46 
Fishery Bulletin 96(1 ), 1998 
Table 16 
Morphometries for holotype (USNM 326635) and 11 addi- 
tional specimens of Symphurus stigmosus. (Abbreviations 
defined in methods section; SL is expressed in mm; char- 
acters 2 to 15 are expressed in thousandths of SL; 16 to 22 
in thousandths of HL; n = no. of specimens measured.) 
Character 
Holotype 
n 
Range 
Mean 
SD 
1. SL 
126.2 
12 
54.4-126.2 
82.7 
19.49 
2. BD 
310 
12 
252-310 
281.0 
21.27 
3. TKL 
784 
12 
772-792 
786.0 
5.74 
4. PDL 
54 
12 
22-57 
46.3 
9.73 
5. PAL 
250 
12 
225-270 
244.9 
13.42 
6. DBL 
950 
12 
943-974 
954.8 
9.00 
7. ABL 
742 
12 
724-794 
755.4 
19.06 
8. PL 
78 
9 
57-78 
70.6 
7.58 
9. PA 
65 
11 
42-65 
51.8 
7.48 
10. CFL 
119 
11 
109-138 
127.3 
10.54 
11. HL 
216 
12 
206-228 
214.0 
5.74 
12. HW 
265 
12 
230-270 
252.2 
13.66 
13. POL 
138 
12 
124-142 
135.1 
5.42 
14. UHL 
162 
12 
129-192 
156.7 
19.74 
15. LHL 
128 
12 
105-130 
119.3 
7.83 
16. POL 
637 
12 
599-658 
631.1 
19.52 
17. SNL 
212 
12 
160-226 
198.8 
20.62 
18. UJL 
202 
12 
173-250 
209.8 
18.65 
19. ED 
128 
12 
128-171 
151.5 
11.88 
20. CD 
220 
12 
180-282 
220.8 
29.63 
21. OPLL 
348 
12 
234-361 
319.2 
34.60 
22. OPUL 
311 
12 
184-311 
232.5 
34.59 
wider than upper opercular lobe. Snout short and 
rounded; covered with small ctenoid scales. Dermal 
papillae well developed on blind-side snout; occasion- 
ally also present on ocular-side snout. Anterior nos- 
tril on ocular side usually just reaching anterior 
margin of lower eye when depressed posteriorly. Jaws 
short; maxilla usually extending posteriorly to point 
between verticals through anterior margin of pupil 
of lower eye and anterior margin of eye. Ocular-side 
lower jaw without pronounced fleshy ridge. Teeth well 
developed on blind-side jaws. Ocular-side dentary 
with row of teeth along complete margin of jaw. 
Ocular-side premaxilla with single row of slender 
teeth along margin, or occasionally only with teeth 
on anterior three-fourths of bone. Chin depth usu- 
ally slightly larger than snout length. Lower eye 
moderately large and rounded (Fig. 21A); eyes usu- 
ally equal in position; eyeballs usually contiguous at 
least at midpoint, sometimes nearly contiguous, usu- 
ally without measurable space between eyeballs. 
Anterior and medial surfaces of eyes partially cov- 
ered with 3-5 rows of small ctenoid scales. Pupillary 
operculum absent (but iris often with minute mar- 
ginal projection at upper midpoint projecting nto 
pupil). Dorsal-fin origin usually reaching vertical 
through anterior margin of upper eye, occasionally 
only reaching anteriorly to point equal with vertical 
through anterior margin of pupil of upper eye; 
predorsal length long. Scales absent on blind sides 
of dorsal- and anal-fin rays. Pelvic fin moderately 
long; longest pelvic-fin ray when depressed posteri- 
orly reaching base of first anal-fin ray. Posteriormost 
pelvic-fin ray connected to body by delicate mem- 
brane terminating immediately anterior to anus, or 
occasionally extending posteriorly almost to anal-fin 
origin (membrane torn in most specimens). Caudal 
fin moderately long. Scales moderately small, ctenoid 
on both sides of body. 
Pigmentation (Fig. 22) Coloration similar for both 
sexes. Ocular surface usually uniformly yellowish to 
yellowish-brown, without prominent crossbands or 
pigmented blotches on head and body, occasionally 
with diffuse mottling of small brown melanophores 
scattered over body surface or with scales on head 
and anterior body edged in white. Older specimens 
completely faded, uniformly grayish-purplish brown. 
Ocular-side outer opercle usually with same back- 
ground coloration as body; no pigmented spot at up- 
per angle of ocular-side opercle. Inner linings of both 
opercles and isthmus on both sides of body usually 
unpigmented; some specimens with scattering of 
small, white spots on inner opercular linings and both 
sides of isthmus. Ocular-side lips usually unpig- 
mented, some specimens with light speckling of pig- 
ment spots, but without pronounced pigmented band. 
Blind side uniformly yellowish. Faded specimens 
without scales with median series of conspicuous 
dark black dermal melanophores along axis of verte- 
bral column on both sides of body (Fig. 5B, number 
9); especially prominent in anterior two-thirds of 
body. Peritoneum usually dark black (spotted in older, 
faded specimens), showing through abdominal wall 
on both sides. 
Dorsal and anal fins lightly pigmented anteriorly; 
with darkly pigmented, basal longitudinal stripe and 
4-6 conspicuous dark brown or black blotches on 
posterior two-thirds of fins. Basal portions of dorsal 
and anal fins with continuous, dark brown stripe 
equally developed on proximal half of fin rays and 
connecting membranes on postabdominal region of 
body; stripe not intensifying in caudal region or con- 
tinuing onto caudal fin. Series (usually 4, sometimes 
5) of darkly pigmented, nearly rectangular blotches, 
beginning on posterior two-thirds of dorsal fin and 
at about midpoint of anal fin. Blotches beginning from 
about middle and extending nearly to distal tips of 
fin rays. Blotches on dorsal fin not always parallel 
with those on anal fin. Pigmented blotches in each 
fin spaced unevenly; first and second blotches of 
nearly same size (about 4—5 fin rays wide) alternat- 
