Synopsis of the Biology of the Sailfish, 

 Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw and Nodder, 1791) 1 



G. L. BEARDSLEY, JR., 2 N. R. MERRETT, 3 and W. J. RICHARDS 2 



1 IDENTITY 



1.1 Nomenclature 



1.11 Valid name 



Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw and Nodder, 1791) 

 (Fig. 1). 



Istiophorus gladifer Lacepede, 1802. Type locality, 

 Indian Ocean. Type specimen, none (based on 

 Broussonette's "Le Voilier"). 



Histiophorus indicus Cuvier, in Cuvier and Valen- 

 ciennes, 1831. Type locality, Indian Ocean. 

 Holotype, BMNH Catalog No. 1964.7.2.1. 



Figure 1. — Sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw and Nodder, 1791). 



Originally described as Xiphias platypterus Shaw 

 and Nodder, 1791. Type locality, Indian Ocean. 

 Holotype, British Museum of Natural History (BM- 

 NH) Catalog No. 1964.7.2.1 (G. Shaw and F. P. 

 Nodder. 1791. Xiphias platypterus. The broad- 

 finned swordfish. Natural Misc. No. 28. pi. 88). 



1.12 Objective synonymy (modified after Mor- 

 row and Harbo, 1969). 



Xiphias platypterus Shaw and Nodder, 1791 (see 

 above). 



Scomber gladius Block, 1793. Type locality, East 

 and West Indies. Type specimen, none. 



Xiphias velifer Block and Schneider, 1801. Type lo- 

 cality, India. Replacement name for S. gladius 

 Block, 1793. 



'Contribution No. 234, Southeast Fisheries Center, National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Miami, Fl 33149. 



'Southeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 

 NOAA, Miami, FL 33149. 



'Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Surrey, England. 



Histiophorus americanus Cuvier, in Cuvier and Va- 

 lenciennes, 1831. Type locality, Atlantic Ocean off 

 Brazil. Type specimen, none (based on Marc- 

 grave's description and figure). 



Histiophorus pulchellus Cuvier, in Cuvier and Valen- 

 ciennes, 1831. Type locality, South Atlantic. 

 Holotype, a juvenile, current location unknown. 



Histiophorus gracilirostris Cuvier, in Cuvier and Va- 

 lenciennes, 1831. Type locality, Mauritius (?). 

 Holotype, Masee National d'Histoire Natural, 

 Paris (NMHN) Catalog No. A9462. 



Histiophorus ancipitirostris Cuvier, in Cuvier and 

 Valenciennes, 1831. Type locality, Red Sea. 

 Holotype, NMHN A9463. 



Makaira velifera Cuvier, 1832. Type locality, Haiti. 

 Holotype, NMHN Catalog No. B1648 (?). 



Histiophorus orientalis Temminck and Schlegel, 1844. 

 Type locality, Japan. Type specimen, none ex- 

 tant, based on a fresh specimen. 



Histiophorus immaculatus Riippel, 1835. Type lo- 

 cality, Red Sea near Djedda. Holotype, an 18-inch 

 juvenile, whereabouts unknown. 



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