ROSENBLATT and BUTLER: THE RIBBONFISH GENUS DESMODEMA 



FIGURE 2. — Distribution of the species of Desmodema. 



pores, and subdermal canals have not previously 

 been reported for Zu cristatus. Instead the species 

 has been described as having deciduous cycloid 

 scales (Tortonese 1958; Walters and Fitch 1960; 

 Palmer 1961; Fitch 1964). However, none of our 

 specimens (8, 27.5-811 mm SL) has scales. Two 

 specimens of about 40 mm SL have the skin intact 

 and smooth, except for small tubercles on the 

 lower sides anteriorly, with no trace of scales. Two 

 specimens of 135 and 141 mm SL respectively 



have the body studded with soft tubercles, with a 

 few interspersed pores; in a specimen of 210 mm 

 SL both tubercles and pores are well developed. In 

 the 811-mm SL adult the skin is superficially very 

 similar to that of Desmodema. Our 135-mm SL 

 specimen is from the Atlantic, so it does not appear 

 that we are dealing with a difference between At- 

 lantic and Pacific populations. We can only sur- 

 mise that the tubercles and pores of Zu have been 

 taken to represent scale pockets left behind by 



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