8 
Fishery Bulletin 96(1 ), 1998 
Table 3 
Frequency distribution of numbers of caudal-fin rays for western Atlantic Symphurus species. 
Number of caudal-fin rays 
Species 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
nebulosus 





2 
24 

1 
arawak 
— 
— 
— 
3 
38 
1 
1 
— 
— 
rhytisma 
— 
— 
— 
— 
9 
— 
— 
— 
— 
ginsburgi 
- 
1 
2 
2 
49 
1 
— 
— 
— 
billykrietei 
— 
— 
— 
6 
84 
1 
— 
— 
— 
stigmosus 
— 
— 
— 
1 
11 
- 
— 
— 
— 
pusillus 
— 
— 
— 
— 
26 
— 
— 
— 
— 
pelicanus 
— 
— 
1 
4 
50 
1 
— 
— 
— 
marginatus 
— 
— 
— 
3 
98 
1 
— 
— 
— 
piger 
— 
— 
2 
2 
134 
1 
— 
— 
— 
trewavasae 
— 
— 
73 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
kya ropterygi u m 
— 
— 
13 
1 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
minor 
1 
1 
74 
3 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
parvus 
- 
3 
70 
3 
— 
— 
- 
— 
— 
ommaspilus 
— 
— 
28 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
diomedeanus 
— 
9 
202 
1 
1 
— 
— 
— 
— 
jenynsi 
- 
3 
78 
- 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
plagiusa 
— 
5 
132 
2 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
urospilus 
— 
1 
4 
108 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
plagusia 
— 
— 
— 
2 
41 
1 
— 
— 
— 
civitatium 
— 
— 
— 
8 
164 
— 
— 
— 
— 
tessellatus 
— 
— 
4 
17 
249 
3 
— 
— 
— 
oculellus 
— 
— 
— 
4 
59 
— 
— 
— 
— 
caribbeanus 
— 
— 
1 
2 
81 
1 
— 
— 
— 
especially for those specimens collected by trawls at 
considerable depths, because scales are often abraded 
and lost. For specimens missing scales, approximate 
counts were based on partial scale counts, counts of 
scale pockets, or on a combination of the two when- 
ever possible. Longitudinal scale count (Table 7) in- 
cludes the total number of complete diagonal rows 
of scales along a hypothetical line starting immedi- 
ately above the opercular angle and continuing pos- 
teriorly along the middle of the body to the end of 
the hypural plate (Fig. 2D, number 1); the few rows 
of scales along the caudal-fin base are not included, 
and the last scale to be included in the count must 
be at least half way in front of the hypural plate. 
The head scale count (Table 8) includes all oblique 
rows of scales on the head counted posteriorly from 
the first complete row of scales immediately behind 
the posterior border of the lower eye (Fig. 2D, num- 
ber 2); it includes the last complete row of scales 
immediately anterior to the midpoint emargination 
on the posterior border of the operculum, but the few 
small rows of scales present on either the dorsal or 
ventral fleshy lobes of the operculum are not in- 
cluded. The transverse scale count (Table 9) is the 
number of scales in a diagonal row from the base of 
the dorsal fin at a point directly above the posterior 
margin of the operculum to the base of the anal fin 
(Fig. 2D, number 3). Scales extending out onto the 
dorsal- and anal-fin rays are not included. 
Measurements were made either on ocular- or 
blind-side surfaces (Fig. 2, A-C). All measurements 
in the text refer to standard length, unless other- 
wise noted. Measurements less than 150 mm were 
taken to the nearest 0.1 mm with dial calipers or an 
ocular micrometer. Measurements over 150 mm were 
taken to the nearest mm with a steel ruler. Morpho- 
metric features are expressed either as measure- 
ments in thousandths of standard length (SL) or 
thousandths of head length (HL) and are defined as 
follows: Standard length (SL): distance from tip of 
fleshy snout to posterior end of hypural plate. Trunk 
length (TKL; not measured on all species): longitu- 
dinal distance from posterior angle of operculum to 
caudal-fin base. Body depth (BD): distance across 
body at the anus, exclusive of fins; measured on blind 
side. Preanal length (PAL): tip of fleshy snout to ori- 
gin of anal fin; measured on blind side. Dorsal-fin 
length (DBL): base of anteriormost dorsal-fin ray to 
posterior end of hypural plate. Predorsal length 
(PDL): tip of fleshy snout to base of first dorsal-fin 
ray. Anal-fin length ( ABL): base of anteriormost anal- 
fin ray to posterior end of hypural plate. Caudal-fin 
