FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 73, NO. 1 



43 



Synodus foetens 



Synodus saurus 



Synodus synodus 



Synodus 

 intermedius 



Synodus poeyi 



Trachinocephalus 

 myops 



Saurida 

 broziliensis 



Saurida normani 



Saurida suspicio 



Saurida 

 caribbaea 



(VERTEBRAE I [|] I ) (SCALES r.V;^    -l ) 

 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 



Figure 1. — Numbers and statistics of vertebrae and scales of the 10 species of 

 western Atlantic Synodontidae. Vertebrae: range — horizontal line; mean — vertical 

 line; standard deviation, one on each side of the mean — open rectangle; standard 

 error — two on each side of the mean — shaded rectangle. Scales: range — cross- 

 hatched bar; mean — small triangle. 



Synodus saurus from the eastern Atlantic (5 

 specimens) had a range in vertebrae of 55-59, 

 greater than the western Atlantic (14 specimens) 

 vertebrae range of 56-58. Trachinocephalus 

 myops had varying but similar vertebral ranges 

 in small samples encompassing its extensive 

 geographic range. 



Area 



n 



Range 



Abnormalities in vertebral structure (speci- 

 mens not included in the tables or figure) 

 occurred in 11 of 317 western Atlantic speci- 

 mens examined. In six, pairs of vertebrae were 

 shortened with irregular and expanded ossifica- 

 tions at their adjoining ends. In five, a single 

 centrum in the caudal region was elongated and 

 had two neural spines (in two), two hemal spines 

 (in two), or double neural and hemal spines 

 (in one). 



Scales 



Pored lateral-line scales in our samples of the 

 10 western Atlantic species range from 43 to 

 63 (Table 1). We have not confirmed any higher 

 or lower values for these or other species of 

 the family. Ranges in scale complements that 

 we have confirmed for specimens from the west- 

 ern Atlantic, with clarification where these 

 ranges differ from those given by Anderson 

 et al. (1966a), are: 



Synodus foetens 57-64; the range of 56-65 

 given by Anderson et al. was in error, as 

 determined by our reexamination of the 

 material originally reported. Synodus saurus 

 56-60; the range of 55-62 given by Anderson 

 et al. included a low count for an eastern 

 Atlantic specimen and a published but un- 

 substantiated high count. Synodus synodus 

 54-59. Synodus intermedius 47-51; the range 

 of 45-52 given by Anderson et al. was in error, 

 as determined by our reexamination of the 

 material originally reported. Synodus poeyi 

 43-48. Trachinocephalus myops 53-59; the 



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