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Fishery- Bulletin 89(2). 1991 



(10), or 1-3-3 (8). Caudal fin rays usually 12 (207/224), 

 less frequently 10,11, or 13 (Table 2). Dorsal fin rays 

 91-102 (Table 3). Anal fin rays 77-86, usually 78-84 

 (Table 4). Total vertebrae 49-54, usually 50-53 (228/ 

 233) (Table 5). Hypurals 4. Longitudinal scale rows 

 81-96, usually 83-93 (Table 6). Scale rows on head 

 posterior to lower orbit 18-23, usually 20-22 (Table 7). 

 Transverse scales 38-45 (Table 8). 



Proportional measurements appear in Tables 14 and 

 15. Body relatively elongate, only moderately deep 

 (247-312 SL, x 280); greatest depth usually occurring 

 in anterior third of body. Preanal length 181-227 SL, 

 x 205. Head relatively short (170-199 SL, x 187); con- 

 siderably shorter than body depth. Head relatively wide 

 (193-247_SL, x 219), wider than head length (HW/HL 

 1.1-1.4, x 1.2); lower head lobe (80-114 SL, x 98) nar- 

 rower in width than upper head lobe (113-163 SL, 

 x 143). Lower opercular lobe on ocular side (243-359 

 HL, x 307) greater in width than upper opercular lobe 

 (161-252, x 206). Postorbital length 117-135 SL, x 

 126. Snout (Fig. 4c) moderately long and somewhat 

 pointed (196-231 HL, x 216); covered with small cte- 

 noid scales. Anterior nostril, when depressed posterior- 

 ly, not reaching anterior margin of lower eye. Dermal 

 papillae well developed on blind side of snout and chin 

 regions, but not particularly dense, occasionally extend- 

 ing onto ocular-side snout. Jaws moderately long; 

 upper-jaw length 222-278 HL, x 248; -posterior exten- 



sion of maxilla usually reaching to the vertical through 

 the middle or posterior margin of pupil of lower eye. 

 Ocular-side lower jaw lacking a fleshy ridge near pos- 

 terior margin (Fig. 4c). Chin depth 173-322 HL, x 

 245. Lower eye moderate in size (79-114 HL, x 95); 

 upper eye usually slightly anterior to lower eye; eyes 

 not covered with scales; usually 1-3 small ctenoid scales 

 in narrow interorbital space. Pupillary operculum ab- 

 sent. Length of dorsal fin base 952-968 SL, x 958. 

 Dorsal fin origin (Fig. 4c) usually reaching to vertical 

 line through anterior margin of upper eye, or occa- 

 sionally only reaching vertical line through middle of 

 upper eye; predorsal length 32-48 SL, x 42. Length 

 of anal fin base 771-876 SL, x 798. Four to eight 

 scales present on blind sides of dorsal and anal fin rays 

 (best developed on fin rays in posterior third of body 

 of specimens > 70 mm SL). Pelvic fin length 44-73 SL, 

 x 59; longest pelvic fin ray usually reaching base of 

 first anal fin ray or occasionally falling short of that 

 point; pelvic to anal fin distance 27-56 SL, x 42. Pos- 

 teriormost pelvic fin ray connected to body by delicate 

 membrane terminating immediately anterior to anus 

 or occasionally extending posteriorly almost to origin 

 of anal fin base (membrane torn in most specimens). 

 Caudal fin relatively short, 72-118 SL, x 91. 



Teeth well developed on blind-side jaws. Dentary on 

 ocular side usually with single, mostly incomplete row 

 of slender teeth; premaxilla on ocular side either with 

 very short row of teeth anterior to vertical line equal 

 with anterior nostril or lacking teeth altogether. 



Scales large, strongly ctenoid on both sides of body. 



Pigmentation General pattern of body pigmentation 

 similar in both sexes at all sizes but usually more in- 

 tense in sexually mature males. Males, especially those 



