88 
Fishery Bulletin 96(1 ), 1998 
Table 26 
Morphometries for holotype (ANSP 93810) and 27 addi- 
tional specimens of Symphurus ommaspilus. (Abbrevia- 
tions defined in methods section; SL is expressed in mm; 
characters 2 to 14 are expressed in thousandths of SL; 15 
to 21 in thousandths of HL; n = no of specimens measured.) 
Character 
Holotype 
n 
Range 
Mean 
SD 
1. SL 
40.9 
28 
14.4-56.4 
34.3 
11.02 
2. BD 
308 
28 
254-348 
300.2 
17.41 
3. PDL 
68 
28 
40-87 
58.8 
11.08 
4. PAL 
269 
28 
224-326 
267.2 
22.70 
5. DBL 
927 
28 
846-975 
941.5 
25.83 
6. ABL 
756 
28 
612-773 
730.6 
32.31 
7. PL 
98 
25 
54-104 
82.8 
11.63 
8. PA 
56 
27 
49-90 
62.6 
9.43 
9. CFL 
127 
26 
92-160 
128.3 
14.16 
10. HL 
235 
28 
196-268 
231.4 
13.99 
11. HW 
259 
28 
227-292 
253.8 
14.62 
12. POL 
137 
28 
119-190 
144.9 
13.38 
13. UHL 
166 
28 
140-171 
155.1 
8.00 
14. LHL 
103 
28 
96-135 
111.2 
11.81 
15. POL 
583 
28 
546-802 
627.1 
46.48 
16. SNL 
240 
27 
147-330 
210.6 
34.19 
17. UJL 
198 
28 
164-277 
205.7 
23.31 
18. ED 
115 
28 
114-175 
138.4 
16.58 
19. CD 
198 
27 
162-274 
206.0 
30.69 
20. OPLL 
177 
28 
147-277 
196.0 
29.31 
21 OPUL 
281 
28 
210-346 
279.4 
31.45 
nearly entire anterior three-fourths of premaxillary 
margin. Ocular-side dentary with teeth on anterior 
one-half to three-fourths of its length; less frequently 
with teeth along entire margin of bone. Chin depth 
usually slightly less than snout length. Ocular-side 
lower jaw without fleshy ridge. Lower eye relatively 
large; eyes usually equal in position, occasionally 
upper eye slightly in advance of lower eye. Anterior 
and medial surfaces of eyes usually scaleless; 2-3 
scales present in narrow interorbital region. Pupil- 
lary operculum well developed. Dorsal-fin origin usu- 
ally equal with vertical through midpoint of upper 
eye; occasionally reaching vertical through anterior 
margin, or rarely, posterior margin, of pupil of upper 
eye; predorsal length long. Basal region of dorsal-fin 
membrane from about seventh dorsal-fin ray and 
backwards, and anal-fin membrane throughout en- 
tire length of fin, with series of openings (membrane 
ostia) between fin rays. Scales absent on blind sides 
of dorsal- and anal-fin rays. Pelvic fin long; longest 
pelvic-fin ray, when extended posteriorly, usually 
reaching base of first anal-fin ray. Posteriormost pel- 
vic-fin ray connected to body by delicate membrane 
terminating immediately anterior to anus, or occa- 
sionally extending posteriorly to anal-fin origin 
(membrane torn in most specimens). Caudal fin mod- 
erately long. Scales large, ctenoid on both sides of body. 
Pigmentation (Fig. 44) Body coloration generally 
similar for both sexes. Ocular surface generally whit- 
ish with numerous, indistinct, irregularly-shaped, 
darker brown chromatophores sprinkled over entire 
surface. Posterior one-third of body darker due to 
heavier chromatophore concentration; posterior 
darkening of body surface terminating near caudal- 
fin base. Occasionally dark pigment concentrated into 
one, or unusually, two, incomplete, and rather faint, 
crossbands situated at, or slightly posterior to, body 
midpoint. Outer surface of ocular-side opercle with 
same background coloration as body. Inner linings 
of opercles and isthmus on both sides of body unpig- 
mented. Ocular-side lips diffusely sprinkled with 
faint melanophores, but without definite pigment 
band. Blind side off-white or yellowish. Peritoneum 
unpigmented. 
Dorsal and anal fins with single, large, distinctly 
ocellated spot on fin in posterior one-fifth of body 
(approximately 10-14 fin rays anterior to posterior 
extent of each fin). Remainder of fin rays in dorsal 
and anal fins with variable sprinkling of brown pig- 
ment at irregular intervals, but heaviest in regions 
corresponding to crossbands on body. Both fin rays 
and membranes of dorsal and anal fins in posterior 
one-third of body more heavily pigmented than cor- 
responding features in anterior region of body. Scaly 
portion of caudal fin with darker brown pigment, but 
not forming distinct spot; distal, scaleless portion of 
caudal fin with little, if any, pigment. 
Size and sexual maturity (Fig. 6F) Symphurus 
ommaspilus is a dwarf species attaining lengths of 
about 57 mm. The majority (15/28) of individuals 
were much smaller (25-40 mm). Females attain 
somewhat larger sizes than males. The three largest 
specimens are gravid females measuring 56.4, 55.0, 
and 53.6 mm. The two largest males are substan- 
tially smaller, both only 42.7 mm. Of 25 specimens 
for which size-related life history information was 
examined, 8 were males (27.9-42.7 mm), 14 females 
(26.4-56.4 mm), and 3 fish (14.4-25.7 mm) were im- 
mature (sex could not be determined). Based on re- 
productive stages of females, sexual maturity occurs 
at very small sizes. Females as small as 27.7 mm 
were mature with fully elongate ovaries, and the 
smallest gravid females were 28.4 and 30.3 mm. All 
females, but two (26.4 and 33.6 mm), between 27 and 
35 mm were sexually mature with ovaries either fully 
elongate, or with ovaries containing developed ova. 
The smallest female (26.4 mm) had ovaries just un- 
dergoing posterior elongation. The smallest specimen 
(14.4 mm) examined in this study was a completely 
metamorphosed immature fish (with little indication 
of any gonadal development) with completely devel- 
