i94i 



CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS 



original description of Sardinella anchovia; and, for comparison, those of an- 

 other specimen in the Paris collection, presented by the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology as Clupea brasiliensis Steindachner. 



The first fish of table i, first mentioned in Valenciennes' description of 

 S. anchovia, may be regarded as the type of that species. The other four are 

 S. brasiliensis (Steindachner). Sardinella anchovia is much the thicker fish 

 through the humeral region, and, at the only size (116 mm.) at which direct 

 comparison is possible, has from 50 to 70 fewer gill rakers. 



Sardinella aurita was described originally from material collected by Bibron at 

 Messina, and by the Commission Scientifique de Moree without precise specifica- 

 tion of locality. Bibron's fish, mentioned first, may be regarded as typical, and 



TABLE 1 



Measurements (in millimeters) and gill-raker counts of Sardinella anchovia C. & V. 

 (first specimen measured) and Sardinella brasiliensis (Std.) 



(The numbers in parentheses under "Depth" and "Head" show the number of times those 



measurements are contained in the standard length. Those under "Thickness" show the 



number of times that measurement is contained in the head.) 



are in fact the same as the others. With these belong two obtained at Messina 

 and two in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The last two came, like the 

 others, from Messina, and still another from Nice. Measurements in table 2 

 permit comparison of S. aurita with the two Brazilian species of table 1. 



The consistent difference in the number of gill rakers of S. brasiliensis and 

 S. aurita shows specific difference. And aurita and anchovia might seem the 

 same, were it not for the difficulty — evident in each table — that the number of 

 gill rakers is not strictly correlated with standard length. That is, individual 

 variation in number of gill rakers is sufficient to mask specific diversity when the 

 number of specimens compared is small. 



This species comes to the surface very commonly to a night light in 10 to 20 

 fathoms at Tortugas. It is very clear dark blue above and silvery on the sides 

 and ventral surface. 



Two specimens, respectively 120 and 140 mm. in length, 98 and 112 mm. to 

 base of caudal, had the following proportions: Head 4.0 to 4.2; depth 4.0 to 4.3. 

 Eye in head 4.0. D. 18 or 19; A. 17 to 19; scales about 77, those on sides with 

 vertical striae not quite so strong as in Harengula maculosa and H. macroph- 



