POMPANOS OF SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST 



199 



in.) long. The maximum size attained by this 

 species was not determined. 



Food 



Stomachs of Georgia beach specimens (15.1- 

 53 mm.) contained isopods, amphipods, sessile 

 barnacles, calanoid copepods, crab larvae, bivalve 

 moUusks, flatworms, stomatopods, unidentified 

 Crustacea, and diptera (pupae and adults). 

 Form and Color 



Marked variations in form and color of small 

 T. falcatus have been noted by various authors. 

 Mrs. Craig Phillips (personal communication) 

 observed — 



The several dozen specimens I have seen . . . from the 

 St. Simons (Georgia) area differ in several respects from 

 the form most common in south Florida . . . The fish (from 

 St. Simons) are almost invariably dark, reddish brown 

 when netted. They are quite robust with an impressive 

 depth, and dorsal and ventral profiles that are quite angu- 

 lar. This form is present south at least as far as the 

 upper Keys. However the form that I have found to be 

 most common from Ft. Pierce (Florida) southward is 

 invariably silver when netted except . . . individuals less 

 about 20 mm., and these become gradually darker in pig- 

 ment as their size decreases. This form appears to be 

 more slender with less angular dorsal and anal profiles. . . . 



Breder made the following observations regard- 

 ing T. falcatus: 



Three examples about 24 mm. in standard length . . . 

 were a smooth velvety black and the fins were hyaline. 

 Two of these were kept in the Aquarium for a few weeks 

 and lost this pigmentation becoming a silvery color similar 

 to the young of T. carolintis. The iris in life was a deep 

 ruby red (1923: p.3). 



A single example of 24 mm. was taken. . . . Body 

 reddish black with silvery reflections. Iris silver. Dorsal 

 and anal spines red, membranes of soft dorsal and 

 anal dusky. Pectorals and ventrals hyaline, the latter 

 edged anteriorly with deep orange (1926: p. 125). 



These were about 20 to 30 mm. in length (without tail) 

 and were passing out of the dark phase. The red of the 

 iris was completely gone and the coloration was nearly 

 as silvery as that of T. carolinus, with just a faint dusky 

 suggestion (1928: p. 6-7). 



Beebe and Tee-Van (1928: p. 116) noted that- 

 Great variation exists among the small specimens taken 

 in Haiti, and the variations change while the fish is being 

 watched. Some of these small fishes instead of being 

 silvery, have parts of the sides a warm brown, usually 

 unsymmetrically. Descriptions from life . . . are given 

 below: 



13 mm. Entire body thickly covered with small brown 

 spots, so close together that the paler ground color is 

 almost obliterated; the brown color absent on the maxillary 

 prenaxillary and on the branchiostegal membranes. Top 



of head brick-red. Membrane of the spinous dorsal and 

 base of the anterior membranes of the soft dorsal black, 

 the black on the soft dorsal becoming less as it progresses 

 backward. A few black dots on the dorsal spines. Base 

 of the anal, membranes between the anal spines and the 

 anterior membranes of the anal fin black. All other fins 

 pale. 



15 mm. Two specimens of this length were recorded 

 as being iridescent bronze throughout; the iris and thick- 

 ened web about the dorsal and anal spines grenadine red; 

 the web between these spines and the basal half of the 

 dorsal and anal rays black. 



45 mm. Bluish silvery, with minute blackish punc- 

 tulations over the entire body with the exception of the 

 lower chin, isthmus and just before the ventrals. Dorsal 

 membranes dusky. Anal membranes dusky basally, the 

 duskiness decreasing po.steriorly. Pectorals clear. Tips 

 of the ventrals, the anal spines and tip of the anal lobe 

 orange-red. 



Gunter (1958: p. 190) was seemingly confused 



by the color variation. He stated — 



Another species, at a size of 23 mm., was dusky or 

 blackish, had reddish orange dorsal spines and a reddish 

 orange eye. It seemed to be T. falcatus. ... A third 

 species, at a size of 23 mm., was reddish orange on the 

 lower caudal lobe, the anal fin edge and large spine. It 

 was called T. goodei, which Ginsburg synonymizes with 

 T. glaucus, and probably belonged to the latter species. 



Color notes of live and preserved specimens, 

 made during my study, corroborate these observa- 

 tions. A 9.8-mm. specimen (preserved) from 

 Fort Pierce, Fla., has the following color char- 

 acters : 



Body above midline and behind pectoral base 

 brown. Large deep melanophores on sides of 

 abdomen. Area behind abdomen and below mid- 

 line with small scattered brown chromatophores 

 and melanophores on flesh-colored background. 

 Large deep melanophores and brown chromato- 

 phores along dorsal base, anal base and posterior 

 part of midline, extending onto caudal pedimcle, 

 giving the effect of dim lines running along these 

 areas. Spinous dorsal and spinous anal area 

 dark brown. Other fins hyaline. 



Three specimens (59-61 mm.) had these color 

 characters when fresh : 



Chin, isthmus, gill covers, area below eye and 

 body below lateral line silvery-white (on one fish, 

 light orange on a white background shows on 

 lower limb of preoperclc, mandibular articulation, 

 chest and anal region). Body above lateral line 

 and dorsal half of head light metallic. Dorsal 

 spines and membranes between spines plumbeous; 

 soft dorsal dusky, especially on lobe. Anal spines 



