Table 2. — Morphometric data for three specimens 1 of Tetrapturus georgei expressed in millimeters and in percentage of 

 body length. Measurements are as defined by Rivas (1956) unless otherwise indicated. Numbers in parentheses refer to 

 the numbered definitions of Rivas; see Robins and de Sylva, 1960:384-385 for explanation of abbreviations. 



Specimen 















Specimen 















number 



EAtl-3 



EAt 



1-1 



Med-1 



number 



EAtl-3 



EAtl-1 



Med-1 



Body length) 1) 



1540 



1570 



1600 



Width at A2 















First predorsal 















orig. (20) 



92 



6.0 



90 



5.7 



91 



5.7 



length (3) 



360 



23 



346 



22 



360 



22 



Width cp (in 















Second predorsal 















front of keels) 



54 



3.5 



45 



2.9 



40.5 



2.5 



length (4) 



— 



— 



1.270 



81 1 



:,295 



81 



Length upper 















Prepectoral 















keel (22) 



58 



3.8 



41 



2.6 



53.5 



3.3 



length (5) 



412 



27 



393 



25 



390 



24 



Length lower 















Prepelvic 















keel (23) 



53 



3.4 



51 



3.2 



49 



3.1 



length (6) 



440 



29 



425 



27 



420 



26 



Head length (24) 



414 



27 



385 



24 



385 



24 



First preanal 















Snout length (25) 



208 



14 



185 



12 



188 



12 



length (7) 



915 



59 



950 



60 



940 



59 



Bill length (26) 



484 



31 



— 



— 



— 



— 



Second preanal 















Maxillary 















length (8) 



1,235 



80 



1,242 



79 



1,280 



80 



length (28) 



265 



17 



243 



16 



240 



15 



Orig. D, to 















Orbit 















orig. P, (9) 



212 



14 



170 



11 



172 



10 



diameter (29) 



45 



2.9 



46 



2.9 



46 



2.9 



Orig. Di to 















Depth of 















orig. P 2 (10) 



270 



18 



03? 



15 



235 



15 



bill (33) 



15.4 



1.00 



12.8 



0.82 



— 



— 



Orig. Ds to 















Width of 















orig. Ai (11) 



153 



9.9 



145 



9.2 



147 



9.2 



bill (34) 



22.4 



1.4 



22.0 



1.4 



— 



— 



Tip mandible 















Height 















to anus 



856 



56 



825 



52 



830 



52 



D, (39) 



371 



24 



274 



18 



285 



18 



Orig. P 2 















Length 25th 















to nape (13) 



260 



17 



238 



15 



245 



15 



Di spine (40) 



141 



9.2 



78 



5.0 



92 



5.8 



Greatest body 















Height Di (41) 



67 



4.4 



69 



4.4 



61 



3.8 



depth (14) 



275 



18 



231 



15 



240 



15 



Height Ai (42) 



236 



15 



190 



12 



210 



13 



Depth at 















Height A2 (43) 



51 



3.3 



— 



— 



48 



3.0 



orig. Di (15) 



258 



17 



216 



14 



222 



14 



Length Pi (44) 



405 



26 



— 



— 



330 



21 



Depth at 















Length P2 (45) 



328 



21 



— 



— 



344 



22 



orig. Ai (16) 



220 



14 



205 



13 



210 



13 



Length last 















Least depth 















D2 ray 



107 



6.9 



105 



6.7 



— 



— 



cp(17) 



66 



4.3 



54 



3.4 



60 



3.8 



Length last 















Width at Pi 















A 2 ray 



92 



6.0 



97 



6.2 



82 



5.1 



base (18) 



115 



7.5 



96 



6.1 



110 



6.9 



Orig. Di to 















Width at Ai 















orig. D2 



910 



59 



936 



60 



930 



58 



orig. (19) 



125 



8.1 



113 



7.2 



122 



7.6 



Anus to 

 orig. Ai 



74 



4.8 



120 



7.6 



112 



















7.0 



'The fourth spec 



imen, EAtl-2. 



was damaged and no measure- 



Weight (kg) 





23.5 





20 





21.5 



ments were taken. 



Flesh color is of uncertain value in istiophorid 

 taxonomy but does reflect differences in myoglobin 

 content. In T. georgei the flesh is distinctly redder 

 than in belone and more like T. albidus. 



Perhaps the most diagnostic feature of georgei is 

 its lateral squamation. An area 100 x 100 mm is 

 illustrated in Figure 2. Dorsal and ventral to this 

 area, the scales are more elongate, stiffer. and with 

 only one point or two closely approximated points. 

 The lateral scales are softer and more flexible than in 

 all other istiophorids. In counting vertebrae, the au- 



thor makes a slit along one side to expose the centra. 

 In running one's hand along this section, one always 

 moves from front to back to avoid the very sharp 

 posterior spine of istiophorid scales. The soft scales 

 of georgei offer no such danger. 



The lateral line is simple as in all species of 

 Tetrapturus. 



Relationships. T. georgei most resembles the 

 white marlin, T. albidus. This is due largely to the 

 somewhat humped nape and the broadly rounded 

 anterior lobes of the first dorsal and anal fins. 



58 



