The Validity and Status 

 of the Roundscale Spearfish, Tetrapturus georgei^ 



C. RICHARD ROBINS- 



ABSTRACT 



A fourth Atlantic species of the istiophorid genus Tetrapturus was discovered in 196 1 among commer- 

 cial catches landed in Sicily, Portugal, and Spain. Subsequent efforts to obtain information have failed 

 because the fishermen do not distinguish the species and it is apparently much less common than T. belone in 

 Sicily and T. albidus in Spain and Portugal. 



The species is described in detail. Important distinguishing features are: the form of the scales on the 

 midside, the shape of the lobes of the spinous dorsal and anal fins, the position of the anus, and the 

 pectoral-fin length. 



The nomenclatural validity of Tetrapturus georgei Lowe is discussed and reasons are given for applying 

 this name to the newly discovered species. 



In 1961 the authortraveled to Sicily, Portugal, and 

 Spain to study 95 specimens of istiophorid fishes that 

 had been purchased and retained in commercial 

 freezers for the purpose. Of 36 specimens examined 

 in Sicily, 35 were Mediterranean spearfish, Telrap-' 

 turns belone Rafinesque, and these formed the basis 

 for the redescription of the species by Robins and de 

 Sylva (1963). Of the remaining 59 specimens, 56 

 were white marlin, Tetrapturus alhidus, which 

 formed the basis of reports by Rodriguez-Roda and 

 Howard (1962) and Robins ( 1974). Four specimens 

 represented an unknown species of Tetrapturus, 

 whose presence had been unsuspected. 



Based on a study of this material, Robins prepared 

 and distributed a two page mimeographed leaflet 

 requesting additional records and data. Inasmuch as 

 the fishermen have never clearly distinguished the 

 Mediterranean spearfish and the white marlin, it is 

 not surprising that this additional spearfish should go 

 undetected and no additional data have been forth- 

 coming. 



This report describes the species here called the 

 roundscale spearfish, and the scientific name Tet- 

 rapturus georgei Lowe is applied to it in lieu of 

 proposing a new name for it. 



'Contribution No. 1708 Rosenstiel School of Marine and At- 

 mospheric Science, University of Miami. 



-School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of 

 Miami, Miami, FL 33149. 



TETRAPTURUS GEORGEI LOWE 

 Roundscale spearfish 



Nomenclature. Lowe (1840:36-37) did little more 

 than announce his intention to describe a new 

 species of Tetrapturus by which he would com- 

 memorate "by its specific name the valuable assis- 

 tance rendered to the cause of ichthyology by Mr. 

 George Butler Leacock."" The only data are: 1) that 

 the specimen was from Madeira; 2) that its pectoral 

 fin was proportionally twice as long as in the descrip- 

 tion of T. belone by Valenciennes, in Cuvier and 

 Valenciennes (1831), and that its body was "clothed 

 with large scales ofa peculiar shape and nature." No 

 additional data were ever published, later accounts 

 (Lowe, 1841:93: 1849:3) merely repeating the origi- 

 nal. This was discussed by Robins and de Sylva 

 (1960:397-398) who stated "The identity of T. geor- 

 gii Lowe. . .will probably never be solved." 



The discovery of an additional species from 

 near Madeira requires reassessment of T. georgei. 

 Beyond the three points of fact mentioned above, the 

 matter becomes an exercise in logic. Even the matter 

 of the scales involves interpretation. 



Including the roundscale spearfish, as many as six 

 species of Istiophoridae might occur in the vicinity 

 of Madeira at least occasionally. According to Maul 

 (in litt.), istiophorids are rare at Madeira and only 



54 



