82 BULLETIN 180, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Family SPHYRAENIDAE 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SPHYRAENA IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM FROM THE 

 PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS ' 



la. Scale rows about 80 from upper angle of gill opening to base of pelvic fins ; 

 distance from insertion of pectoral fin to pelvic fin less than postorbital 

 part of head. 

 2a. Maxillary extending to below front of eye; posterior margin of preoper- 

 culum rounded, lower angle not produced; groove behind maxillaries 

 covered by a membranous flap that extends upward; distance between 

 insertions of pectoral and pelvics 1.1 to 1.3 times in postorbital part 

 of head, 2.7 to 3 times in distance between dorsals and 1.3 to 1.5 in 

 snout; head 3^^ in standard length; preorbital 1.9 in eye; postorbital 

 part of head 1.1 in snout; fleshy interorbital 2 in maxillaries and 

 1.8 in snout ; pectoral 1.1 to 1.2 in postorbital part of head ; ijelvics in- 

 serted under middle of length of pectoral and a little in advance of 

 origin of first dorsal, about four scale rows; origin of anal a trifle 

 behind origin of second dorsal ; color in alcohol blackish above, silvery 

 below, with five blacliish blotches on lower sides, a little below lateral 

 line, flrst in front of origin of anal a distance about equal to length 

 of pectoral fin, second over origin of anal, third a little behind rear 

 base of anal ; fourth on middle of length of caudal peduncle, fifth base 

 of caudal fin below lateral line ; top of head black ; tip of chin black ; 

 membrane on posterior margin of operculum blackish ; upper edge of 

 pectoral fin blackish ; spinous dorsal blackish ; soft dorsal and anal 

 blackish except white tips ; caudal with tips of upper and lower lobes 

 whitish, rest of fin blackish ; pectorals pale, except middle rays some- 

 what dusky, scales 10+80 + 10; 35 to 38 scales between origins of dorsal 

 fins; dorsal rays V — 11; anal 10. (Description based on specimens 

 178, 550 and 760 mm. in standard length.) 



Sphyraena snodgrassi Jenkins 

 2&. Maxillary not reaching to below eye by a distance V2 eye ; lower angle of 

 preoperculum produced, not rounded; groove behind maxillaries par- 

 tially covered by a fold of tissues that extends down from preorbital 

 instead of upward from lower side of groove; distance between inser- 

 tions of pectoral and pelvic fins 1.2 in postorbital part of head, 2.5 times 

 in distance between dorsals, and 1.5 in snout; head SVio in standard 

 length ; eye 21/5 in snout ; preorbital 2.2 in eye ; postorbital part of 

 head l\i in snout ; fleshy interorbital 1.9 in maxillaries 21-2 in snout ; 

 pectoral 1.1 in postorbital part of head ; i)elvics inserted under "•$ way 

 back along pectoral fin and considerably in front of first dorsal, between 

 verticals a distance equal to ^lo of eye; scales 6+80 + 7; dorsal rays 

 V-10; anal 10. (Description based on a specimen 340 mm. in standard 



length.) Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier 



16. Scales about 120 to 130; distance between insertions of pectoral and pelvic 

 fins 0.7 times in postorbital part of head, 2.1 times in distance between 

 dorsals, and 1 in snout ; maxillary not reaching to below ej'e by a distance 

 almost equal to diameter of eye; lower angle of preoperculum produced 

 so that posterior margin of preopercle is not evenly rounded ; groove 

 behind maxillaries covered by a fold of tissue that extends down from 

 preorbital above instead of upward from below groove; head SVs in 



* I have not included species reported In the literature from these localities because the 

 descriptions are not adequate for proper identification. 



