Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 



167 



Anchoa spinifer (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 1848 



Sardine 



Figure 27 



Study Material. Many specimens, 30-175 mm TL: from the Atlantic at the 

 Gatun Locks, Canal Zone; Port-of-Spain, Trinidad; and Bahia, Cachoeira, and Santos, 

 Brazil; from the Pacific at Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks. Canal Zone; Panama 

 Bay; and Guayaquil, Ecuador. 



Figure 27. Anchoa spinifer, 90 mm TL, from Gatun Locks, Canal Zone, USNM 127560. Drawn by Louella 

 E. Cable. 



Distinctive Characters. The long anal fin, the dorsal's high rays in the anterior part, 

 the dorsal's forward position, the long low head and especially its prolonged postorbital 

 portion, the long narrow cheek, and the dark margin of the caudal fin distinguish this 

 species from all of its relatives. Large examples generally are proportionally deeper 

 than small ones, and generally Atlantic specimens are rather deeper than Pacific ones. 

 However, there is so much overlapping that, with the material at hand, specimens from 

 the opposite coasts cannot be separated by this character, nor seemingly by any other. 

 The pectoral fin also varies greatly in proportional length, but this also seems to be 

 an individual variation. Nevertheless, the comparison is not satisfactory because nearly 

 all of the Atlantic specimens are old and faded, not in good condition. 



Description. Proportional dimensions in per cent of standard length, and counts, 

 based on 11 Atlantic specimens and 15 Pacific specimens, 66-175 mm TL. 



Body: depth 19.2-25. 

 Head: length 25-27.8. 

 Snout: length 3.0-4.3. 

 Eye: diameter 4.5—6.25. 

 Postorbital: distance 14.9— 16.6. 

 Maxillary: length 20.8-23.2. 

 Mandible: length 19.6-20.3. 



Anal fin: length of base 33.1—36.6. 

 Pectoral fin: length 17.5-20. 



Scales: ca. 45. 



Gill rakers: 12-16+ 15-18. 



Fin rays: dorsal 14-16; anal 35-40; 



pectoral 12—14. 

 Vertebrae: 43-45 (15 specimens). 



