COLLETTE ET AL.: SCOMBROIDEI 



607 



Fig. 325. Cladogram of relationships within the Scomberomorini (from Collette and Russo. in press). 



anina (1982b) repoiled on a series of 22 B. elongatus pacificus 

 8.0-44 mm and on a B. vityazi 3 1 mm (Fig. 320). Benthodesmus 

 vityazi lacks dorsal pigmentation and has only two pigment 

 blotches ventrad, and the pelvic spine is reduced. 



Lepidopus (Fig. 320). — The eggs and larvae of L. caudal us were 

 described by Padoa (1956a). The larvae are strikingly similar 

 to Benthodesmus in pigmentation; in Lepidopus the first dorsal 

 fin spine is longer than the following spines. Regan (1916) figured 

 an 1 1 mm larva as L. caudatus. It is impossible to determine 

 from the drawing and from the brief description if, in fact, it is 

 a larva of L. caudatus. The figured specimen is alcohol shrunk, 

 body and trunk pigments are absent, and the first dorsal fin 

 spine is shorter than the following spines. 



Trichtunis lepturus (Fig. 320). — Delsman (1927) described 

 Trichiurus eggs and early larval stages hatched from wild caught 

 eggs. He believed that his descriptions were based on a number 

 of Trichiurus species. Newly hatched and early Trichiurus larvae 

 have a dendritic blotch of pigment, usually in the ventral finfold. 

 This blotch disappears when the first dorsal fin spines begin to 

 form anteriorly. Cutlass-fish larvae were also described by Gor- 

 bunova (1982) from a series of 59 specimens 5.0-1 7.2 mm and 

 by Tsukahara (1961) from a series of laboratory-reared and wild- 



caught specimens. Small larvae lack pigment on the ventral 

 trunk and tail. With growth, a single row of melanophores ap- 

 pears just anterior to the first dorsal fin and develops posteriorly. 

 Ventral and lateral tail pigment is conspicuously absent even in 

 larger larvae. Trichiurus belongs to the tail-less trichiurids and 

 has no flexion stage. The pelvic fin in Trichiurus is absent. 



Istiophoridae 



Hypural plate mostly covered by caudal fin rays; caudal fin 

 supported by 3 centra (urostyle and preural centra 2 and 3); long 

 rounded rostrum formed by united premaxillae; nasals not 

 forming part of the bill; predentary bone present; teeth present; 

 pectoral fins placed low on body; scales present on body through- 

 out life; pelvic fins consisting of one spine and two long rays; 

 vertebrae few, (11-12) + (12-13) = 24; neural and haemal spines 

 expanded into strong overlapping laminae; ribs sessile (Regan, 

 1909; Gregory and Conrad, 1937). Three genera: Tetrapturus. 

 the spearfishes (six species). Makaira. the marlins (three species), 

 and Istiophorus. the sailfish (one or two species). 



A diagram of relationships within the Istiophoridae was pre- 

 sented by Robins and de Sylva (1960) and is included here as 

 Fig. 321. Two additional species of Tetrapturus have been val- 

 idated since then: 7'. pfluegeri Robins and de Sylva and T 

 georgei Lowe. The former is most closely related to T. angus- 



