FISHERY BULLETIN VDL 



name S. saurus scomhrotdes (Richardson 1842) 

 appears to have priority, and we portray the zoo- 

 geography of the four genera of the Scomberesoci- 

 dae that we now recognize. Also, we append a 

 discussion of Miocene fossils from California re- 

 ferred to the Scomberesocidae. 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



We have examined material from the following 

 repositories: AMS (Australian Musuem, Sydney); 

 BCFL (Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Labora- 

 tories (now NMFS), at Brunswick, Ga.; Honolulu 

 Hawaii (formerly POFI); Seattle, Wash.; and 

 Woods Hole, Mass.); BMNH (British Museum 

 (Natural History)); BU (Boston University); CAS 

 (California Academy of Sciences); CF (Carlsberg 

 Foundation); CFG ( California Fish and Game, San 

 Pedro); CNHM, FMNH (Chicago Natural History 

 Museum, Field Museum of Natural History); 

 LACM (Los Angeles County Museum); MCZ 

 (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Uni- 

 versity); MMF (Museo Municipal do Funchal, 

 Madeira); SAM (South African Museum, Cape 

 TowTi); SIO (Scripps Institution of Oceanography ); 

 SOSC (Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting 

 Center); SU (Stanford University; collections now 

 at CAS); TABL (Tropical Atlantic Biological 

 Laboratory, Miami); UMMZ (University of Michi- 

 gan Museum of Zoology); USNM (United States 

 National Museum); UW (University of 

 Washington, Seattle); WHOI (Woods Hole 

 Oceanographic Institution); ZMUC (Zoological 

 Museum, University of Copenhagen); and ZSZM 

 (Zoologisches Staatsinstitute und Zoologisches 

 Museum, Hamburg). 



Counts of dorsal and anal rays include the suc- 

 ceeding finlets because the last rays of the main fin 

 proper are often too much like those of the first 

 finlets for definitive separation, particularly in 

 adults; usually the last rays of the fin proper are 

 thickened at the base and much branched and 



fanlike distally — in shape much like that of the 

 first finlet. In young and subadults a space greater 

 than that between the last rays of the fin proper 

 usually separates the last ray and the first finlet, 

 but this space is often obscured by a membrane or 

 is not apparent in large specimens, particularly of 

 Scomberesox and Cololabis. Pectoral rays of small 

 and juvenile fish were counted using an air jet, or 

 when submerged. Vertebrae were counted from 

 radiographs or stained material (the latter 

 method was used primarily for juveniles of Col- 

 olabis). The urostyle was included in the count. 



Numbers of gill rakers for specimens oi Scom- 

 beresox and Cololabis -70 mm SL and ofNanich- 

 thys and Elassickthys <30 mm SL are not included 

 in the tabular data because at shorter sizes the 

 anterior rakers fade gradually into diminishing 

 nubs of tissue that require highly subjective in- 

 terpretation. 



Lateral lines scales were removed from the left 

 side within a distance no >10 mm anterior to the 

 origin of the pelvic fin. To enhance visibility of 

 circuli the scales were lightly stained in a weak 

 solution of Alizarin Red S and visually monitored 

 for adequate uptake of stain. The scales of both 

 Scomberesox (particularly! and of Cololabis were 

 quite tenacious, so much so that they needed to be 

 cut away from the body and the adhering tissue 

 manually removed. Remaining bits of tissue often 

 were so firmly attached that they could not be 

 pulled off with forceps; immersion in 2% KOH 

 eroded the scales without removing the bits of 

 tissue. 



As most specimens of Scomberesox examined 

 had the tips of the beaks broken off, proportions in 

 all the species are based on body length rather 

 than standard length. Body length is defined as 

 the distance from the posterior margin of the orbit 

 to the end of the hypural plate; this end point was 

 determined by flexing the caudal fin until a crease 

 appeared, approximately at the end of the 

 hypural. 



KEY TO SPECIES OF SCOMBERESOCID FISHES 



la. Gill rakers numerous (.34-.51I, very closely spaced. Pectoral rays 12-15. Procurrent 



caudal rays 5-7. Depth of caudal peduncle equal to or less than its length 2 



lb. Gill rakers fewer ( 15-26), less closely spaced. Pectoral rays 8-11. Procurrent caudal rays 



2-5. Depth of caudal peduncle one-half to less than its length 3 



2a. Both jaws produced into long, slender beaks in specimens -100 mm SL, the lower 

 slightly longer. Maximum size about 450-500 mm SL. Known from temperate waters of 

 North Atlantic and all southern oceans Scomberesox saurus 



528 



