and de Sylva (1963:385). Because Robins (1974b) 

 repeats this synonymy for Tetrapturus pfluegeri, it is 

 not duplicated here. 



Artificial key to species of the adult stages 

 (over 10 pounds or 4.5 kg) of Tetrapturus 



A. Scales along sides of body between pectoral 

 fin and anal fin flexible, broadly rounded an- 

 teriorly, with 2 or 3 flattened, soft projections 



posteriorly 



roundscale spearfish, Tetrapturus georgei Lowe 



A. Scales along body between pectoral fin and 

 anal fin stiff, decidedly lanceolate, pointed 

 anteriorly, with flattened, hard projections 

 posteriorly B 



B. Spinous dorsal fin high throughout, the pos- 

 terior rays about equal in height to the anter- 

 ior lobe; anus anterior to anal-fin origin by a 

 distance equal to or greater than the anal-fin 

 height; dorsal profile, from dorsal-fin region 

 to near tip of bill, straight; dorsal fin unspot- 

 ted, body bands absent or faint; premandib- 

 ular portion of bill shorter than distance 

 from tip of mandible to eye C 



B. Spinous dorsal fin low posteriorly, except in 

 small juveniles (less than 10 pounds or 4.5 

 kg); anus closer to anal-fin origin, distance 

 between them decidedly less than anal-fin 

 height; dorsal profile strongly arched over and 

 bebind eyes except in very small juveniles; 

 dorsal fin spotted, the spots usually fading 

 after death but usually apparent in dorsal 

 groove; body bands prominent; premandib- 

 ular portion of bill longer than distance from 



tip of mandible to eye D 



C. Dorsal spines 39 to 46; Mediterranean Sea 



Mediterranean 



spearfish, Tetrapturus belone Rafinesque 



C. Dorsal spines 45 to 53; Atlantic or Indo-Pa- 

 cific E 



D. Tips of spinous dorsal, anal, and pectoral 

 fins strongly rounded; height of first dorsal 

 fin less than depth of body at first dorsal-fin 

 origin: Atlantic 



.... white marlin, Tetrapturus albidus Poey 



D. Tips of spinous dorsal, anal, and pectoral 

 fins pointed; height of first dorsal fin equal 

 to depth of body at first dorsal-fin origin; 

 Indo-Pacific 



• striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax (Philippi) 



E. Bill short, only slightly exceeding length of 

 lower jaw, premandibular portion of bill con- 

 tained three times or more in preorbital dis- 

 tance; pectoral fin short, decidedly shorter 

 than pelvic fin length; Indo-Pacific . short- 

 bill spearfish, Tetrapturus angustirostris Tanaka 



E. Bill long, decidedly longer than lower jaw, 

 premandibular portion of bill contained less 

 than three times in preorbital distance; pec- 



toral fin long in adults, almost equal to pel- 

 vic fin in length; Atlantic . .longbill spearfish, 

 Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins and de Sylva 



Tetrapturus belone Rafinesque 



Type specimen: It is not known if a type specimen was 

 so designated in the generalized account given by Ra- 

 finesque (1810:54-55, pi. 1, Fig. 1), or indeed if it was 

 ever preserved. 



Neotype: USNM 196527, a male, body length 1,268 

 mm, collected 2 August 1961 (Robins and de Sylva, 

 1963:93, Fig. 4, p. 93). 



Type locality: Sicily, 200 m off the coast of Punta S. 

 Ranieri, Strait of Messina. 



Diagnosis: The diagnosis of T. belone is that given by 

 Robins and de Sylva (1963:90-92) as follows: 



First dorsal elements 39-46 (usually 41-46), second dorsal 

 elements 5-7 (usually 6), first anal elements 11-15 (usually 12- 

 14), second anal elements 6 or 7, pectoral rays 16-20 (usually 17 

 or 18); second anal elements usually equal to or one more than 

 second dorsal elements. Vertebrae 24 (12 precaudal, 12 caudal). 

 Anus far anterior to anal-fin origin, distance 7.8-11 per cent 

 body length (tip of lower jaw to fork of tail), the distance equal 

 to or exceeding height of first anal fin. First dorsal fin unspotted 

 and with high profile, especially in juveniles, its 25th element 

 varying from 13 per cent of body length (at 1268 mm) to 5 or 6 

 per cent at 1700 mm or longer. Pectoral fin small (10-13 per cent 

 body length throughout range studied). Dorsal profile straight 

 from first dorsal-fin origin to in front of eyes. Bill short, the dis- 

 tance from tip of upper jaw to anterior margin of eye 20-15 per 

 cent of body length (the lower figures characterizing the larger 

 specimens so that the growth of bill shows negative allometry). 



The description of T. belone, based on 35 

 specimens, is from Robins and de Sylva (1963:92-95) 

 as follows: 



... All [specimens] had 12 caudal and 12 precaudal vertebrae. 

 As the total number of 24 is not known to vary in the 

 Istiophoridae, only caudal vertebrae were counted on 27 

 specimens; all had 12. 



The general body form of T. belone changes with growth. 

 Specimens of moderate size (Fig. 4 [upper]; Robins and de 

 Sylva, 1961 [I960]: Fig. 3a) are not unlike pfluegeri, although 

 belone is heavier (Table 6). As they become larger they become 

 more robust forward (Fig. 5) and in this respect resemble 

 angustirostris. The dorsal profile from the origin of the spinous 

 dorsal fin to the base of the bill is straight (Fig. 1 a-c), a feature 

 enhanced by the usual slope of the partly folded dorsal fin. T. 

 belone does not have a dorsal hump as in T. albidus (see Robins 

 and de Sylva, 1961 [I960]: Fig. 3c). The dorsal and anal profiles 

 are subparallel except in the larger specimens, which are deeper 

 anteriorly. Both T. belone and T. pfluegeri are flat- or slab-sided 

 but belone is thicker (in width) (see graph, Fig. 3) and propor- 

 tionately deep posteriorly (Fig. 4). 



The dorsal fin is lower throughout than in T. pfluegeri though 

 the form is much the same. Its anterior height varies from 13-15 

 per cent of body length (at 766 to 1500 mm body length), 

 gradually decreasing to 12-13 from 1500-1900 mm. This is a 

 gradual trend with considerable variation. The 25th spine is cor- 

 respondingly reduced and as the posterior spines do not con- 



122 



