Walker and Radford: Eastern Pacific species of the genus Umbrina 



575 



of all synonyms listed in the species accounts was ex- 

 amined by the authors and/or C.L. Hubbs (deceased). 



Systematics 



Genus Umbrina Cuvier 



Synonymy 



Umbrina Cuvier 1816:297 (type species Sciaena cir- 



rosa Linnaeus, by monotypy, see Opinion 988, Bull. 



Zool. Nom. (1972):123). 

 Attilus Gistel 1848:109 (type species Sciaena cirrosa 



Linnaeus, by monotypy). 

 Asperina Ostroumoff 1896:30 (type species A. impro- 



viso ( = U. cirrosa) Ostroumoff, by monotypy). 



Diagnosis Deep-bodied to moderately elongate, com- 

 pressed sciaenid fishes with a single mental barbel, 

 usually with an apical pore; swim bladder single- 

 chambered, usually carrot-shaped, with no diverticula, 

 located entirely abdominally; preopercular margin with 

 bony serrations; two anal spines, the second long and 

 thick. 



Description As in Gilbert (1966), Trewavas (1977), 

 and Chao (1978, 1986a, b), with some additions: back 

 slightly arched; ventral profile nearly straight; head 

 oblong; snout thick and protuberant with 5-7 rostral 

 and 5 marginal pores; chin with two pairs of lateral 

 pores surrounding the short barbel; mouth small, in- 

 ferior, horizontal or nearly so; teeth small, villiform, 

 set in bands in both jaws, outer row of teeth in upper 

 jaw may be slightly enlarged; sagitta (largest otolith) 

 thick, oval, with smooth inner surface and crested or 

 nodular outer surface; Cauda of sulcus bent sharply and 

 not reaching ventral edge of sagitta, ostium reaching 

 anterior edge; gill rakers short; caudal fin truncate to 

 slightly emarginate or pointed; scales ctenoid; verte- 

 brae 10-11 + 14-16 = 25-26; dorsal fin rays IX-X + 

 1,21-33; anal rays 11,5-10; pectoral rays 14-20; over- 

 all background coloration white to silver or yellow to 

 brown; usually with dark-brown stripes: oblique dor- 

 solaterally, more longitudinal midlaterally and on 

 peduncle area, becoming faint or absent ventrally, 

 usually faint or absent on head. 



Reiationships The genera Sciaena and Umbrina are 

 the only representatives of the tribe Sciaenini (Chao 

 1986a). Characters of the swim bladder are the most 

 important factors in assessing the phylogenetic rela- 

 tionships among suprageneric groups of sciaenids and 

 the single-chambered swim bladder, lacking append- 

 ages, characteristic of the sciaenines, is the most 

 primitive (plesiomorphic) form (Chao 1986a). The genus 

 Sciaena (species have no barbels) is a polyphyletic 



assemblage containing numerous species and is in need 

 of revision (Chao and Miller 1975, Chao 1986a). Al- 

 though apparently monophyletic, we presently can only 

 define Umbrina with synplesiomorphies or homoplas- 

 tic apomorphies (e.g., pored mental barbel) (L.N. Chao, 

 Bio-Amazonica Conserv. Int., Brazil, pers. commun., 

 Sept. 1991). 



Key to the eastern Pacific species of Umbrina 



lA Inside gill cover dark to black, particularly in 



area of pseudobranch 2 



IB Inside gill cover pale or lightly punctate 4 



2A Dorsal fin with 21-23 soft rays; no stripes on 

 body U. bussingi 



2B Dorsal fin usually with 26-30 soft rays; dark 

 to dusky horizontal or oblique stripes on 

 body 3 



3A Anal fin normally with 7 soft rays; peritoneum 

 dark U. roncador 



SB Anal fin normally with 6 soft rays; peritoneum 



light ventrally (may be dark dorsally) 



U. xanti 



4A Anal fin with 9(8) soft rays; dorsal fin with 



IX 4- 1 spines U. reedi 



4B Anal fin with 6-7(8) soft rays; dorsal fin with 



X -I- 1 spines 5 



5A Dorsal fin usually with 30-33 soft rays; snout 

 length less than eye diameter U. dorsalis 



5B Dorsal fin usually with 24-29 soft rays; snout 

 length greater than eye diameter (adults) .... 6 



6A Body stripes distinct; pectoral fin rays 17 or 

 fewer; dorsal fin soft rays 27 or fewer 7 



6B Body stripes indistinct or lacking; pectoral fin 

 rays usually 18 or more; dorsal fin rays 27 

 or more U. galapagorum 



7A Second anal spine ~1.5 in head; pelvic fins 

 with little or no pigment U. analis 



7B Second anal spine ~2.0 in head; pelvic fins 

 usually dusky to dark U. wintersteeni 



Umbrina bussingi Lopez S. 

 Figure 1 



Synonymy 



Umbrina bussingi Lopez S. 1980:203-208 (original 

 description: holotype LACM 38715-1; Costa Rica). 



Diagnosis A small species of Umbrina (max. length 

 252 mm) characterized by the following combination of 

 characters: inside gill cover dark to black; no dark- 

 brown stripes; caudal fin pointed; barbel compressed, 



