we exchanged radiographs and checked each 

 other's work; then at a later date and follow- 

 ing the same procedures, we reread the radio- 

 graphs. 



The counts (Table 1) very likely do not rep- 

 resent the complete range for any species be- 

 cause too few specimens have been examined. 

 Counts from specimens with obvious deformities 

 or any recognizable abnormality or aberration 

 are not included. When more than one separate 

 dorsal or anal fin is present, and composed of 

 soft rays only (e.g., Gadidae and Moridae), the 

 count for the anterior fin is followed by a comma 

 and the count for the posterior fin. Dashes are 

 used to separate counts, or to replace counts to 

 indicate that we were unable to make an accurate 

 count from the radiograph. 



In the dorsal fin in Macrozoarces americaniis 

 (Zoarcidae), two groups of soft rays are sep- 

 arated by spines. Finlets in Carangidae, Gem- 

 pylidae, Scomberesocidae, and Scombridae are 

 separated from fin-ray counts by a plus ( + ) 

 sign. A plus sign is also used to show a divided 

 anal fin in Sternoptichidae. 



Cyclopterus lumpus and Enchelyopus cimbri- 

 Tis normally occur north of the study area, but 

 their meristics were available and are included 

 in this paper for comparative purposes. Some 

 species which are anadromous have been in- 

 cluded, e.g., Alosa sapidissima, even though the 

 adults have been taken only in fresh or brackish 

 waters. Other species, e.g., Agonostomus mon- 

 ticola, are reported in the literature as occurring 

 in fresh water only but are included here because 

 at times they have been found in the ocean 

 (Anderson, 1957). 



Caudal vertebrae: Vertebrae with hemal spines; 

 typically the first hemal spine is associated with one 

 or more anterior proximal radial elements of the anal 

 fin. Our definition of precaudal and caudal vertebrae 

 will not work for all species because in certain groups, 

 e.g., Clupeidae, transitional centra may be present. 

 If transitional centra are known to occur, the total 

 number of vertebrae is a more meaningful character 

 than a precaudal and caudal vertebral separation. 

 Spines: All true spines are median unpaired struc- 

 tures, without segmentation; they are usually stout 

 and rigid with sharp tips and are never branched. 

 Rays (Soft rays) : Are usually, though not always, 

 branched and flexible, and are paired and segmented. 

 Dorsal and anal fin-ray counts include all rays ob- 

 served. If the terminal ray is bifid and articulated 

 with a single pterygiophore, it is counted as one ray. 

 Dorsal or anal fin spines are tabulated as a group; 

 a spine in the second fin (if a spine is present) is 

 counted with the spines of the anterior fin. 



We distinguished caudal primary (principal) 

 soft rays as those which articulate with the hy- 

 pural bones. Typically the primary rays include 

 all of the branched rays plus one dorsal and one 

 ventral unbranched ray. In some species the 

 primary caudal rays may all be branched. Some 

 species have primary rays only. Primary rays 

 often overlap onto the epural bones or hemal 

 spine of the penultimate vertebra, and our per- 

 sonal judgment, based upon our interpretation 

 of the literature, was used to determine if the 

 ray was primary or secondary (procurrent). 

 In a few species no distinction between primary 

 and secondary rays could be made from the ra- 

 diograph, and the total number of caudal soft- 

 rays is listed. 



Literature Cited 



Definitions 



In the following definitions we have tried to 

 provide a general scheme for distinguishing the 

 meristic characters of 642 difl^erent species al- 

 though all specimens of all 642 species do not 

 agree with our guidelines. 



Total vertebrae: All vertebrae, includes the anterior- 

 most centrum, and the urostyle which we count as the 

 terminal centrum. 



Precaudal vertebrae : Vertebrae with no hemal arches 

 or hemal spines. 



Anderson, W. W. 



1957. Larval forms of the fresh-water mullet 

 (Agonostomus monticola) from the open ocean 

 off the Bahamas and South Atlantic Coast of 

 the United States. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish. 

 Bull. 57:415-425. 

 Bailey, R. M. (chairman). 



1970. A list of common and scientific names of 

 fishes from the United States and Canada. Am. 

 Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 6, 149 p. 

 Clothier, C. R. 



1950. A key to some southern California fishes 

 based on vertebral characters. Calif. Div. Fish 

 Game, Fish Bull. 79, 83 p. 



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