6 8 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



Measurements and Counts. 



Length : measurement from tip of snout to posterior margin of last lateral-line 

 scale at base of caudal fin. Unless stated otherwise, Length is used. 



Standard length (SL): nearly equivalent to length. 



Total length (TL): measurement from tip of snout to longest rays of caudal fin. 



Caudal base: defined as a point at end of lateral-line row of scales, located 

 approximately at center of caudal fin in a vertical direction; this point is used in: 

 Length; Caudal peduncle: length; and Caudal fin: length. 



Caudal peduncle: length— measurement from caudal base to posterior tip. 



Head: mid-dorsal length— measurement from tip of snout to occiput. 



Head: length— distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of bony opercle. 



Head: depth— measurement at occiput. 



Head: width— measurement at occiput. 



Snout: length— measurement from tip of snout to anterior rim of bony orbit. 



Snout: least width— measurement immediately behind perforations usually formed 

 by the large anterior teeth of lower jaw; these tooth perforations are immediately 

 posterior to the nares and should not be confused. 



Snout: width— measurement at posteriormost teeth. 



Lower jaws: width— measurement at articulation with skull. 



Lower jaws: least width— measurement immediately posterior to symphysis of 

 dentaries. 



PosTORBiTAL DISTANCE TO : bony margin — measurement from posterior bony rim 

 of orbit to posterior margin of bony opercle. 



PosTORBiTAL DISTANCE TO : fleshy margin— distance from posterior rim of orbit to 

 posterior margin of fleshy opercular valve. 



Postsnout: distance— measurement from anterior rim of orbit to free margin of 

 bony opercle. 



Frontal bones: least width — measurement at central constriction. 



Scales: lateral line— includes the small scales at base of caudal fin, whether pores 

 are discernible or not, so long as they are within the lateral-line scale row. 



Scales: predorsal— includes all median dorsal scales anterior to the paired struc- 

 tures (fulcra) on the anterior margin and at the origin of dorsal fin. 



Scales: transverse rows— includes all those in an anteriorly slanted diagonal row 

 from the single median anal plate to the mid-dorsal scale, including the anal plate and 

 mid-dorsal scale. 



Gill rakers: total — number on left outer arch. 



Family LEPISOSTEIDAE 



Garfishes 

 Characters. Those of the Order. 



Genera and Subgenera. All modern Garfishes fall within a single genus, Lepisosteus. 

 Rafinesque (55: 69, 71, 76) placed the Gar or Gar-like fishes in three genera: Sarchirus, 



