132 
Fishery Bulletin 111(2) 
1988). Or, it may be housed in the Museum d’Histoire 
Naturelle de Neuchatel (MHNN), in Switzerland, where 
it has not been located. A color illustration of the ho- 
lotype was published in Spix and Agassiz (1829, plate 
44). The body shape, pigmentation, and barring on the 
caudal fin depicted in this illustration match those 
characters in later descriptions of Saurus intermedius 
and Synodus intermedius and in specimens recognized 
herein as S. intermedius. In light of our discovery of 
the similar S. macrostigmus , designation of a neotype 
is appropriate to clarify the taxonomic status of S. in- 
termedius. We designate USNM 398292 from Brazil as 
a topologically equivalent neotype. We examined speci- 
mens of Synodus intermedius from Brazil and numer- 
ous localities in the Caribbean, and we found no sig- 
nificant morphological differences. 
Note on authorship 
Although Synodus intermedius was formally described 
in Spix and Agassiz (1829), Kottelat (1988) determined 
that Agassiz was the sole author of this name and the 
description was subsequently incorporated into this 
text. According to priority, the authorship of S. in- 
termedius has been changed from (Spix and Agassiz, 
1829) to (Agassiz, 1829) following the adopted format 
for other species described by Agassiz in the same 
work, including Saurus longirostris (Reis et al, 2003). 
Neotype 
USNM 398292, 285.0 mm SL, off northeastern Brazil, 
0°13 48.00 N, 44°49 47.99 W, 62-64 m, sta. 67, Oregon 
II, 16 May 1975, field number BBC 1631, Coll: B. B. 
Collette. 
Additional material 
(DNA numbers and GenBank accession numbers for 
specimens that are vouchers are given in parentheses 
following catalog numbers). Florida: UF 146453, 3; UF 
174147, 2; UF 234684, 1; UF 111225, 2; UF 116648, 
5; UF 176286, 1; UF 152825, 1; UF 154795, 3; UF 
152128, 3; UF 176286,1; UF 29818, 4; USNM 38711, 1; 
USNM 35045, 1; Puerto Rico: UF 234199, 2; Bahamas 
Islands: USNM 405474, 1; USNM 405461 (BAH 9029: 
JX519387), 1; USNM 405462 (BAH 10043: JX519402), 
1; USNM 405463 (BAH 10180: JX519386), 1; USNM 
405464 (BAH 10181: JX519366), 1; Belize: USNM 
327555, 1; USNM 404211 (BLZ 10211: JX519367), 
1; USNM 405465 (BLZ 7151: JQ841412), 1; USNM 
405468 (BLZ 8163: JQ841835), 1; USNM 405469 (BLZ 
8006: JQ841836), 1; Bermuda: USNM 368585, 1; USNM 
385983, 1; Brazil: USNM 398292, 1; Colombia: UF 
123373, 1; UF 137038, 3; USNM 384339, 1; Curacao: 
USNM 405470 (CUR 8386: JQ842339), 1; French Gui- 
ana: UF 211584, 1; Guyana: UF 137049, 3; Honduras: 
UF 136971, 1; UF 123383, 1; Jamaica: UF 123615, 1; 
UF 231377, 5; Saba, Leeward Islands: UF 207329, 2; To- 
bago, Trinidad and Tobago: USNM 405471 (TOB 9160: 
JQ843084), 1; USNM 405472 (TOB 9090: JQ843082), 
1; UF 123378, 1; Turks and Caicos: USNM 405473, 1; 
Venezuela: UF 224467, 4; UF 123377, 1. 
Diagnosis 
A species of Synodus differentiated from its congeners 
by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin 
rays 11-12; anal-fin rays 11; total caudal rays 40-42; 
dorsal segmented caudal rays 9; ventral segmented 
caudal rays 9-10; dorsal procurrent caudal rays 11-12; 
ventral procurrent caudal rays 9-10; pelvic-fin rays 8; 
pectoral-fin rays 11-13; total vertebrae 49-52, modally 
50; pored lateral-line scales 49-52, modally 51; median 
predorsal scalesl6 or 17; scale rows on cheek 6-8; HL 
15.2-28.4% SL (26.6%); orbit diameter 3. 6-6. 4% SL 
(4.7%) and 13.4—22.5% HL (17.2%); interorbital width 
2. 8-5. 3% SL (4.3%) and 10.1-19.4% HL (15.9%); flap 
on anterior nostril small and broad, length 1.5-3. 6% 
HL (2.4%); snout triangular in dorsal view; pelvic-fin 
length 23.1-26.7% SL (24.9%). In preservative, 3 to 
6 dark bars on caudal fin spanning upper and lower 
lobes; a small, rectangular-shaped, black scapular 
blotch (length 5.1-12.2% HL, mean 8.4%); 9 to 13 dark 
bars on trunk; in life, adults tan to olive and with un- 
evenly distributed yellow stripes along body. 
Description 
Description based on 51 specimens, 59.2-285.0 mm SL. 
Counts and measurements of neotype given in Table 
2. Frequency distribution of pored lateral-line scales 
given in Table 3. 
Dorsal-fin rays 11-12; anal-fin rays 11; total caudal- 
fin rays 40-42; dorsal segmented caudal rays 9; ventral 
segmented caudal rays 9-10; dorsal procurrent caudal 
rays 11-12; ventral procurrent caudal rays 9-10; pel- 
vic-fin rays 8; pectoral-fin rays 11-13; total vertebrae 
49-52, modally 50; predorsal vertebrae 12 or 13; scales 
ctenoid; pored lateral-line scales, 49-52, modally 51, 
although counts of up to 55 have been reported (An- 
derson et ah, 1966; Anderson and Gehringer, 1975); me- 
dian predorsal sca!esl5-17; scales above lateral line to 
dorsal-fin base 3.5; scales below lateral line to anal-fin 
base 4.5. 
Body cylindrical; depth at pelvic-fin origin 12.4- 
16.3% SL (14.1%); depth at anal-fin origin 8.7-11.7% 
SL (10.2%); caudal-peduncle depth 5. 1-6.2% SL (5.7%); 
body width at dorsal-fin origin 9.7-16.2% SL (14.2%); 
HL 24.5-28.4% SL (26.6%); snout length 6. 0-7. 3% SL 
(6.7%) and 22.0-27.5% HL (24.7%), snout triangular 
in dorsal view; orbit diameter 3. 6-6. 4% SL (4.7%) and 
13.4-22.5% HL (17.2%), orbit with bony ridge extend- 
ing over anterodorsal margin; interorbital width 2.8- 
5.3% SL (4.3%) and 10.1-19.4% HL (15.9%>). 
Predorsal length 38.0—43.5% SL (41.0%); prepelvic 
length 33.4-37.9% SL (35.0%); preanal length 69.2- 
