Munroe: Systematics of western Atlantic Symphurus 
59 
Table 1 9 
Morphometries for lectotype (USNM 28778) and 19 addi- 
tional specimens of Symphurus pusillus. (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 
Lectotype 
n 
Range 
Mean 
SD 
1. SL 
54.5 
20 
35.2-68.9 
51.8 
9.86 
2. BD 
279 
17 
257-317 
280.0 
15.12 
3. PDL 
55 
17 
47-86 
58.6 
10.56 
4. PAL 
220 
17 
212-278 
240.1 
16.90 
5. DBL 
945 
17 
914-953 
941.4 
10.56 
6. ABL 
756 
17 
707-778 
741.8 
19.29 
7. PL 
— 
11 
55-79 
70.2 
6.68 
8. PA 
46 
17 
44-93 
65.9 
14.58 
9. CFL 
— 
11 
115-154 
129.4 
11.31 
10. HL 
209 
20 
206-254 
225.9 
15.86 
11. HW 
218 
17 
213-262 
232.6 
15.71 
12. POL 
141 
17 
128-158 
143.4 
7.89 
13. UHL 
138 
17 
110-171 
144.6 
17.29 
14. LHL 
94 
17 
77-144 
104.8 
17.11 
15. POL 
670 
17 
604-696 
648.2 
25.24 
16. SNL 
191 
17 
156-238 
202.3 
22.37 
17. UJL 
226 
17 
189-244 
222.1 
14.11 
18. ED 
134 
20 
103-156 
131.2 
16.22 
19. CD 
270 
17 
168-273 
212.8 
31.55 
20. OPLL 
261 
17 
234-375 
275.3 
36.68 
21. OPUL 
200 
17 
153-268 
201.5 
34.65 
siderably wider than upper opercular lobe. Snout 
short and somewhat pointed; covered with small 
ctenoid scales. Dermal papillae well developed on 
blind-side snout. Anterior nostril on ocular side short, 
usually not reaching anterior margin of lower eye 
when extended posteriorly. Jaws moderately long; 
maxilla extending posteriorly to vertical through 
anterior margin of pupil of lower eye, or less fre- 
quently nearly reaching vertical through midpoint 
of lower eye. Ocular-side lower jaw without fleshy 
ridge. Dentition well developed on blind-side jaws. 
Teeth on ocular-side lower jaw in single row over full 
length of margin of dentary. Teeth usually present 
only on anterior three-fourths of margin of ocular-side 
premaxilla; occasionally teeth along full length of 
premaxilla. Chin depth slightly larger than snout 
length. Lower eye moderately large; eyes usually 
equal in position. Anterior and medial surfaces of eyes 
partially covered with 3-4 rows of small scales; 1-3 
small scales in narrow interorbital region. Pupillary 
operculum absent. Dorsal-fin origin usually equal 
with point between verticals through midpoint and 
anterior margin of upper eye. Scales absent on blind 
sides of dorsal- and anal-fin rays. Pelvic-fin long; 
longest pelvic-fin ray, when extended posteriorly, 
reaching base of first anal-fin ray in approximately 
one-half of specimens examined. Posteriormost pel- 
vic-fin ray connected to body by delicate membrane 
terminating immediately anterior to anus, or occa- 
sionally extending posteriorly nearly to anal-fin ori- 
gin (membrane torn in most specimens). Caudal fin 
long. Scales small, ctenoid on both sides of body. 
Pigmentation (Fig. 28| Most specimens examined 
were faded and had little evidence of any pigmenta- 
tion. Ginsburg (1951) described coloration of three 
syntypes as: “The three specimens examined mostly 
faded, rather light brownish, with traces of cross- 
bands in two specimens, fins yellowish.” The follow- 
ing color description is based primarily on three speci- 
mens collected most recently, augmented whenever 
possible with observations from other specimens. 
Body coloration similar for both sexes. Ocular sur- 
face yellowish, with 2-6 (usually only 3-4 obvious), 
light brown crossbands more or less continuous 
across body. Crossbands relatively narrow, usually 
only 3-6 scale rows wide, beginning at opercular 
opening and continuing to base of caudal fin. 
Anteriormost band crossing opercular opening; sec- 
ond crossband on posterior margin of body cavity. 
Third crossband at body midpoint usually the most 
prominent, nearly always complete and continued 
onto dorsal and anal fins. Fourth, fifth, and sixth 
crossbands posterior to body midpoint, not as well 
developed across midregion of body as others. Head 
region dorsad and anteriad to eyes with obvious 
melanophores in dermis arranged in V-shape pat- 
tern extending from body margin to about level of 
upper eye. Specimens lacking scales with single se- 
ries of dark black melanophores deep within dermis 
showing through skin at bases of anteriormost 10- 
20 dorsal-fin rays. Ocular-side outer opercle with 
same background pigmentation as body. Inner lin- 
ings of both opercles and isthmus on both sides of 
body unpigmented. Ocular-side upper lip occasion- 
ally lightly spotted, but usually without well-devel- 
oped pigmented band (only one specimen had both 
ocular-side lips with a faint pigment band). Blind side 
uniformly off-white or yellowish, except specimens 
lacking scales with median series of prominent, dark 
black melanophores in dermis along anterior 
two-thirds of axis of vertebral column, visible through 
skin on both sides of body (Fig. 5B, number 9). Peri- 
toneum black, visible through abdominal wall on both 
sides. 
Dorsal and anal fins with somewhat diffuse brown 
pigment on basal one-half of fin rays, most apparent 
in caudal region of body. Specimens with well-devel- 
oped body crossbands usually with small, lightly pig- 
mented blotches on dorsal and anal fins correspond- 
ing to crossbands. Distal portions of fin rays without 
