460 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Figure 35. — Caranx ruber juvenile, 14.9 mm. standard length {Gill 7, Reg. 71). 



Figure 36. — Caranx ruber juvenile, 18.0 mm. standard length (Gill 4, Reg. 2). 



sent specimens with missing rays (see Comparison 

 of Species, p. 428). They gave a modal value 

 (comprising 40 percent of their specimens) of 26 

 dorsal soft-rays, while 62 percent of my specimens 

 had a bimodahty of 27 and 28 soft-rays. All 

 soft-rays are well formed, segmentation has begun, 

 and the terminal ray is branched to its base at 

 12.4 mm. (fig. 34). Several other posterior rays 

 are branched at 18 mm. (fig. 36), and all soft-rays 

 are branched at 31.9 mm. (fig. 37). Extension 

 of the anterior 5 or 6 rays to produce the fin lobe 



begins at about 20 mm. (fig. 37). The second 

 ray averages the greatest length to about 28 mm.; 

 above 28 mm., the first ray is longest. The longest 

 ray averages a greater length than the longest 

 spine (fig. 39). 



The regression of length of the dorsal soft-ray 

 on standard length is shown in figure 39 and 

 table 7. A line fitted to this regression for speci- 

 mens from 12.4 to 118 mm. standard length 

 shows a proportional rate of increase for the two 

 variates within this size range (0.12-mm. increase 



