Munroe: Systematics of western Atlantic Symphurus 
49 
with a series of pigmented blotches on these fins, 
whereas the dorsal and anal fins of S. pusillus have 
only a diffuse speckling of brown pigment basally 
with the distal margins of these fins yellowish, but 
the fins definitely lack a stripe or heavily pigmented 
blotches. The new species also lacks the pigmented 
spot on the caudal-fin base present in S. pusillus. 
Some meristic features and aspects of the ocular- 
side coloration of S. stigmosus are reminiscent of 
those found in S. piger, a deepwater species with 
widespread distribution in the Gulf of Mexico and 
Caribbean Sea. In addition to the pigmented blotches 
on the dorsal and anal fins, the new species also dif- 
fers from S. piger in lacking the fifth hypural present 
in S. piger, in its higher fin-ray and total vertebral 
counts (88 or fewer dorsal-fin rays, 74 or fewer anal- 
fin rays, and 49 or fewer total vertebrae in S. piger), 
and in its much smaller and more numerous scales 
(98-100 scales in a longitudinal series in S. stigmosus 
vs. 62-75 in S. piger). 
Symphurus stigmosus can be distinguished from 
the deepwater, eastern Atlantic species S. nigrescens 
(which also possesses a 1-3-2 ID pattern, 12 caudal- 
fin rays, and black peritoneum ) by modal differences 
in meristic features (dorsal-fin rays 92-95 vs. 82- 
92, usually 84-91 in S. nigrescens; anal-fin rays 78- 
81 vs. 69-79; and 51-52 total vertebrae vs. 47-51, 
usually 48-50, vertebrae in S. nigrescens). This spe- 
cies also has a longer caudal fin ( 109-138 SL, x - 127 ) 
and larger eye (128-171 HL, x=152) than does S. 
nigrescens (caudal fin 76-122 SL, x=105; eye diam- 
eter 91-153 HL, x=120). 
In fin pigmentation, S. stigmosus is also similar to 
the western Atlantic S. diomedeanus, but differs from 
this species in peritoneum color (black vs. unpig- 
mented in S. diomedeanus), and ID pattern (1-3-2 
vs. 1-4-3 in S. diomedeanus). The new species also 
has a different number of caudal-fin rays (12 in S. 
stigmosus vs. 10 in S. diomedeanus) and lacks the 
pupillary operculum characteristic of S. diome- 
deanus. Also, the pigmented blotches on the fins of 
the new species are nearly rectangular in shape, 
whereas fin pigmentation of S. diomedeanus usually 
consists of a series of nearly spherical spots. 
