Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 439 



Medipellona on Pellona bleekeriana and doubtfully assigned it to the family Engraulidae 

 (anchovies). Myers referred Medipellona to Chirocentrodon {g6: i). There seems to be 

 no sound reason for removing from the Clupeidae this little herring, which has much 

 in common with Ilisha (and Neosteus), but it apparently should be considered as having 

 subfamily rank, Chirocentrinae, as already pointed out by Breder, who also discusses 

 the possible relationship to Chirocentrus, an Asiatic genus (22: 136).^* 



Range. Known from the West Indies and from the Atlantic coast of South America 

 from Panama to Sao Paulo, Brazil. 



Chirocentrodon bleekerianus (Poey) 1867 

 Figures 114, 115 



Study Material. Twenty-two specimens, ca. i'i—\Qi'] mm TL (caudal fins dam- 

 aged), 42—84 mm SL, including the holotype and paratype of Ilisha caribhaea Meek 

 and Hildebrand (equals C. bleekerianus), and a cotype of Pellona bleekeriana Poey, in 

 poor condition (IJSNM 120426); from Cuba; Jamaica; Puerto Rico; off Trinidad; 

 at Fort Sherman (Toro Point) and Porto Bello, Panama; Pt. Macolla, Gulf of Vene- 

 zuela; and Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 



Distinctive Characters. The canine teeth in the anterior part of each jaw (in adults) 

 are characteristic. The presence of vomerine teeth also distinguishes bleekerianus from 

 all American Clupeidae, except the common Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus. 



Description. Proportional dimensions in per cent of standard length, and counts, 

 based on specimens 42—84 mm SL. 



Body: depth 17.5-27. Pectoral fin: length 14. 8-1 8.5. 



Caudal peduncle: depth 7.8-9.5. Distance from snout to origin of: dorsal 



Head: length 22-26; depth 17-22. 58-62. 



Snout: length 5.7-8.2. 



Eye: diameter 6.0-8.5. Scales: lost, ca. 43 pockets. 



Interorbital: width 2.9-4.5. Ventral scutes: 24-28. 



Maxillary: length 15-19. Fin rays: dorsal 14-16, usually 15; anal 



Mandible: length 1 3.7-1 6.9. 39-43> rarely 44 or 45; pectoral 



Anal fin: length of base 35-39. i3-i5) usually 14. 



Pelvic fin: length 3.4-4.9. Vertebrae: 44 or 45 (2 specimens). 



Body moderately slender, strongly compressed, its greatest thickness about a third 

 of its depth, its greatest depth Z-'^^-S-SS i" ^L; the dorsal outline gently convex, the 

 ventral contour strongly convex anteriorly. Caudal peduncle rather short, strongly 

 compressed, its depth 2.55—3.7 in head. 



54. Following Breder's excellent paper, there remains little doubt that Chirocentrodon is closely related to the two large 

 Indo-Pacific species of Chirocentrus and that both genera should be placed together in a separate subfamily or 

 family. — G. S. Myers. 



