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Fishery Bulletin 96( I ), 1 998 
mus on both sides of body unpigmented. No pigment 
evident on ocular-side lips. Blind side uniformly pale, 
off-white. Some specimens with single, median line 
of black dermal spots showing through skin along 
axis of vertebral column on blind side (Fig. 5B, num- 
ber 9). Peritoneum unpigmented. 
Dorsal and anal fins unpigmented anteriorly, fins 
in midregion of body with pigmented blotches (ex- 
tensions of body crossbands onto fins); dorsal and 
anal fins becoming increasingly pigmented in cau- 
dal region. In smaller specimens, especially, fin rays 
and membranes on both sides of vertical fins in re- 
gion of caudal blotch heavily pigmented. Posterior- 
most dorsal- and anal-fin rays with pigment concen- 
trated on proximal one-half of finrays forming a dif- 
fuse dark blotch on fins. Proximal one-third of cau- 
dal fin usually covered with dark melanophores; pos- 
terior two-thirds of fin unpigmented. 
Size and sexual maturity (Fig. 6B) Of nine speci- 
mens studied, five were males (25.7-36.6 mm), two 
females (32.7, 45.1 mm), and two juveniles (21.7, 25.6 
mm) of indeterminate sex. Males and females are 
somewhat similar in size. The largest female was 
gravid with obvious ova present throughout the elon- 
gate ovary. A second female (32.7 mm) was mature, 
or was approaching maturity, because its ovaries were 
elongate, but without any obvious ova. The small sizes 
(ca. 33-45 mm) at which this species reaches sexual 
maturity indicate that S. rhytisma is a dwarf spe- 
cies (Fig. 6B). 
Geographic distribution (Fig. 15) Known mostly 
from Caribbean region of western North Atlantic with 
two specimens tentatively identified as S. rhytisma 
(see “Remarks” section below) collected off Espirito 
Santo, Brazil (between 20°S and 21°S latitude). This 
species has not been collected very frequently (only 
nine' specimens located for this study). Of six Carib- 
bean collections, three were made in the Bahamas, 
and the others at Glovers Reef, Belize, and Curafao. 
Bathymetric distribution All but one collection of S. 
rhytisma from the Caribbean region were made at 
stations treated with rotenone on sandy substrates 
adjacent to coral reefs. For six specimens with depth 
of capture information, two were from 6 m, and single 
specimens were collected at each of the following 
depths: 3, 14, 16, and 25 m (Table 10). Two speci- 
mens captured off Brazil (reported as S. plagusia ) 
were taken by trawling at 37 and 97 m (Andreata 
and Seret, 1995). 
Remarks Two specimens (USU 1054 and 1079) col- 
lected off Brazil are tentatively identified as S. 
Figure 1 5 
Geographic distribution of Symphurus rhytisma based on mate- 
rial examined (discussion of geographic distribution appears in 
species account). 
rhytisma. Both are small (26.7 and 27.0 mm) males. 
Meristic features, including ID pattern (both 1-3-2), 
total vertebral counts (47; 47), dorsal-fin rays (83; 
83), and anal-fin rays (70; 71) lie within ranges re- 
ported for S. rhytisma (see Tables 4-9), as do most 
morphometric features (Table 13). Scale counts or 
counts of scale pockets could not be taken from ei- 
ther specimen because scales were missing and the 
skin was abraded in many places. Coloration of both 
specimens is uniformly yellowish-whitish on the ocu- 
lar surface, in agreement with most other specimens 
studied. However, neither has any trace of the pig- 
mented caudal patch found on some other S. rhytisma 
specimens. One specimen (USU 1079) has some dark 
pigment on the posteriormost regions of the dorsal and 
anal fins that may be the remnants of a caudal blotch. 
Both specimens have a series of dermal melanophores 
along the vertebral column in the body midregion that 
is also found in other S. rhytisma specimens. 
A 25.7-mm specimen (USNM 324677, from 15°42'N, 
63°38'W near Isla de Aves in the Lesser Antilles) 
included in the material examined listed for S. 
pelicanus in Munroe (1992:402) is actually S. 
rhytisma. 
