Sphyraenoidei: Development and Relationships 



D. P. DE Sylva 



SPHYRAENIDAE is a closely knit, monogeneric perciform 

 family of the suborder Sphyraenoidei (Gosline, 1971), 

 Schultz (1953) revised the family, which has since been partially 

 modified by Smith ( 1 956b), Williams ( 1 959), and de Sylva (1975) 

 for Indian Ocean species. Six genera, including three new names, 

 were proposed by J. L. B. Smith in his 1 956 review of the Indian 

 Ocean species. These have been synonymized by subsequent 

 authors to include the single genus Sphyraena, recognized for 

 all living species. Fossil genera have been noted in the Creta- 

 ceous and are widespread since the lower Eocene. These are 

 represented by the genera Sphyraenodus, Protosphyraena, Pro- 

 sphyraena. and Sphyraena (see de Sylva, 1963). However, be- 

 cause most fossil generic descriptions are based only upon teeth 

 or dentary fragments, it seems presumptive to attach very great 

 importance to the validation of such genera. In a draft revision 

 of the family, I have recognized the genera named by Smith, as 

 well as other genera previously proposed for other sphyraenids, 

 at the subgeneric level to clarify phyletic relationships on a 

 worldwide basis (Fig. 283; Table 128). 



All species are tropical or temperate, and are schooling or 

 solitary predators. They usually live in the littoral zone from 

 the surface to just off the bottom in shelf waters. Several are 



epipelagic and are found far from shoal water. They are im- 

 portant food fishes, although one species, Sphyraena barracuda. 

 is frequently responsible for ciguatera poisoning (de Sylva, 1 963). 

 Maximum size is 180 cm and 48 kg. 



There are 20 valid species of the 69 nominal species. Sphy- 

 raenids are distinguishable from Polynemidae and Mugilidae 

 by their well-developed fang-like teeth, large mouth, and point- 

 ed snout, with the upper jaw not protrusible. Gill rakers may 

 be absent, bristle-like, or limited to one or two at the angle of 

 the gill arch (de Sylva, 1975). 



Development 



Eggs of Sphyraenidae have been described for only 3 species, 

 and they are similar in size and pigmentation. Larval stages 

 have been described for 5 (Raffaele, 1 888; Bamhart, 1927; Vial- 

 h, 1956; Orton, 1955b; Shojima et al., 1957; Mannaro, 1971; 

 Uchida et al., 1958; de Sylva, 1963; Houde, 1972b). Larval 

 stages have been described for 4 of the 20 species, from rea- 

 sonably complete developmental series (e.g.. Figs. 284-287). 

 Osteological development of the neurocranium is described for 

 only 1 species (Gregory, 1933), while the caudal skeleton and 

 urophore complex have been studied for only 3 species (Hoi- 



Fig. 283. Diagram of relationships among sphyraenids based on adult and larval characters. Numbers refer to characters listed in Table 128. 

 Labelled horizontal lines cross branches and demonstrate presumed advanced character states. 



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