72 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



ray begins between about 104 and 128 mm. S.L. 

 The patch of bristles on the peduncle forms be- 

 tween about 104 and 134 mm. On specimens 

 larger than 140 mm. the elongated second soft ray 

 of the dorsal fin was 21 to 95 mm. longer than the 

 third soft ray. No secondarj^ se.xual characters 

 were found in females. Although females aver- 

 age a slightly greater body depth than males, 

 appreciable variation occurs in this character 

 and the values for the sexes overlap. 



The following observations were made on a 

 sample of 140 specimens of 73.5 to 211 mm. S.L. 

 taken by bottom trawling on the M/V Silver Bay 

 off the coast of North Carohna during September 

 1959: 



Seven immature specimens or specimens with 

 gonads too small to be evaluated, 73.5 to 95 mm. 

 (mean, 85.3 mm.); 62 males, 78 to 211 mm. 

 (mean, 131.8 mm.); 71 females, 77 to 180 mm. 

 (mean, 120.1 mm.) of which five (146 to 180 mm.) 

 had large macroscopic eggs in the ovaries. Such 

 large eggs were found in other specimens ranging 

 from 81 to 139 mm. S.L., taken at other times and 

 areas. 



Occurrence. — The locations of specimens of 

 Stephanolepis hispidus and S. setifer taken at the 

 surface off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the 

 United States on cruises of the Gill, Combat, and 

 Silver Bay are shown in figure 41. These speci- 

 mens were less than 70 mm. S.L., and represent 

 developing young, the majority of which were 

 being carried northward by the Gulf Stream. 

 The total number of records and of specimens of 

 S. hispidus was much greater than for S. setifer. 

 The records of S. hispidus are distributed from 

 inshore out to beyond the axis of the Gulf Stream, 

 whereas the records of S. setifer are generally 

 confined to the boundaries of the Stream. 



On cruise 18 of the M/V Silver Bay off the North 

 Carolina coast in September 1959, records were 

 made of all of the bottom-trawling stations at 

 which Stephanolepis hispidus was taken. Figure 

 42 shows that the species was broadly distributed 

 over the area at that time. Most of these speci- 

 mens were matiu-e, and some of the females had 

 macroscopic eggs and apparently were near 

 spawning condition. 



Stephanolepis setifer (Bennett) 1830 



(Figures 31 and 32) 



The resemblance of this species to Stephanolepis 

 hispidus has been discussed under the account of 

 the genus. 



Diagnostic characters. — Dorsal spines, 2. Dorsal 

 soft rays, 27 to 30; anal soft rays, 26 to 30 (tables 

 8 and 10). Pectoral spine, 1 rudimentary. 

 Pectoral soft rays, 11 to 13 (table 11). Pelvic 

 spine, large and movable (fig. 5). Gill slit, nearly 

 vertical with respect to horizontal body axis 

 (fig. 4). First dorsal spine, inserted over posterior 

 part of eye (fig. 4). No deep groove behind dorsal 

 spines. Body depth, 46.8 to 59.6 % S.L. (table 

 12; fig. 37). Head length, 31.3 to 40.2 % S.L. 

 (table 13). Snout length, 18.4 to 26.8 % S.L. 

 (table 14). Eye diameter, 7.6 to 15.9 % S.L. 

 (table 15). Eye to dorsal spine distance, 7.7 to 

 13.3 % S.L. (table 16). 



Specimens examined. — 139 of 11.0 to 136 mm. 

 S.L., from Bermuda, the Carolinas, southward 

 around Florida, into the Gulf of Mexico, and 

 throughout the Caribbean (fig. 40). 



Sexual characters. — Sex was determined on 37 

 specimens, 15 males of 56.5 to 136 mm. S.L., and 

 22 females of 46.5 to 98 mm. S.L. ; 18 other speci- 

 mens of 36 to 53.5 mm. S.L. were either immature 

 or had gonads too small to be interpreted. Second- 

 ary sexual characters apparently are similar to 

 those of Stephanolepis hispidus, except that S. 

 setifer matures and secondary sexual characters 

 develop at smaller sizes. The females showed no 

 secondary sexual development. Females 62.5 to 

 98 mm. S.L. had large macroscopic ovarian eggs, 

 but females of 76.5 mm. and of 61.5 mm. S.L. and 

 smaller had microscopic eggs. Males 82.5 mm. 

 S.L. and larger had a patch of bristles on each side 

 of the caudal peduncle; smaller specimens lacked 

 this bristle patch. All males examined had the 

 second soft ray of the dorsal fin elongated : 5.5 mm. 

 longer than the other rays in the 56.5-mm. S.L. 

 male and more than 33 mm. longer in the 136-mm. 

 S.L. male. A 98.5-mm male had the third ray 

 elongated also, about one-half the extent of 

 elongation of the second ray. 



