

 specimens; 157757-1; 157758-2; 157759-5 

 ; 157761-4; 157762-2; 157763-10 

 187134-5; 187136-1; 205225-1 

 205227-2; 205228-1 ; 205229-3 

 205234-2; 205236-1; 205238-1 

 205250-1; 205254-3; 205256-1 

 205261-1; 206187-1; 206188-2 

 206193-4; 206206-3; 207153-2 



157760-5 



186331-2; 



205226-1; 



205232-3 ; 



205239-1; 



205258-1; 



206189-2; 



207190-1. 



University of Miami Marine 

 (UMML) : 29507-9 specimens. 



Laboratory 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



Inspection of the counts and measurements 

 indicates that the Gulf and Atlantic populations 

 are similar in all characters studied. Within 

 each area there are local differences in most of 

 the characters; however, these differences are 

 minor. The Gulf and Atlantic populations have 

 identical or nearly identical ranges for all char- 

 acters investigated, and the average values for 

 both are generally only slightly divergent. 



Differences in the relative head length and the 



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