406 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Tetrapturus albidus Poey, Memorias, II. 237, 1861, Havana; Jordan & 



Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 420, 1S83. 

 EistiopJtorus belotie Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 513, 1860. 

 Tetrapturus imperator Goode. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. IV, 417, 1882; Jordan 



& EvERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 892, 1896; Sjiith, Bull. U. S. F. C. 



XVII, 97, 1898. 



Body similar in shape to that of the sailfish, its greatest depth 

 contained six and one fourth times in total length without 

 caudal; the least hight of caudal peduncle one fourth of the 

 greatest depth. The head forms one third of total length with- 

 out caudal; the upper jaw is exactly twice as long as the post- 

 orbital part of the head and extends beyond tip of mandible a 

 space equal to length of eye and postorbital part of head com- 

 bined; the maxilla extends far behind the eye; the eye is about 

 one fifth as long as postorbital part of head. The dorsal begins 

 on the nape, over the upper angle of the gill opening. The first 

 dorsal occupies nearly one half of the total length without 

 caudal; its anterior sixth is elevated and the rest of the fin 

 is low; the longest spine (the fourth) is about one third as long 

 as the head, the 10th is only one seventh as long as the head^ 

 and the last is scarcely one half as long as the eye. The inter- 

 space between the dorsals is three elevenths of length of head. 

 The second dorsal base is one seventh as long as the head; its 

 first ray is one and one half times as long as the eye, and its 

 last ray is about equally long, but some of the intervening rays 

 are shorter. The caudal fin is narrow, crescentie, its width at 

 base of lobes one fourth of its length, the external rays equal 

 to one fourth the distance from eve to caudal base. The first 

 anal fin originates under the 29th ray of the dorsal; the base 

 is one fourth as long as the head; the longest ray two sevenths 

 as long as the head, the last ra}' minute. The interspace be- 

 tween the anals is one third as long as the head. Tlie base 

 of the second anal equals one third of postorbital length of 

 head, the first and last rays equal, and as long as the base of the 

 fin, the intervening rays shorter; two strong keels on the base 

 of the caudal, each of them about twice as long as the eye. 

 The ventral is very slender and long; it originates under the 

 ninth ray of the dorsal, its length ecpial to postorbital part <»f 



