ATLANTIC SAILFISH 



141 



than 100 mm. in standard length were recorded 

 to the nearest 0.1 mm., and tliose of specimens 

 more than 100 mm. in standard length to the 

 nearest millimeter. Measurements of Beebe's 

 (1941), Voss's (1953), and Baughman's (1941a) 

 specimens were taken from their papers. 



DEFINITIONS OF TERMS 



Standard length. — Tip of snout to tip of urost.vle or most 



posterior e.xtension of hypural segment. 

 Total length. — Tip of snout to tip of caudal fin, or finfold. 

 Head length. — Tip of snout to posterior extension of 



fleshy margin of opercle. 

 Width of head. — Measurement of widest portion of brain 



case, at point where dorso-lateral keel of pterotic spine 



joins orbital crest. 

 Depth of head. — Vertical measurement of head at posterior 



angle of jaw. 

 Snout length. — Tip of snout to anterior margin of eye. 

 Lower jaw length. — Tip of mandible to posterior angle 



of the jaw. 

 Snout extension. — Tip of snout to mandible tip fwith 



mouth clo.sed). 

 Eye diameter. — Horizontal measurement of eye. 

 Pterotic spine length. — Tip of spine to point of attachment 



of dorso-medial keel of spine to head. 



Main preopercular spine length. — Tip of main preoper- 



cular spine to vertical at posterior edge of preopercle. 

 Pectoral fin length. — Tip of pectoral fin to insertion. 

 Pelvic fin length. — Tip of pelvic fin to insertion. 

 Dorsal fin-ray lengths. — Tips to insertions. 

 Teeth. — Number of teeth on one side each of the upper 



and lower jaws, 

 Pterotic spine serrations. — Numbers of serrations on keels 



of left and right pterotic spines. 

 Ratio of secondary preopercular spines. — Number of 



spines, in ratio, on left side of head. 

 Number of dorsal, anal, and pectoral fin rays. — Counts 



are total numbers with no distinction made between 



spines and soft rays. 



MEASUREMENTS AND MERISTIC COUNTS 



Table 1 gives selected measurements and 

 meristic counts from the 19 specimens described 

 or figured; table 2 gives selected measurements 

 from 13 Florida specimens described by Voss 

 (1953); table 3 gives selected measurements from 

 two specimens described by Beebe (1941), and 

 3 mounted specimens from the Gulf of Mexico, 

 described by Baughman (1941a). Voss's, Beebe's, 

 and Baughman's data are plotted with mine on 

 the respective graphs. 



Table 1. — Selected measurements and meristic counts from 19 specimens described and figured 



> Indicates unidentified species. 



' Indicates questionable values. 



