376 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 

 SCOMBEROMORUS MACULATUS (Mitchill) 



Sierra 



Scomber maculatus Mitchill, 1815, p. 426, New York (original description). 

 Scomheromorus sierra Jordan and Starks, in Jordan, 1895, p. 428, MazatMn, 



Mexico (original description; compared with S. wiacwtous). —E verm ann and 



Radcliffe, 1917, p. 55, Paita, Peru (description, based on one specimen). 

 Scomheromorus maculatus Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, p. 324, Panama, both 



coasts (synonymy; description; specimens from opposite coasts compared; 



range). 



Head 3.9 to 4.9; depth 4.4 to 5.8; D. XVI to XVIII-15 to 18- 

 VIII or IX; A. II, 15 to 17-VIII or IX; P. 19 or 20; vertebrae 47 

 (two specimens dissected). 



Body considerably compressed, its greatest thickness among large 

 specimens about half the depth; dorsal and ventral outlines about 

 evenly convex; head compressed; snout quite pointed, 2.4 to 3.0 in 

 head; eye 4.7 to 7.5; interorbital convex, 3.1 to 4.6; mouth moderately 

 oblique; maxillary broad, round posteriorly, not quite reaching pos- 

 terior margin of eye in specimens about 120 mm. long, to or beyond 

 this point in large adults, 1.65 to 1.9 in head; teeth in jaws compressed 

 at base, pointed distally, variable in size and number, one large 

 specimen with 13 on one side of upper jaw, another with 29; gill 

 rakers virtually undeveloped in the small specimens at hand, about 

 three-fourths length of eye in the large ones, 11 or 12 on lower and 3 

 more on upper limb of first arch; lateral line more strongly waved in 

 some specimens than in others, with a prominent keel on caudal 

 peduncle in large specimens, keel scarcely evident in small individ- 

 uals; first dorsal with slender spines, highest anteriorly, its base 

 longer than head, its origin rather less than diameter of eye behind 

 base of pectoral, its distance from tip of snout 3.5 to 4.1 in length; 

 second dorsal elevated anteriorly, with deeply concave margin in 

 large adults, its origin somewhat in advance of that of anal, densely 

 covered with scales in large specimens; anal similar to second dorsal; 

 ventral small, inserted under base of lowermost rays of pectoral, 

 distance from its base to tip of mandible 3.4 to 4.0 in length; pectoral 

 rather short, with an evident lower lobe, without scales, 1.5 to 1.8 in 

 head in large specimens, proportionately shorter in the small ones, 

 2.1 to 2.3 in head. 



Color of the large specimens in the collection (varying in length to 

 base of caudal from 462 to 606 mm.) dark brown above; this color 

 shading into silvery gray along middle of side; silvery below; sides 

 with brown spots (bronze in life) generally arranged in irregular 

 longitudinal rows, the number varying from two rows, with a few 

 spots anteriorly representing a third row, to four indefinite rows; 

 spinous dorsal black, exclusive of its base posterior to the fifth or 

 to the sixth or seventh spine, which is translucent and occasionally 



