collections of the U.S. National Museum (US- 

 NM), Stanford University (SU), Field Museum 

 of Natural History, Chicago (FMNH), Los An- 

 geles County Museum (LACM), University of 

 California at Los Angeles (UCLA), University 

 of Miami Institute of Marine Science (UMML) , 

 and University of Miami Ichthyological Mu- 

 seum (UMIM). This material is distributed as 

 follows : 



A. nemoptera (Atlantic). — Colombia: about 

 40 km. (22 nautical miles) NW. of Punta San 

 Bernardo, USNM 199530 (3 adults), FMNH 

 66796 (2 adults); about 22 km. (12 nautical 

 miles) WNW. of Puerto Colombia, USNM 

 199474 (6 adults), UMIM 5926 (2 adults); 

 about 23 km. (13 nautical miles) NE. of Santa 

 Marta, FMNH 66795 (2 adults), UMIM 5927 

 (2 adults); about 18 km. (10 nautical miles). 

 WSW. of Puerto Colombia, UMIM 5925 (2 

 adults). Panama: Caledonia Bay, LACM 20467 

 (7 larvae, 4 juveniles), LACM 20468 (2 juve- 

 niles). Jamaica: Port Antonio, LACM 5802 (1 

 adult), UMIM 1028 (2 adults). 



A. nemoptera (Pacific). — Mexico: Guerrero, 

 Acapulco, USNM 75547 (1 adult); Sinaloa, 

 Mazatlan Playa Camaron, UCLA W51-22 (13 

 young). Costa Rica: Potrero Grande, SU 46385 

 (5 young to adult); Gulf of Nicoya, Quepos, 

 UCLA W54-55 (1 adult). Panama: Perlas Is- 

 lands, Isla del Rey, Punta de Cocos, UCLA 

 W53-285 (1 young). 



A. viilpes (Atlantic). — Florida: Monroe 

 Co., Flamingo, Buttonwood Canal bridge, 

 UMML 16775 (20 young); Dade Co., Miami, 

 UMIM 5917 (2 adults). Bahamas; Cay Sal 

 Bank, Cotton Cay, UNIM 5916 (7 adults). 

 Cuba: Havana, estuary of Guanabo River, 

 UMIM 758 (5 juvenile and young). Jamaica: 

 Port Antonio, UMIM 5918 (1 adult). Colom- 

 bia: St. Andrews Island, UMIM 5928 (8 

 larvae) . 



METHODS 



Measurements and counts were made accord- 

 ing to methods described by the senior author 

 (Rivas, 1960) with the following modifications 

 and additions. Standard length was measured 

 from the tip of the snout (not the upper lip) 

 to the middle of the caudal base. Prcpectoral 

 length was measured from the tip of the snout 



to the insertion of the appressed left pectoral 

 fin. Head length is the longest distance be- 

 tween the tip of the snout and the margin of 

 the left opercular membrane. Mandible length 

 comprises the distance between the anterior tip 

 of the dentary and the posterior tip of the left 

 articular. Preoral length is the median ventral 

 distance between the tip of the snout and the 

 anterior tip of the dentary with the mouth 

 closed. Body depth was measured at the origin 

 of the dorsal fin. Dorsal and anal fin heights 

 were measured from the origin of the erect fin 

 to the upper tip. Last dorsal and last anal ray 

 lengths were measured between the end of the 

 fin base and the tip of the ray. All the dorsal 

 and anal rays were counted, including the an- 

 teriormost short, closely approximated ele- 

 ments. The last two dorsal and anal rays were 

 counted separately. AH counts were made from 

 the fish's left side. All pectoral and pelvic rays 

 and all branched caudal rays were counted. All 

 pored scales were counted including those 

 beyond the caudal base. The scales above the 

 lateral line were counted downward and back- 

 ward from the dorsal fin origin to, but not in- 

 cluding, the lateral line. Those below the lateral 

 line were counted upward and forward from the 

 anal fin origin to, but not including, the lateral 

 line. Only the modified predorsal scales, along 

 the midline of the back anterior to the dorsal 

 fin, were counted. The scales around the caudal 

 peduncle were counted at the region of the 

 least depth. All the gill rakers on the first arch 

 were counted, including rudiments; the count 

 for the lower limb includes the gill raker at the 

 angle. All branchiostegal rays were counted. 

 The vertebral counts include the hypural. 



GENERIC STATUS OF THE BONEFISH 



Largely on subjective grounds the genus 

 Dixonina Fowler ( 1911) is here considered as a 

 synonym of the genus Albulu Scopoli (1777). 



The only two living species of the family 

 Albulidae (Pterothris^us not included), A. vul- 

 pes and A. nemoptera, are much more closely 

 related to each other than previously suspected. 

 The differences between them are only of de- 

 gree and not of the order that would merit 

 generic separation (tables 1-11). Their great 

 superficial similarity is further emphasized by 



252 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



