nal anatomy of billfishes using various species in- 

 cluding pfluegeri to illustrate their points. The gonads 

 are assymetrical (Y-shaped) in pfluegeri. 



Tetrapturus pfluegeri was described in detail by 

 Robins and de Sylva (1960) under the name T. belone 

 and later (1963) diagnosed and distinguished from 

 belone and other species. Nakamura et al. 1968:62-63 

 also summarize its morphology. 



2 DISTRIBUTION 

 2.1 Total Area 



Tetrapturus pfluegeri was originally reported 

 (under the name T. belone) in the western Atlantic 

 from Maryland to Venezuela including the entire Gulf 

 of Mexico and Antillean region (Robins and de Sylva, 

 1960: Fig. 4). In formally describing the species, 

 Robins and de Sylva (1963:88) extended the range to 

 New Jersey. It was then reported from off New 

 England (Anon., 1964a) and from somewhere between 

 North Carolina and Georges Bank (Anon., 1964b). 

 Japanese longlines have taken it repeatedly and in the 

 north central and South Atlantic from southeastern 

 Brazil to South Africa (see especially Ueyanagi et al., 

 1970:Fig. 7). Most recently it has been recorded from 

 South Africa (125 miles northwest of Cape Colum- 

 bine) by Penrith and Talbot (1973). 



Some of the Japanese data may be based on the 

 roundscale spearfish, T. georgei, only recently diag- 

 nosed (Robins, 1974), but it is clear that T. pfluegeri 

 is wide ranging in the Atlantic Ocean and perhaps is 

 most common in the mid- or South Atlantic. Other re- 

 cent references in sporting magazines are all from 

 within the described range. 



When this species was described and brought to the 

 attention of anglers in the Florida region, I was confi- 

 dent that the recognition would result in more being 

 brought to the taxidermy shops. Captains and guides 

 do recognize the fish but catches remain few. The only 

 difference is that most now coming to the shops are 

 correctly identified. I can only conclude that relative 

 to other istiophorid species in the area, T. pfluegeri is 

 truly rare in waters of the Bahamas and the United 

 States. Whether it will prove more common in the 

 mid- or South Atlantic is unknown. Hook rates are 

 highest (Ueyanagi et al., 1970:Fig. 7) in these regions 

 and in the Caribbean, but such data cannot be assess- 

 ed without knowing the actual numbers of hooks set 

 and the total numbers of the various fishes caught. 

 Highest hook rates could be experienced with the 

 fewest hooks out and a small catch. 



In summary, T. pfluegeri ranges widely through the 

 Atlantic from about lat. 40°N to 34° S and from New 

 England, Texas, and southeastern Brazil to between 

 long. 20° and 25°W and the Cape Verde Islands in the 

 North Atlantic and to South Africa in the South 

 Atlantic. It is not yet known to occur in African waters 

 north of South Africa. 



2.2 Differential Distribution 



In data provided by Ueyanagi et al., 1970 (Figs. 7, 9- 

 11) it is apparent that the size distribution is similar 

 for the 11 geographic areas analyzed (see their Fig. 1) 

 with the possible exception of areas C and F. Here 

 samples are small and these two areas, the most 

 eastern in the North Atlantic, are those where mis- 

 identifications of T. georgei are most likely to have oc- 

 curred. Similarly there is no noteworthy difference in 

 sex ratios although males may be more common in the 

 north and west. Mature individuals were taken only in 

 the January-March and April-June quadrants with 

 the exception again of the area around the Cape Verde 

 Islands and of the Caribbean where some mature in- 

 dividuals are recorded in October-December. In most 

 instances these data are based on small samples. 

 Mature individuals were not recorded north of lat. 

 20°N in the western Atlantic nor south of lat. 

 30°S. Surprisingly, maturation occurs at the same 

 time rather than at the same season both in the 

 northern and southern hemisphere. More than any 

 other factor, this is suggestive of homogeneity of 

 stock. 



2.4 Hybridization 



There is no morphological indication that T. 

 pfluegeri hybridizes with any of its relatives. Robins 

 (1974) considered and rejected the possibility that T. 

 georgei as defined by him could be based on hybrids 

 between T. pfluegeri and T. albidus. 



3 BIONOMICS AND LIFE HISTORY 

 3.1 Reproduction 



3.11 Sexuality 



Sexes are separate in the longbill spearfish. There is 

 no demonstrated sexual dimorphism in the 

 morphometry of T. pfluegeri, nor is there any 

 evidence of hermaphroditism. 



3.12 Maturity 



There has been no published study on age and 

 growth nor age at maturity. Data from Japanese 

 longline catches suggest that spawning occurs in late 

 winter. This is based on their notes on seasonal oc- 

 currence of mature individuals. Looking at all 

 available data, spawning no doubt occurs between 

 late November and early May with a peak perhaps in 

 late winter. To provide some answers to the question 

 of age and growth the writer has assumed that spawn- 

 ing occurs in mid-February (15 Feb.) and has then 

 grouped length and weight data from all specimens 

 examined by him by month from that point. This was 

 done twice, once by using the length data alone, the 



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