104 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



the etymological root of Pristigenys is feminine 

 in gender, and if that generic name is accepted 

 the Atlantic short bigeye should be Pristigenys 

 aha (Gill). 



METHODS 



COUNTS 



Counts of meristic characters were made under 

 magnification. Aberrant counts were omitted 

 if the apparent result of injury or were verified if 

 the specimen appeared normal otherwise. 



MEASUREMENTS 



Measurements were made in straight lines 

 between points, never over the curve of the part, 

 and were recorded to the nearest 0.1 mm. 

 Measurements on fish less than about 10 mm. 

 were made with a micrometer eyepiece and a 

 stereomicroscope ; those on fish of about 10 to 25 

 mm. were made with the micrometer eyepiece or 

 a pair of fine-pointed dial calipers (calibrated 

 to tenths of a millimeter) under magnification; 

 and those on larger fish were made with the 

 calipers. Body parts showing injury or damage 

 were not measured. 



CONSTRUCTION OF GRAPHS 



Arithmetical plots of empirical data were used 

 in graphs of selected body parts in relation to 

 standard length. In addition, eye diameter into 

 standard length was plotted in relation to standard 

 length. Trend lines were not drawn, except in 

 the character of eye diameter, but were determined 

 by visual examination of the plots. The term 

 "inflection," in the discussion of body proportions 

 in relation to size, follows Martin (1949) and 

 denotes a change in slope of the line. 



FISH ILLUSTRATIONS 



Larvae were illustrated by elaborating detail 

 on ink drawings made at the Brunswick laboratory 

 by Mrs. Fanny Lee Phillips about 1955. The 

 same specimens were used by each of us. 



THEODORE N. GILL COLLECTIONS 



The larvae and several of the prejuveniles were 

 from collections from Gill cruises, and the network 

 of collecting stations is described by Anderson, 

 Gehringer, and Cohen (1956). The abbreviation 

 "Reg." (regular station) in association with the 

 depository prefix BLBG applies to Gill cruises 

 and specimens listed in table 1. 



DEFINITIONS 



MEASUREMENTS 



Standard length. — Distance from tip of snout 

 (all measurements involving the snout were at 

 the lateral projection not at the midline) to 

 posterior end of hj'pural plate (base of midcaudal 

 rays), or tip of urostyle in larvae. Unless other- 

 wise noted, all lengths of specimens referred to 

 are in standard length. 



Depth A. — Distance from anterior edge of 

 insertion of pelvic spine to midpoint of base of 

 third dorsal spine. 



Depth B. — Distance from midpoint of base of 

 third anal spine to midpoint of base of last dorsal 

 spine. 



Head length. — Distance from tip of snout to 

 posterior edge of fleshy part of operculum. 



Snout length. — Distance between inner edge of 

 anterior circumorbitals at middle of nostrils and 

 tip of snout. 



Postorhital length. — Least distance between inner 

 margins of posterior cu-cumorbitals and posterior 

 edge of fleshy part of operculum. 



Eye diameter. — Horizontal diameter from inner 

 margin of anterior circumorbitals at lower level 

 of nostrils to inner margin of posterior circum- 

 orbitals. 



Interorbital width. — Least distance across top 

 of head between inner margins of dorsal circum- 

 orbitals of each eye. 



Least depth of caudal peduncle. — Distance on a 

 vertical with midline axis of body. 



Dorsal-fin base and anal-fin base. — Distance 

 from anterior edge of base of fu'st spine of fin to 

 posterior edge of base of last segmented ray of fin. 

 Pectoral-fin length. — Distance from mner dorsal 

 edge of base of most-dorsal element to tip of 

 longest ray with fin laid flat against the body. 



Pelvic-spine length, second pelvic soft-ray length, 

 third dorsal soft-ray length, and third anal soft-ray 

 length. — Distance in an erected position on a chord 

 from midpoint of their bases to their tips. 



Snout to dorsal-fin origin and snout to anal-Hn 

 origin. — Distance from tip of snout to anterior 

 edge of base of fu-st spine in each fin. 



Snout to dorsal-fin termination.- — Distance from 

 tip of snout to posterior edge of base of last soft- 

 ray of fin. 



Snout to pectoral-fin origin.- — Distance from tip 

 of snout to inner dorsal edge of base of most 

 dorsal element of fin. 





