RANDALL: SURVEY OF CIGUATERA AT MARSHALL ISLANDS 



analyses obtained by the author from localities 

 other than the Marshall Islands have been in- 

 cluded in this report. The food habit data are pre- 

 sented in the species accounts following the assay 

 of toxicity. 



The length measurement most often used for 

 bony fishes was standard length (SL). This was 

 taken from the front of the snout to the end of the 

 hypural plate (hence base of caudal fin). When the 

 method of measuring length is not specified, stan- 

 dard length is intended. Fork length (FL) was used 

 for carangids and scombrids because scutes or 

 keels laterally on the caudal peduncle prevent the 

 accurate external determination of the base of the 

 caudal fin. Total length (TL) was employed for 

 eels, nurse sharks, and some proportional mea- 

 surements. The length usually given for requiem 

 sharks is precaudal length (PCL). 



Schultz and collaborators (1953-66) was the 

 primary reference for the identification of 

 ciguatoxic fishes and the fishes from their 

 stomachs. Enewetak and Bikini were among the 

 islands from which large collections of fishes were 

 made for this systematic work. When names other 

 than those given by Schultz and collaborators are 

 used, an explantion is given in the species 

 accounts. 



The species of ciguatoxic fishes which were 

 studied are discussed in approximate phylogenetic 

 sequence below. The results of the mongoose feed- 

 ing tests are summarized in Table 1 for Enewetak 

 and Table 2 for Bikini. 



RESULTS 



Orectolobidae (Nurse Sharks) 

 Nebrius ferrugineus (Lesson) (Figure 1): Like 



Table 2. — Summary of mongoose feeding tests (liver-viscera, 

 sharks excepted) of fishes collected at Bikini (0 = nontoxic; 5 = 

 death of test animal). 



other orectolobids, this shark has a prominent 

 nasal barbel, relatively small mouth, the fourth 

 and fifth gill openings over the pectoral base, and 

 the two dorsal fins set posteriorly on the body. The 

 teeth, which are small and in numerous rows (the 

 first three or four functional), have a large central 

 cusp with four to six smaller cusps on each side 

 (the teeth of the related genus Ginglymostoma 

 have an even larger central cusp and only two 

 small cusps on each side). The two dorsal fins are of 

 nearly equal size, the first originating slightly an- 

 terior to the origin of the pelvic fins and the second 

 distinctly anterior to the origin of the anal fin; the 

 caudal fin is about 2>Q% TL. 



Nebrius concolor Riippell appears to be a junior 

 synonym. Bass et al. (1975b) employed this name, 



Figure l.— Nebrius ferrugineus. 1,080 mm PCL, 1,496 mmTL, 18.1 kg, Enewetak, Marshall Islands. 



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