Munroe: Systematics of western Atlantic Symphurus 
55 
Table 18 
Morphometries for holotype (USNM 155234) and 18 addi- 
tional specimens of Symphurus pelicanus. (Abbreviations 
defined in methods section; SL is expressed in mm; char- 
acters 2 to 14 are expressed in thousandths of SL; 15 to 21 
in thousandths of HL; n = no. of specimens measured.) 
Character 
Holotype 
n 
Range 
Mean 
SD 
1. SL 
50.2 
19 
27.2-69.2 
53.4 
10.62 
2. BD 
285 
19 
235-315 
290.6 
19.56 
3. PDL 
62 
19 
55-83 
67.7 
7.59 
4. PAL 
241 
19 
219-267 
246.0 
11.95 
5. DBL 
938 
19 
917-945 
932.3 
7.59 
6. ABL 
759 
19 
518-812 
742.7 
58.52 
7. PL 
64 
17 
45-78 
65.6 
8.60 
8. PA 
40 
19 
40-72 
51.1 
9.29 
9. CFL 
167 
17 
128-185 
151.4 
17.03 
10. HL 
215 
19 
211-254 
230.6 
10.99 
11. HW 
225 
19 
210-259 
233.7 
13.16 
12. POL 
147 
19 
144-170 
155.7 
7.24 
13. UHL 
145 
19 
109-156 
134.3 
15.17 
14. LHL 
100 
19 
100-136 
119.6 
9.16 
15. POL 
685 
19 
632-714 
675.2 
18.00 
16. SNL 
139 
19 
136-226 
177.1 
21.35 
17. UJL 
213 
19 
193-250 
219.6 
16.67 
18. ED 
93 
19 
93-158 
125.2 
13.70 
19. CD 
167 
19 
167-244 
196.0 
21.81 
20. OPLL 
232 
19 
214-299 
250.6 
22.84 
21. OPUL 
222 
19 
191-344 
269.6 
33.95 
on ocular-side jaws very small. Lower jaw with teeth 
along nearly entire marginal length of dentary; ocu- 
lar-side premaxilla with teeth usually along margin 
of anterior three-fourths of jaw, occasionally with row 
of slender teeth along complete margin of premax- 
illa. Chin depth slightly larger than snout length. 
Lower eye relatively large; eyes usually equal in posi- 
tion. Anterior and medial surfaces of eyes partially cov- 
ered with 3—4 rows of small ctenoid scales; 1-3 small 
ctenoid scales in narrow interorbital region. Pupillary 
operculum absent. Dorsal-fin origin posterior to verti- 
cal through midpoint of upper eye; usually only reach- 
ing vertical through posterior margin of upper eye, oc- 
casionally not reaching as far anteriorly; predorsal 
length long. Scales absent on blind sides of dorsal- and 
anal-fin rays. Pelvic fin long; longest pelvic-fin ray, when 
extended posteriorly, usually reaching base of first, oc- 
casionally second, anal-fin ray. Posteriormost pelvic- 
fin ray connected to body by delicate membrane termi- 
nating immediately anterior to anus, or occasionally 
extending posteriorly nearly to anal-fin origin (mem- 
brane tom in most specimens). Caudal fin long. Scales 
large, strongly ctenoid on both sides of body. 
Pigmentation (Fig. 26J Coloration similar for both 
sexes. Ocular surface usually uniformly light brown 
to yellowish and without prominent crossbands. Some 
specimens with irregular, very lightly shaded areas 
on ocular surface. Older specimens mostly faded, al- 
most whitish in color, with fins light yellowish. 
Crossbands, when present, faintly pigmented and 
barely perceptible. Ocular-side outer opercle usually 
with similar pigmentation as background color on 
body; occasional specimens with dark pigment spot 
at dorsal margin of opercular opening, or with dif- 
fuse pattern of dark pigment on ventral region of 
ocular-side operculum. Inner linings of both opercles 
and isthmus on both sides of body speckled with 
melanophores in some specimens; other usually older, 
faded specimens lacking such pigment. Ocular-side 
lips usually speckled, but without well-developed 
pigment band. Blind side off-white and thickly 
sprinkled with very small pepper-dots over entire 
surface from about angle of jaws to caudal region in 
heavily pigmented individuals (Fig. 5B, number 9); 
some older specimens with pepper-dots finer, more 
sparsely distributed, and often difficult to discern 
without magnification. Speckling of pepper-dots usu- 
ally heaviest on regions of blind side overlying dorsal- 
and anal-fin pterygiophores. Peritoneum black, visible 
through abdominal wall on both sides. 
Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins with basal one-third 
of fin rays light brown or yellowish, not pigmented 
differently from general body coloration; distal two- 
thirds of dorsal- and anal-fin rays hyaline or light 
yellow. Specimens without scales with series of in- 
ternal, dark black, spots at bases of anterior 10-20 
dorsal-fin rays. Some specimens with dense concen- 
tration of melanophores forming irregular, poorly 
defined spot at scaly portion of caudal-fin base. Cau- 
dal fin usually yellowish or hyaline over entire length. 
Size and sexual maturity (Fig. 6DJ Symphurus 
pelicanus is a dwarf species attaining maximum 
lengths of about 70 mm. Most specimens were 31-60 
mm. Males and females attain similar sizes. The larg- 
est specimen examined was a male 69.2 mm; the larg- 
est female measured 65.4 mm. Only five fish larger 
than 60 mm were found. Of 63 specimens for which 
size-related life history information was available, 
there were 29 males (34.6-69.2 mm), 33 females 
(36.7-65.4 mm), and one juvenile (27.2 mm) of inde- 
terminate sex. Based on reproductive stages of fe- 
males, sexual maturity occurs at sizes of 37-40 mm. 
There were 28 mature females 37.2-65.4 mm. The 
smallest females with elongate ovaries were 37.2- 
40.9 mm, and all but three females larger than 40.0 
mm were mature with either elongate or gravid ova- 
ries. Five immature females, all with ovaries under- 
going posterior elongation, but without developing 
ova evident, were 36.7-51.6 mm. 
