466 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



base (fig. 8). The fresher specimens show large 

 patches of buff on brownish sides. Pigment spots 

 extend fm-tlier out on the soft dorsal and anal and 

 cover most of the pectorals. In most fish through 

 this size the first three soft-rays generally lack 

 pigment. 



From about 17 to 21 mm., the pigment covers 

 more than half of the soft dorsal and anal fins. 

 Extensive pigment over the anterior portions of 

 these fins is more common than on the smaller 

 specimens. There are light and dark streaks 

 along the scale rows, and the patterns vary from 

 light patches on dark background to a uniform 

 slate gray, with the pigment on all but the pectoral 

 fin being much darker (fig. 9B). By 21.2 mm., 

 the pigment extends across the entire base of the 

 caudal (fig. 9C). 



From about 22 to 30 mm., there is a fine stippling 

 of dark spots over most of the caudal and pectoral 

 and the last two or three rays of the dorsal and 

 anal. The stippling of the anterior third of the 

 caudal is dense. 



By 33.6 mm., the stippling on the fins is more 

 dense (fig. 9D), even on very faded specmiens. 

 A darker band of pigment with black spots is 

 becoming evident along the outer row of scales on 

 the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. 



By 54.5 mm., the black band at the outer row 

 of scales on the dorsal and anal fins has become 

 more distinct (fig. 9E), and the dark spots on the 

 sides of the fish are no longer apparent. 



The larger specunens examined were old and 

 had a uniform brassy appearance on the sides, 

 with buff-tan on the underside ("fig. 9F). The 

 darker and ligliter bands along tHe scale rows are 

 apparent, and the fins have a more uniform dark 

 buff color. 



DISTRIBUTION ALONG ATLANTIC COAST OF THE 

 UNITED STATES AND NORTHERN BAHAMAS 



Kyjihosus incisor has previously been reported 

 from the following specific localities in this area: 

 Tortugas, Fla., by Jordan and Thompson (1905) 

 and Longley and Hildebrand (1941); and Nan- 

 tucket, Mass., by Nichols and Breder (1927) 

 who said, "the identification is open to question." 

 The most northerly definite record of K. incisor, 

 from off Cape Hatteras, N. C, is in the prelhninary 

 identification of the Theodore N. Gill cruise collec- 

 tion of specimens (Anderson and Gehringer, 

 1959b). 



Figure 10 shows the location of capture of 

 specimens examined from the collections of the 

 Gill, Combat, and Silver Bay, and from St. Simons 

 Island, Ga. ; University of Florida specimens from 

 Palm Beach and Jupiter Inlets, Fla.; Charleston 

 Museum specimens from Charleston and Magnolia 

 Beach, S.C. ; and USNM specimens from Key 

 West, Fla., Nassau, Bahamas, Beaufort, N.C., and 

 Capes Lookout and Hatteras, N.C. 



Specunens of K. incisor taken from the following 

 locations along the Atlantic coast of tl e United 

 States are not shown in figure 10: Tortugas, Fla.; 

 east of Delaware (38°50' N., 70°07' W.); east of 

 New Jersey (40°03' N., 67°27'W.); and Woods 

 Hole, Mass. Aside from the Woods Hole speci- 

 men (101.5 mm.), all from north of Nassau were 

 less than 60 mm.; the only specunens longer than 

 150 nun. were from Nassau and the Tortugas. 



These data give the following new inshore 

 records for K. incisor: Key West, Fla.; Jupiter 

 Inlet, Fla.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Nassau, Bahamas; 

 St. Simons Island, Ga.; Charleston, S.C; 

 Magnolia Beach, S.C,; Beaufort, N.C; and Woods 

 Hole, Mass.; and new records far offshore east of 

 Delaware and New Jersey. All specimens 

 captured on cruises of the Combat and Silper Bay 

 are from new locations. All of the Charleston 

 Museum specimens from Charleston and MagnoUa 

 . Beach, S.C, were identified as K. sectatrix by 

 Fowler (1945), however, some are K. incisor. 



Most juveniles were taken under patches of 

 Sargassuin, often along with K. sectatrix. The 

 locations indicated in figure 10 suggest, even more 

 distinctly, a northward drift in the Gulf Stream 

 and Antilles Current than did the locations for 

 K. sectatrix, especially off North Carolina. 



Table 12 shows the surface temperatures and 

 salinities of the waters from which several juveniles 

 were taken. The extremes recorded were similar 

 to those recorded for K. sectatrix, except for the 

 lower extreme of salinity from a shoreline location 

 (27.85 °/oo at St. Simons Island, Ga.). The month 

 of capture was not reported for the specimen 

 from Woods Hole, Mass., but the highest surface 

 temperature recorded there was 25.00° C (U.S. 

 Department of Commerce, 1955). 



Size frequency data for small specimens indicate 

 that spawning occurs during much of the year 

 (fig. 1 1) as in K. sectatrix. All of the specimens less 

 than 20 mm. were captured from May through 

 December, suggesting that the spawning activity 



