tioned by Cuvier in the original description, whereas 

 the two proper syntypes are noted (Bauchot and 

 Blanc, 19G1, p. 376; Blanc and Bauchot, 19G4, p. 

 454). The lectotype must be selected from A. 5567, 

 a stuffed whole specimen, and A. 5572, a dried half 

 specimen mounted on a board. Although both of us 

 examined the two syntypes and independently made 

 counts and measurements, we do not feel that we 

 can make a selection. Even if the appropriate 

 measurements could be considered accurate, which 

 they certainly cannot, they do not indicate that the 

 syntypes are T. alhacarcfi, but rather leave the possi- 

 bility that they could be T. tonggol or T. allanticus. 

 The distance from snout to second dorsal origin 

 appears to eliminate T. Ihynnus, T. alalunga, and T. 

 obesus fi'om consideration. We do not believe that 

 these specimens can be definitely identified, unless 

 a new and better character is found. 



Range 



As Royce (1965) has shown, T. albacares is a 

 pantropical species. In the western Atlantic, it is 

 known from about 42° N. (Squire, 1963) south 

 through the Sargasso Sea to the Gulf of Mexico and 

 the Caribbean Sea (Wathne, 1959) and off the coast 

 of South America from about 10° N. to 32° S. 

 (Rodrigues I.ima and ^Mse, 1963). In the eastern 

 Atlantic, it is recorded from the coasts of Spain and 

 Portugal south to .\ngola (Vilela and Monteiro, 

 1959; ^'ilela and Frade, 1963) but not from the 

 Mediterranean Sea. Talbot and Penrith (1962, 



1963) have shown that T. albacares has a continuous 

 distribution around South Africa, but the origin of 

 these fish is uncertain. 



It is abundant in East African waters (Williams, 



1964) and is known from 20° X. to 30° S. in the 

 Indian Ocean (Mimura et al., 1963a). In the west- 

 ern Pacific T. albacares occurs from 40° X., off the 

 coast of Japan, to 30° S., off the coast of Australia, 

 between the 70° F. September isotherm to the north 

 anil 75° F. February isotherm to the south 

 (Schaefer et al., 1963). The distribution extends 

 across the Pacific in a broad belt from about 30° X. 

 to 20° S., between the same isotherms, and as far as 

 40° S. (.Japan Fishery Agency, 1965). 



THUNNUS ATLANTICUS (Lesson, 1830) 

 BLACKFIN TUNA 



Thynnus allanticus Lesson, 1830: 165-166 (original 

 description; Trinidade Is. off Brazil). Giintlier, 

 1860: 362 (in footnote as dubious species). 



Thynnus coretta Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes- 

 1831: 102-104 (original description; Martinique)- 

 Giinther, 1860:363. 



Thynnus balteatus Cuvier in Cuvier and Valen- 

 ciennes, 1831: 136-137 (original description based 

 on Lesson's unpublished drawing). 



Thunnus balteatus, South, 1845: 622. 



Thunnus coretta, South, 1845: 622 (description). 

 Jordan and Evermann, 1926: 11 (description). 

 Jordan etal., 1930: 260. 



Orcynus balteatus, Poey, 1868: 361-362 (Cuba). 

 Poey, 1875: 145 (Cuba). 



Parathunnus rosengarteni Fowler, 1934: 354, 356 

 (original description; Key Largo, Fla.), figs. 3-5. 



Parathunnus ambiguus Mowbray, 1935 (original 

 description; Bermuda). 



Parathunnus allanticus, Beebe and Hollister, 1935: 

 213-214 (Union Is., British West Indies). Beebe 

 and Tee-Van, 1936: 178-184 (sjTionymy, descrip- 

 tion; Bermuda and West Indies), figs. 1-4. 

 Fowler, 1944: 102-103 (synonymy, description; 

 AV. Caribbean), fig. 149. Schuck and Mather, 

 1951: 248 (X. Carolina). Mather and Schuck, 

 1952: 267 (Martha's Vineyard; XW. Caribbean). 

 Mather and Day, 1954: 183-184 (off coasts of 

 Brazil and Bermuda). 



Thunnus allanticus, Rivas, 1951: 219-220 (syn- 

 onymy, description), de Sylva, 1955 (osteology, 

 relationships, generic status), figs. 1-54, 57 (osteol- 

 ogy). Bullis and Mather, 1956 (counts, measure- 

 ments, key to Caribbean Thunnus). Rivas, 1961 : 

 129-131 (synonymy, description). Iwai et al., 

 1965: 15-16 (synonymy), 38-39 (description), fig. 

 22. Xakamura, 1965: 23-24, figs. 3F, 9C, 11 

 (osteology). Xakamura and Kikawa, 1966 (in- 

 fracentral grooves). 



Misidentifications 



The specimen reported as Parathunnus obesus by 

 Beebe and Tee- Van (1928: 100) from Haiti is T. 

 allanticus as they (Beebe and Tee- Van, 1936: 181) 

 later pointed out. Fernandez- Yepez and Santaella 

 (1956: 19) reported specimens from Venezuela as 

 Parathunnus obesus, but these are probably T. 

 allanticus as indicated by Rivas (1961: 130). 



The International Game Fish Association (1965) 

 listed the world record T. allanticus as a 44 pound, 

 8 ounce, specimen from Cape Town, South Africa. 

 This record is obviously in error and has been cor- 

 rected (1966). 



ANATOMY AXD SYSTEMATICS OF TUNAS 



107 



