474 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



NUMBER OF 



LOWER-LIMB GILL RAKERS 



19 I 20 



Figure 21. — Comparison of number of upper-limb and lower-limb gill rakers on the first arch of 165 specimens of 

 Kyphosus, larger than 16 mm., from the North Atlantic Ocean. Solid lines, enclosing s.'s, denote K. sedatrix; dashed 

 lines, enclosing i.'s, denote K. incisor. 



of the region intensively studied. All specimens 

 of K. sedatrix taken at Bermuda, the Bahamas, and 

 in the Antilles Current had about the same number 

 of scales (56 to 64), K. incisor has (54 to 62), 

 counted in a straight line. All but one K. sedatrix 

 taken along the Atlantic coast of the United States 

 fell within a lower range (47 to 56) (table 7). 

 The seven K. sedatrix taken in the Caribbean Sea 

 had intermediate scale counts (54 to 58). As 

 with pectoral fin rays, the straight-line scale 

 counts indicate a distinct population of K. sectatrix 

 in the Bahama-Bermuda region. 



Teeth. — No interspecific variation in number 

 of teeth on the prema.\illary and dentary bones 

 was observed. 



Pigmentation. — The color patterns observed 

 indicate that the ability to change pattern quickly, 

 from bars to patches, observed by Townsend 

 (1929) in K. sedatrix, is equally present in K. 

 incisor. No comparison was made of fresh adult 

 specimens. During development the color pat- 

 terns are similar, except that most K. incisor from 

 about 12 to 22 mm. have few or no pigment spots 

 in the area of the first three dorsal and anal 

 soft-rays, and few dark spots and lines on the 

 pectorals (figs. 8, 9 A, B, and C) ; most K. sectatrix 



longer than 12 mm. have much heavier pigment 

 on these parts (figs. 2 and 3A). 



Caudal osteology. — No interspecific or intra- 

 specific variations in caudal osteology were 

 observed. A representative caudal base is illus- 

 trated in figure 22. 



Branchiostegals. — Both species normally have 

 seven branchiostegals on each side. However, one 

 specimen of K. incisor had eight on one side and 

 in this instance the first two were much closer 

 together. 



BODY PROPORTIONS 



A shght indication of interspecific variation in 

 eye diameter appeared only among specimens 

 above 150 mm. (fig. 12). The eye diameters of 

 all 18 K. sectatrix more than 150 mm. were 8.2 

 percent or more of standard length, except one 

 specimen from Madeira (7.5 percent); those of the 

 five K. incisor above 150 nnn. long were 8.4 

 percent or less of standard length (table 13). 



An indication of interspecific variation in head 

 length, body depth at pelvic fin, and pectoral fin 

 length appeared only among specimens more than 

 150 mm. from along the Atlantic coast of the 



