NO. l8 MENHADEN, GENUS BREVOORTIA — HILDEBRAND 25 



BREVOORTIA AUREA (Agassiz) 



Lacha, Savelha 



Figure 5 



Clupanodon aureus Agassiz, in Spix and Agassiz, 1829, p. 52, pi. 21 (in color), 

 Bahia, and elsewhere on the coast of Brazil (original description). 



Alausa aiirea Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1847, p. 427 (this species compared 

 with Clupea menhaden=zB. tyrannus; description). 



Clupea aiirea Gunther, 1868, p. 437 (description). 



Brevoortia tyrannus var. aurea Goode, 1878b, p. 33; 1879, p. 17, pi. 3 (regarded 

 as a geographical variety; deviation from typical B. tyrannus stated). — 

 Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 434 (compared with typical B. tyrannus). 



Brevoortia tyrannus Berg (not of Latrobe), 1895, p. 20, "Mar del Plata. — Monte- 

 video. — Rio de la Plata" (synonymy, largely not this species; appearing 

 in great schools). — Schreiner and Ribeiro (not of Latrobe), 1903, p. 92, 

 "Bahia Guanabara," Brazil. — Devincenzi and Barattini, 1928, pi. 17, fig. 3, 

 Uruguay, where B. tyrannus does not occur (figure apparently a somewhat 

 altered copy from Goode, 1879, pl- i)- — Pozzi and Bordale, 1935, p. 155, 

 Argentina (name only). 



Brevoortia pectinata Fowler (not of Jenyns), 1940, p. 745, fig. 8, Rio Janeiro, 

 Brazil. (Note: The specimen on which this record is based (U.S.N.M. 

 No. 83151) is at hand and proves to be B. aurca.) 



B. aurea imperfectly known. — This species has often been con- 

 sidered identical with tyrannus or only subspecifically distinct from 

 it, as shown by the foregoing synonymy. For the lack of specimens 

 for comparison, the species has not been adequately described. As a 

 fair series of specimens of this and related species is now available, 

 the following somewhat detailed description is offered. 



Description. — Head 28.3 to 33.6 percent of standard length, its 

 depth 26.3 to 30; depth of body 34.4 to 39.2; snout 7.0 to 8.5; eye 

 6.0 to 7.25 ; maxillary 12.5 to 15.5 ; mandible 15.5 to 18.5 ; interorbital 

 (bone) 6.4 to 7.4; caudal peduncle 9.0 to 12.5; ventral fin 7.5 to 9.0; 

 pectoral fin 16.7 to 18; lower lobe of caudal 31 to 35; anal base 16.2 

 to 19.8. Dorsal rays 18 or 19; anal rays 19 to 24, usually 21 or 22; 

 pectoral rays 15 or 16, occasionally 14; scales, obHque series crossing 

 middle of side, 48 to 55 ; vertical series between tip of pectoral and 

 base of ventral 3 to 6 ; longitudinal series laterally on caudal peduncle 

 7; modified scales in a series on back in front of dorsal fin 35 to 46; 

 ventral scutes 30 to 33 ; vertebrae 45 or 46 (enumerated in 2 

 specimens). 



Body rather strongly compressed, its greatest thickness about a 

 third of its greatest depth, its greatest depth generally somewhat in 

 advance of insertion of ventral fins, 2.55 to 2.9 in standard length; 

 ventral outline scarcely more convex than the dorsal, about half the 



