Munroe: Systematics of western Atlantic Symphurus 
81 
females (those with long thin gonads showing little 
evidence of ripening) were collected during Novem- 
ber through early March. Topp and Hoff ( 1972) noted 
that specimens collected on the west Florida shelf in 
April had ripening gonads, and the smallest speci- 
mens (11-13 mm) in their study were collected in 
July, August, and November, indicating late spring 
or summer spawning in this region. 
Remarks Specimens from Albatross Station 2374 
(USNM 131590-91) might be those included in the origi- 
nal account of Aphoristia pigra (=S. piger) as noted in 
the “Remarks” section in the account for that species. 
In the original description of S. minor , Ginsburg incor- 
rectly reported the catalogue number of the paratype 
from Albatross Station 2372 as USNM 131593. The 
actual catalog number is USNM 131293 (USNM 
131593 is assigned to a lot of Jenkinsia lamprotaenia). 
The larval specimen described by Kyle (1913) may 
be that of S. minor, but because larval stages of this 
species are still undescribed, specific identity of the 
specimen can not be determined at this time. 
Comparisons Meristic features of S. minor overlap 
widely those of three other western Atlantic dwarf 
tonguefishes, namely S. arawak, S. ommaspilus, and 
S. parvus. Symphurus minor is easily distinguished 
from S. arawak because it has 10 (vs. 12 in S. arawak) 
caudal-fin rays and a pupillary operculum (lacking 
in S. arawak). Other differences between these spe- 
cies are discussed in the “Comparisons” section of 
the species account for S. arawak. 
Symphurus minor has many characters similar to 
those observed in S. kyaropterygium , S. parvus, and 
S. ommaspilus. All have similar caudal-fin ray counts 
( 10), all possess membrane ostia, and all have a well- 
developed pupillary operculum. Meristic features of 
S. minor are nonoverlapping with those of S. 
kyaropterygium (see Tables 4-7). However, most 
meristic features in S. minor widely overlap those of 
S. parvus and S. ommaspilus. Of all congeners, S. 
minor is most similar to S. parvus in meristic fea- 
tures, pigmentation, and overall adult sizes. 
Symphurus minor is distinguished from S. parvus 
by its modally lower counts (dorsal-fin rays 69-81, 
usually 72-77 vs. 75-86, usually 77-84 in S. parvus-, 
anal-fin rays 55-64 vs. 60-70, usually 62-68; and 
total vertebrae 41-43, usually 42-43 vs. 43-47, usu- 
ally 44-46, in S. parvus). There also are differences 
between these two species in the frequency of occur- 
rence of predominant ID patterns. Nearly 95% (74/ 
78) of the S. minor had a 1-4-2 ID pattern and none 
had a 1-5-2 pattern, whereas only 40% (33/82) of the 
S. parvus examined had a 1-4-2 pattern and 35/82 
(43%) had a 1-5-2 ID pattern. 
The most notable differences between S. minor and 
S. ommaspilus occur in pigmentation patterns. 
Symphurus minor has a dark brown blotch on the 
ocular-side caudal region and lacks ocellated spots 
on dorsal and anal fins, whereas S. ommaspilus lacks 
a blotch on the ocular-side caudal region and pos- 
sesses a single, conspicuous, ocellated spot on poste- 
rior regions of the dorsal and anal fins. 
Compared with other Symphurus species with 10 
caudal-fin rays, S. minor has much lower meristic 
features than those of other western Atlantic spe- 
cies (S. plagiusa, S. jenynsi, S. diomedeanus), and 
the eastern Pacific S. fasciolaris. 
