207 



Abstract — The Caranx hippos spe- 

 cies complex comprises three extant 

 species: crevalle jack iCaranx hippos) 

 (Linnaeus, 1766) from both the west- 

 ern and eastern Atlantic oceans; 

 Pacific crevalle jack {Caranx cani- 

 nus) Gunther, 1868 from the eastern 

 Pacific Ocean; and longfin crevalle 

 jack {Ca7-aiix fischeri) new species, 

 from the eastern Atlantic, including 

 the Mediterranean Sea and Ascen- 

 sion Island. Adults of all three spe- 

 cies are superficially similar with a 

 black blotch on the lower half of the 

 pectoral fin, a black spot on the upper 

 margin of opercle, one or two pairs 

 of enlarged symphyseal canines on 

 the lower jaw, and a similar pattern 

 of breast squamation. Each species 

 has a different pattern of hyperostotic 

 bone development and anal-fin color. 

 The two sympatric eastern Atlantic 

 species also differ from each other in 

 number of dorsal- and anal-fin rays, 

 and in large adults of C. fischeri the 

 lobes of these fins are longer and the 

 body is deeper. Caranx hippos from 

 opposite sides of the Atlantic are vir- 

 tually indistinguishable externally 

 but differ consistently in the expres- 

 sion of hyperostosis of the first dorsal- 

 fin pterygiophore. The fossil species 

 Caranx carangopsis Steindachner 

 1859 appears to have been based on 

 composite material o( Trachurus sp. 

 and a fourth species of the Caranx 

 hippos complex. Patterns of hyperos- 

 totic bone development are compared 

 in the nine (of 15 total) species of 

 Caranx sensu stricto that exhibit 

 hyperostosis. 



Review of the crevalle jacks, Caranx hippos 

 complex (Teleostei: Carangldae), 

 with a description of a new species 

 from West Africa 



William F. Smith-Vaniz (contact author)^ 

 Kent E. Carpenter^ 



Email address for W. F. SmIth-Vaniz: bill_smith-vaniz(g'usgsgov 



' US Geological Survey 

 7920 NW 71st Street 

 Gainesville, Florida 32653 

 Present address; Division of khtfiyology 



Florida Museum of Natural History 



Dickinson Hall, Museum Road 



University of Florida 



Gainesville, Florida 32611-7800 

 ^ Department of Biological Sciences 

 Old Dominion University 

 Norfolk, Virginia 23529 



Manuscript submitted 26 June 2006 

 to the Scientific Editor's Office. 



Manuscript approved for publication 

 2 October 2006 by the Scientific Editor. 



Fish. Bull. 105:207-233 (2007). 



Species of the Caranx hippos com- 

 plex or crevalle jacks (Fig. 1) are 

 fished commercially or recreationally 

 in coastal waters throughout their 

 range. Recognized as "superb light 

 tackle species" by the International 

 Game Fish Association (IGFA, 2006), 

 they are important apex predators in 

 inshore tropical waters — all species 

 attaining maximum sizes approach- 

 ing or exceeding 22.7 kg (50 lb). They 

 are also commonly exhibited in public 

 aquaria and books on marine fishes 

 usually include accounts of them 

 for the areas where these species 

 are found. Despite this importance, 

 there has been considerable confu- 

 sion regarding the taxonomy and geo- 

 graphic distributions of these species. 

 Gill and Kemp (2002) discussed the 

 potentially serious implications for 

 fishery and conservation managers of 

 an inadequate taxonomic understand- 

 ing of putatively widespread shore-fish 

 species. Blaber (2002) noted that one 

 of the major obstacles to ecological 

 research in developing countries is the 

 difficulty associated with correct iden- 

 tification of tropical marine and estua- 

 rine fishes, which is exacerbated by an 

 overall decline in funding throughout 

 the world for taxonomic research. 



In a general review of the phenom- 

 enon of hyperostosis in fishes, includ- 

 ing those of the allopatrically distrib- 

 uted and externally nearly identical 

 species Caranx hippos (Linnaeus) (At- 

 lantic Ocean) and C. caninus Giinther 

 (eastern Pacific Ocean), Smith-Vaniz 

 et al. (1995) determined that patterns 

 of hyperostotic bone development were 

 often species-specific. These findings 

 stimulated us to re-evaluate the taxo- 

 nomic status of specimens from the 

 eastern Atlantic identified as Caranx 

 hippos, which we herein recognize 

 as actually representing two species. 

 The primary objectives of this re- 

 search were to describe a new species 

 of West African Caranx that has been 

 routinely misidentified as C hippos, 

 to provide diagnoses and comparisons 

 for all members of the Caranx hippos 

 complex, and to determine their geo- 

 graphic distributions. 



This study has been hampered by 

 the scarcity of preserved adults of 

 Caranx hippos from the eastern At- 

 lantic. This scarcity is not surprising 

 because natural history museums and 

 institutional fish collections do not ex- 

 ist in any coastal West African coun- 

 try, and preservation and shipment of 

 large fish specimens from the region 



