RUDDER FISHES IN THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC 



463 



Table 9. — .\ umber of dorsal and anal soft-rays on 09 speci- 

 mens of Kyphosus incisor 



Number of 

 dorsal soft-rays 



H 15 



Z c 



Note.— Open figures <lenote numbers; figures in parentlieses tlenoto 

 percentages of specimens baving respective combinations of numbers of 

 soft-rays. 



full complement of pectoral rays is present by 8.5 

 mm. The 2nd through 9th rays have flattened 

 tips, and the 10th to the last have stout tapering 

 tips (fig. 6). Bj' about 10 mm., the 2nd through 

 the last ray have flattened tips, and the 2nd 

 through the 13th rays are segmented (fig. 7). At 

 15.8 mm., all rays are still unbranched, all but the 

 first and last are segmented, and all but the first 

 two and last one have flattened tips. By 28.4 mm., 

 all the rays are segmented (one segment appearing 

 in the first) and all but the first two and the last 

 one are branched. At 50 mm., there has been no 

 further branching. The last ray is branched by 



58 mm., but the first two rays remain unbranched 

 to 252 mm., the largest specimen examined. 



Peine fin. — I, 5 (54 specimens). The full com- 

 plement of pelvic rays is present by 8.5 mm. (fig. 

 6). All soft-rays are segmented but unbranched 

 from 8.5 to 9.8 mm. (figs. 6 and 7). By 10 mm., 

 the middle ray has branched, and by 1.3.6 mm., all 

 soft -rays have branched. 



Caudal fin. — 9-|-8 principal rays (53 specimens) 

 and 10-|-9 secondary raj's in a fully formed caudal 

 fin (the secondary rays were examined in cleared 

 and stained specmiens only). By 8.5 mm., all of 

 the principal ra^'s have formed, are segmented, 

 and have flattened tips (fig. 6). A 10-mm. speci- 

 men had 9-|-8 secondary rays; the first on each 

 lobe was an mibedded rudiment. By 11.4 mm., 

 the secondary ray nearest the principals on the 

 dorsal lobe is segmented. By 12.1 mm., the 

 second ray from the principal rays on the ventral 

 lobe is segmented. By 13.2 mm., the middle 

 principal raj's are just beginning to branch, and 

 by 14.7 mm., the 12 middle principal rays have 

 branched (fig. 8). A 15.8-mm., specimen had 

 10-|-8 secondary rays. B}- 16.1 mm., branching 



Figure 7. — Kyphostis incisor juvenile, 9.8 mm. (preserved for 7 years). 



Figure 8. — Kyphosus incisor juvenile, 14.7 mm. (preserved for 7 years). 



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