FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 73, NO. 1 



correlation of vertebrae and scales for the 10 

 species is apparent in this figure. 



The ratio of scales to vertebrae is nearly 1:1 

 for the 10 species, but in each species the total 

 number of scales averages slightly more than 

 the total number of vertebrae (50% or more of 

 the scale counts in any species are greater than 

 the vertebral counts). In species of Saurida the 

 number of scales averages from one to three 

 more than the number of vertebrae and ranges 

 from an equal number of each to four more 

 scales than vertebrae. In species of Synodus 

 and in Trachinocephalus the number of scales 

 averages one or two more than the number of 

 vertebrae and ranges from two fewer to three 

 more scales than vertebrae. Of 118 Sy. foetens 

 10% had three more scales than vertebrae, 57% 

 had two more scales, 27% had one more, 5% had 

 an equal number, and 1% had one less scale 

 than vertebrae. 



The positional relationship of scales to verte- 

 brae in lateral aspect was investigated. In a 

 Sy. foetens with 62 pored lateral-line scales on 

 each side and 60 vertebrae, pins were inserted 

 at the posterior margins of certain numbered 

 lateral-line scales on the left side, and the 

 specimen was X-rayed. The first scale was lateral 

 to the junction of the 4th and 5th centra, the 

 30th scale was lateral to the junction of the 

 32nd and 33rd centra, the 60th scale was lateral 

 to the last centrum, and the last scale was 

 lateral to the posterior ends of the hypural 

 bones and overlapping anterior ends of the median 

 caudal-fin rays. Similarly, in a Sy. intermedius 

 with 49 scales on each side and 48 vertebrae 

 the first scale was lateral to the 4th centrum, 

 the 47th scale was lateral to the 48th centrum, 

 and the last scale was lateral to the posterior 

 ends of the hypural bones. 



DATA ON TYPE SPECIMENS 



AT USNM 



Counts of vertebrae and pored lateral-line 

 scales on type specimens of 12 nominal species 

 of Synodontidae in the U.S. National Museum 

 of Natural History are recorded here for use in 

 future studies. The four data items following 

 the collection number for each type specimen are. 



in sequence, number of vertebrae, number of 

 left-side scales, number of right-side scales, 

 and standard length in millimeters: 



Synodus binotatus Schultz, holotype USNM 

 140801, 53-54-ca. 54-86.5. Synodus cinereus 

 Hildebrand, holotype USNM 53079, 57-58- 

 59-112. Synodus englemani Schultz, holotype 

 USNM 140815, 59-60-60-104. Synodus ever- 

 manni Jordan and Bollman, one of 11 syntypes 

 USNM 41144, 47-48-48-142. Synodus jenkinsi 

 Jordan and Bollman, holotype USNM 41171, 

 60-ca. 60-61-282. Synodus lacertinus Gilbert, 

 holotype USNM 44300, 61-63-62-129. Synodus 

 marchenae Hildebrand, holotype USNM 

 120111, QQ-Q2-Q2-b0.b. Synodus sechuraemide- 

 brand, holotype USNM 127829, 57-58-58-130. 

 Synodus simulans Garman, paratype USNM 

 153607, 60-ca. 62-ca. 61-ca. 45. Synodus ulae 

 Schultz, holotype USNM 52671, 64-ca. 63-ca. 

 63-177. Saurida eso Jordan and Herre, holotype 

 USNM 57847, 59-62-61-290. Saurida normani 

 Longley, holotype USNM 107330, 52-52-53-320. 



In these type specimens the ratio of nearly 

 1:1 for number of vertebrae and scales suggests 

 a positive correlation of these two variates in 

 the species that they represent. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



We are grateful to Ernest A. Lachner, James 

 E. Bohlke, and Carter R. Gilbert for providing 

 specimens for study and to the late James A. 

 Peters for assistance with the time-share com- 

 puter at the Smithsonian Institution. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Anderson, W. W., J. W. Gehringer, and F. H. Berry. 



1966a. Family Synodontidae. Lizardfishes. In Fishes of 

 the western North Atlantic. Part Five, p. 30-102. 

 Mem. Sears Found. Mar. Res., Yale Univ. 1. 

 1966b. Field guide to the Synodontidae (lizardfishes) 

 of the western Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., 

 Circ. 245, 12 p. 

 GiBBS, R. H., Jr. 



1959. A synopsis of the postlarvae of Western Atlantic 

 lizard-fishes (Synodontidae). Copeia 1959:232-236. 

 Norman, J. R. 



1935. A revision of the lizard-fishes of the genera 

 Synodus, Trachinocephalus, and Saurida. Proc. Zool. 

 Soc. Lond. 1935:99-135. 



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