170 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



to silver-white below. Pectoral, pelvic, anal, and 

 caudal fins, and the posterior portion of the dorsal 

 fin are hyaline, while the anterior portion of the 

 dorsal fin has a varied pattern of blue-black. 

 The pigment pattern of the unidentified species 

 differed only in extent of pigment farther poster- 

 iorly on the dorsal fin, and absence of bars on 

 the body. 



5. The stomachs of 32 larvae from waters off 

 the South Atlantic Coast of the United States 

 were examined, and it was found that copepods 

 constituted the food in larvae less than 6.0 mm. 

 long, fish larvae were the major food item of 

 larvae larger than 6.0 mm., no copepods were 

 present in specimens longer than 13 mm., and no 

 fish larvae were present in specimens less than 

 6.0 mm. long. One unidentified species of fish 

 occurred most frequently, although flying fish 

 larvae were also numerous, and istiophorid larvae 

 were present in the stomachs of 3 specimens. 

 Some larvae were larger than one-half the length 

 of the fish that had eaten them. 



6. In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the 

 United States, spawning occurs from April to 

 September in the area from south of Cuba north 

 to the Carolinas, beyond tlie 100-fathom line, 

 closely associated with the Gulf Stream, and 

 with a northward advance as the season pro- 

 gresses. In the Gulf of Mexico two separate 

 spawning areas beyond the 100-fathom line are 

 apparent: the southeastern Gulf from April 

 through August, and the western Gulf less clearly 

 defined, but at least during June and probably 

 into August. 



7. Surface salinity, oxygen, and temperature 

 values for locations of capture of some specimens 

 are presented, with no attempt made to correlate 

 with specimen occurrence because of the paucity 

 of data. 



8. The possible identity of the divergent speci- 

 mens is discussed, and the suggestion made that 

 the divergent specimens are more likely to de- 

 velop into the adult form of Tetrapturus than of 

 either Lstiophorus or Makaira. 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



The names of owners, their numbers, numbers 

 of specimens, date, and location of capture 

 (fig. 1) for all specimens studied follow: 



U. S. National Museum: No. 107200 (1 specimen), 

 Oct. 21, 1885, Albatross-'i&2\, 32°36' N., 77°29'15" W.; 

 No. 116945 (1 specimen), June 6, 1929, Tortugas, Fla.; 

 No. 92635 (3 specimens), Aug. 29, 1885, yl/6a(ro.ss-2566, 

 37°23' N., 68°08' W. ; No. 111815 (2 specimens), Sept. 

 3, 1914, Fishhawk-DS248, 34°12'52" N., 76°01'58" W.; 

 No. 111816 (1 specimen), July 28, 1915, Fishhawk, 30 

 miles south of Lookout Lightship, N. C. ; No. 163332 

 (10 specimens), Sept. 2, 1914, Fishhawk-D8245, 34°24' 

 N., 75°48'20" W,; No. 163333 (26 specimens), Sept. 2, 

 1914, Fishhawk-D824:4. 34°2r N., 75°51'40" W. ; No. 

 111814 (58 specimens), Sept. 2, 1914, Fishhawk-D8246, 

 34°17'46" N., 75°53'10" W.; No. 163413 (5 specimens), 

 Sept. 2, 1953, Oregon-829, 28°52' N., 88°45' W. 



Tulane University: Group No. 47, Cat. No. 6741 

 (2 specimens), Aug. 12, 1953, Oregon-820, 28°42' N., 

 88°48' W.; Group No. 47, Cat. No. 6817 (2 specimens), 

 Aug. 11, 1953, Oregon-8\9, 28°58' N., 88°20' W. 



Chicago Natural History Mu.seum No. 45453 (2 speci- 

 mens), Sept. 2, 1953, Oregon-82Q, 28°52' N., 88°45' W. 

 Giles Mead: (1 specimen) Sept. 2, 1953, Oregon-829, 



28°52' N., 88°45' W. 



Gulf Fishery Investigations: (1 specimen) May 30, 



1952, Alaska-Ul-2, 26°00' N., 85°15' W. ; (1 specimen), 

 April 29, 1951, .4Zas/ca-I-l-23, 23°11' N., 82°24' W.; (2 

 specimens), Aug. 15 ,1951, Alaska-IIl-l-ll. 26°09' N., 

 83°50' W.; (6 specimens), June 1, 1953, Alaska-l\, 3C 

 tow 27, 27°55' N., 93°38' W.; (4 specimens), June 8, 1953, 

 Alaska-ll, tow 19, 26°09' N., 86°34' W. 



R. M. Yount: (1 mounted specimen), Aug. 3, 1952, 

 from surf, Myrtle Beach, S. C. 



Tony Seaman: (2 mounted specimens), taken off 

 Morehead City, N. C. 



South Atlantic Fishery Investigations, Theodore N. 

 Gill collections: (15 specimens) ^ July 29, 1953, 30°57' N., 

 79°37' W.; (3 specimens) Aug. 5, 1953, 31°57' N., 79°16' 

 W.; (7 specimens) Aug. 10, 1953, 32°54' N., 77°04' W.; 

 (1 specimen) Aug. 10, 1953, 32°39' N., 76°46' W.; (1 

 specimen) Oct. 7, 1953, 24°37' N., 77°18' W.; (1 specimen) 

 May 10, 1953, 33°52' N., 75°59' W.; (2 specimens), June 

 12-13, 1954, 26°25' N., 76°48' W.; (1 specimen), July 26, 



1953, 28°18.5' N., 79°26' W.; (1 specimen) from stomach 

 of 21.9-mm. X. gladius taken July 29, 1953, 30°57' N., 

 79°37' W.; (1 specimen) from stomach of 13.0-mm. isti- 



! This proup includes 12 specimens of the unidentified species 



