COLLETTE and RUSSO: SPANISH MACKERELS 



(Fig. 39b). This fusion was also noted by Conrad 

 (1938), Fierstine and Walters (1968), and Devaraj 

 (1977). The parhypural appears to be partially 

 fused with the hypural plate in Scomberomorus 

 niphonius (see Kishinouye 1923:figure 41) and S. 

 plurilineatus. The two haemal arches preceding 

 the parhypural are autogenous in the three gen- 

 era although Devaraj (1977) stated that the two 

 haemal arches were fused with their centra in 

 Acanthocybium. 



The parhypural has a strongly hooked process, 

 the parhypurapophysis (or hypurapophysis), at 

 its proximal end. The parhypurapophysis slopes 

 upwards in a similar manner in Scomberomorus 

 and Grammatorcynus but has a right angle and 

 then a level projection in Acanthocybium. Dev- 

 araj (1977:44) claimed that "the hypurapophysis 

 is reduced to a small process" in Acanthocybium, 

 and his figure seems to show that. This conclu- 

 sion must be based on a damaged specimen be- 

 cause the parhypurapophysis is well developed in 

 our specimens (Fig. 39b). The concentrations of 

 tendons and muscular bands between the parhy- 

 purapophysis and caudal rays in scombroids were 

 described by Fierstine and Walters (1968), but no 

 specific study of this aspect was made during our 

 work. 



There are two epurals as in other scombrids 

 (Potthoff 1975). In shape and size, the anterior 

 epural (epural 1) resembles the neural spine of 

 adjacent preural centrum 3. The posterior epural 

 (epural 2) is a free splint located between the 

 anterior epural and the uroneural and fifth hy- 

 pural which are joined together. 



Illustrations of the caudal complex of Acantho- 

 cybium and 11 species of Scomberomorus have 



been provided by several authors: S. sinensis and 

 S. niphonius (Kishinouye 1923:pl. 23, fig. 40, pi. 

 24, fig. 41); S. cavalla, S. maculatus, and S. 

 regalis (Mago Leccia 1958:pl. 15, figs. 1-3); S. 

 tritor (Monod 1968:fig. 736); S. koreanus, S. gut- 

 tatus, S. lineolatus, and S. commerson (Devaraj 

 1977:fig. 15); S. semifasciatus (Collette and Russo 

 1979:fig. 4B); and Acanthocybium (Kishinouye 

 1923:pl. 23, fig. 39; Conrad 1938:fig. 8; and Monod 

 1968:fig. 737). There are problems with nomen- 

 clature and labelling of various elements in these 

 papers, as discussed by Potthoff (1975). 



DORSAL AND ANAL FINS 



Scombrids have two dorsal fins. The first dorsal 

 fin is composed of stiff spines and is separated 

 from the second dorsal by a short distance, except 

 in Rastrelliger, Scomber, and Auxis which have 

 a greater distance between the fins. The second 

 dorsal fin is composed of soft rays and is followed 

 by a series of free finlets, 6-11 in Scomberomorus. 

 The anal fin is located approximately opposite 

 the dorsal fin and is composed largely of soft rays 

 followed by a series of anal finlets similar to the 

 dorsal finlets, 5-12 in Scomberomorus. Some 

 scombrids have a free or partially free spine 

 preceding the anal fin, but in Scomberomorus it 

 is difficult to tell if the anterior elements are 

 spiny or soft rays; therefore, all are included 

 as "anal rays". Numbers of fin rays are useful 

 characters in distinguishing groups of species in 

 Scorn beromorus. 



The range in number of spines in the first 

 dorsal fin is 11-27 among Scomberomorus, Acan- 

 thocybium, and Grammatorcynus (Table 9). The 



TABLE 9. — Number of spines in the first dorsal fin of Acanthocybium, Grammatorcynus , and the 



species of Scomberomorus. 



Species 



11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 



7 19 



601 



