60 
Fishery Bulletin 96(1 ), 1998 
pigment in older specimens; somewhat yellowish in 
recently captured specimens. Four specimens (UF 
29778, USA 4822, VIMS 5573) with small, darkly 
pigmented, almost spherical spot on scaly portion at 
caudal-fin base; distal portion of caudal fin usually 
unpigmented, or somewhat yellowish in more re- 
cently collected specimens. 
Size and sexual maturity (Fig. 6C) Symphurus 
pusillus is a dwarf species. The largest specimen, a 
76.9 mm female, is only slightly larger than the larg- 
est male (62.7 mm). Most specimens ranged between 
38 and 55 mm. Of 20 specimens examined for size- 
related life history information, nine were males 
(35.2-62.7 mm), 11 females (40.0-76.9 mm), and one 
of indeterminate sex was immature (38.6 mm). Based 
upon reproductive stages of females, sexual matu- 
rity occurs at ca. 40 mm. Nine females were mature. 
Gravid females ranged in size from 40.0 to 76.9 mm. 
Other females, 41.6-58.4 mm, although not gravid, 
were mature with elongate ovaries containing rip- 
ening ova. Two females measuring 40.0 and 48.2 mm 
were immature with ovaries undergoing elongation. 
Geographic distribution (Fig. 29) In the western 
North Atlantic on the continental shelf along the east 
coast of the United States from off Long Island, New 
York (40°N), southward to Florida, and extending into 
the eastern Gulf of Mexico westward to the region of 
DeSoto Submarine Canyon (29°N, 88°50'W). Most 
specimens were collected on the continental shelf 
between Cape Hatteras and southern Florida. This 
species has been irregularly collected and is poorly 
r 
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45_ 
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30 _ 
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15 
\ 
90i 75i 
i60 
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Figure 29 
Geographic distribution of Symphurus pusillus based on mate- 
rial examined (discussion of geographic distribution appears in 
species account). 
represented in collections. Most samples consist of 
solitary individuals, undoubtedly reflecting difficul- 
ties in collecting this small species at the relatively 
great depths it inhabits. 
Baughman (1950:138) reported two specimens 
purportedly of this species from the western Gulf of 
Mexico near Corpus Christi, Texas. However, these 
specimens (USNM 93584 and not USNM 93854 as 
listed in Baughman’s paper) are actually S. plagiusa. 
Bathymetric distribution Symphurus pusillus in- 
habits mud substrates in moderate depths (102- 
233 m) on the continental shelf (Table 10). Most of 
21 specimens with depth of capture information were 
collected at 115-233 m. Only two specimens (USNM 
153099) occurred shallower than 110 m (at 102 m). 
Remarks Goode and Bean ( 1885b:590) based their 
description of Aphoristia pusilla on three specimens 
collected from off Long Island, New York. Of the three 
syn types, one female (USNM 28778) in the best over- 
all condition is designated as the lectotype. The other 
two syntypes in USNM 28730 and USNM 325958 
(formerly 28778, in part) now become paralectotypes. 
The lectotype (54.5 mm) was collected in 139 m at 
40°01'N, 69°56'W on 4 Aug 1881. It has a 1-3-2 ID 
pattern, 12 caudal-fin rays, 87 dorsal- and 73 anal- 
fin rays, 48 total vertebrae, and ca. 83 scales in lon- 
gitudinal series. 
Comparisons In some meristic and other features, 
S. pusillus resembles two deep-water species, the 
western Atlantic S. piger and the eastern Atlantic S. 
nigrescens. Fin-ray counts of S. pusillus overlap al- 
most completely those of S. piger. However, this spe- 
cies differs from S. piger in having more longitudi- 
nal scales (77-87 vs. 62-75 in S. piger), an unpig- 
mented isthmus and unpigmented inner opercular 
linings (both structures lightly pigmented in S. piger), 
in four hypurals (vs. 5 in S. piger), in its different 
morphometries (Fig. 30, A-B), and S. pusillus is a 
much smaller species (see Figs. 6C and 8D), attain- 
ing maximum lengths of only about 77 mm, whereas, 
S. piger reaches lengths nearly double that size (ca. 
130 mm). 
Symphurus pusillus and the eastern Atlantic <8. 
nigrescens are possibly a closely related species pair 
with distributions on the continental shelf on either 
side of the Atlantic. Although only slight differences 
in meristic features are noted between S. pusillus 
and S. nigrescens, these species are distinct in that 
S. pusillus has a longer caudal fin (11.5-15.4% SL 
vs. 7.6-12.2% SL in S. nigrescens-, Fig. 31), and the 
dorsal and anal fins in S. pusillus are pigmented 
basally, but not distally, and these fins usually lack 
