FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 82, NO. 4 



FIGURE 61. — Scomberomorus munroi. Deception Bay, Queensland, 740 mm FL, USNM 218387, holotype. 



1958a:20 (description; new record for W Austra- 

 lia); fig. Whitley 1964a:240 (fig. 5, range), 

 252 (range, size). Whitley 1964b:48 (listed). 

 Grant 1965:175 and 1972:104 (description after 

 Munro 1958a), fig. Grant 1975:162 (descrip- 

 tion), 163 (color pi. 41). Grant 1978:190 (de- 

 scription), 191 (color pi. 73). 



Sawara niphonius. Not of Cuvier 1831. Rohde 

 1976 (no monogenes found on 1 specimen from 

 Coffs Harbour, N.S.W). 



Scomberomorus sp. Collette 1979:29 and Collette 

 and Russo 1979:13 (Australian population re- 

 ferred to S. niphonius actually an undescribed 

 species). 



Scomberomorus munroi Collette and Russo 1980: 

 243-248 (original description; Australia, Papua 

 New Guinea), fig. 1 (holotype). Lewis 1981: 

 18 (photograph, biology). Grant 1982:622 (de- 

 scription), 623 (color pi. 323). Cressey et 

 al. 1983:264 (host-parasite list, 4 copepod spe- 

 cies). Collette and Nauen 1983:71-72 (descrip- 

 tion, range), fig. 



Types.— Holotype: AMS 1.21029-001; Deception 

 Bay N of Brisbane, Queensland; M. Dredge; 15 

 May 1975; 705 mm FL; D XXI+18+X; A 18+ X; 

 Pi 22; RGRi 2 + 1 + 7=10; vertebrae 22+30 = 

 52. Paratypes: 10 (373-820 mm FL) from Queens- 

 land and southern coast of Papua New Guinea (see 

 Collette and Russo 1980:247). 



Diagnosis. — This species differs from all other 

 species of Scomberomorus in lacking an anterior 

 process on the outer surface of the head of the 

 maxilla (Fig. 23b). It is superficially similar to S. 

 niphonius in being spotted and having many 

 spines (20-22) in the first dorsal fin. It differs from 

 S. niphonius in having the usual two loops and 

 three limbs to the intestine instead of having a 



straight intestine, and in having more vertebrae 

 (50-52, usually 51 vs. 48-50, usually 49). 



Description. — Lateral line gradually descending 

 to midline on caudal peduncle. Intestine with two 

 folds and three limbs (Fig. 3j). Spines in first 

 dorsal fin 20-22, usually 20 or 21 (Table 9); second 

 dorsal fin rays 17-20, usually 18 (Table 10); dorsal 

 finlets 9 or 10, usually 9 (Table 10); anal fin rays 

 17-19, usually 17 or 18 (Table 11); anal finlets 8-10, 

 usually 9 (Table 11); pectoral fin rays 21-23, 

 usually 21 or 22 (Table 12). Precaudal vertebrae 21 

 or 22, usually 22 (Table 6); caudal vertebrae 28-30, 

 usually 29 (Table 7); total vertebrae 50-52, usu- 

 ally 51 (Table 8). Gill rakers on first arch 2 + 

 (8-10)= 10-12, usually 8+ (8-9) = 10-11 (Table 5). 

 Morphometric characters given in Table 22. 



Size. — Maximum size 100 cm FL, 8 kg; more 

 commonly 50-80 cm and 4.5 kg in weight (Lewis 

 1981); size at first maturity 50-55 cm (A. D. 

 Lewis 5 ). A 9.1 kg fish was caught near Rock- 

 hampton, Queensland, in 1976 (G. McPherson 6 ). 



Color pattern. — Sides with several poorly defined 

 rows of round spots, larger than pupil but smaller 

 than diameter of eye (Fig. 61). Scomberomorus 

 niphonius has more numerous, smaller spots, 

 usually about size of pupil. Munro (1943:87) re- 

 ported sides of freshly caught specimens light 

 silvery grey, upper part of back and inner surface 

 of pectoral fin dark blue, cheeks and belly silvery 



5 A. D. Lewis, Principal Fisheries Officer, Department of 

 Agriculture & Fisheries, PO. Box 358, Suva, Fiji, pers. commun. 

 February 1983. 



6 G. McPherson, Fishery Biologist, Northern Fisheries Ser- 

 vice, Queensland Fisheries Service, c /c Post Office, Bungalow, 

 Cairns, Qld. 4870, Australia, pers. commun. February 1983. 



648 



