Frable et al : Description of a new species of Synodus in the western Atlantic Ocean 
139 
procurrent rays; total vertebrae 56-60, modally 59; lat- 
eral-line scales 57-60, modally 60; predorsal scales 23- 
25; scales above the lateral-line to dorsal-fin base 5.5 
or 6.5; HL 22.4-26.7% SL (25.2%); snout very long and 
triangular (length 6.3-9. 1% SL, mean 7.3%, and 26.3- 
37.2% HL, mean 29.0%), tip sharply pointed; anterior 
nostril with long, narrow flap that tapers to a filament 
distally, length 2. 6-5. 3% HL (3.4%); orbit diameter 2.8- 
4.9% SL (3.5%) and 11.1-19.0% HL (13.8%); interorbit- 
al width 10.4-16.9% HL (15.5%); thick adipose lids on 
anterior and ventral margins of orbit (width 3. 4-7. 4% 
HL, mean 4.8%); dorsal-fin base 10.5-13.0% SL, mean 
11.9%, usually longer than anal-fin base (9.6-12.7% 
SL, mean 11.0%). In preservative, body dark gray to 
reddish brown above the lateral axis, pale below; a few 
lateral stripes darker than background color sometimes 
present along length of body; no vertical bars on trunk; 
dark pigmentation present on margins of caudal fin, 
usually extending onto main portion of ventral lobe; 
dorsal half of adipose fin dark. Body pale green to tan 
in life. 
Description 
Description based on 45 specimens, 55.3-279.0 mm SL. 
Counts and measurements of type specimens given in 
Table 4. Frequency distribution of anal-fin rays given 
in Table 5. 
Dorsal-fin rays 11-12; anal-fin rays 10-12, rarely 
12; total caudal-fin rays 42; configuration of caudal-fin 
rays in all specimens examined: 12 dorsal procurrent 
caudal rays + 10 segmented dorsal rays + 9 segmented 
ventral rays +11 ventral procurrent rays; pectoral-fin 
rays 12-14; pelvic-fin rays 8; total vertebrae 56-60, 
modally 59; predorsal vertebrae 15-18; scales ctenoid, 
lateral-line scales 57-60, modally 60; predorsal scales 
23-25; scales above the lateral-line to dorsal-fin base 
5.5 or 6.5; scales below lateral line to anal-fin base 
6.5. 
Body cylindrical and elongate; depth at pelvic-fin or- 
igin 8.8—15.9% SL (11.8%); depth at anal-fin origin 5.7— 
10.8% SL (8.9%); caudal-peduncle depth 3. 5-6. 5% SL 
(5.6%); body width at dorsal-fin origin 10.5-14.2% SL 
(12.7%); HL 22.4-26.7% SL (25.2%); snout length 6.3- 
9.1% SL (7.3%) and 26.3-37.2% HL (29.0%), snout long 
and triangular, tip pointed in dorsal view; orbit diame- 
ter 2. 7-4.9% SL (3.5%) and 11.1-19.0% HL (13.8%), or- 
bit with bony ridge extending over anterodorsal margin 
and with wide adipose lid on its posterior edge, adipose 
lid width 0.8-1. 9% SL (1.2%) and 3. 4-7. 4% HL (4.8%); 
interorbital width 2. 7-4. 5% SL (3.9%) and 10.4-16.9% 
HL (15.5%). 
Predorsal length 40.9-45.8% SL (43.9%); prepelvic 
length 35.0-41.5% SL (38.6%); preanal length 75.0- 
81.3% SL (77.7%); preadipose length 80.0-86.4% SL 
(82.4%); dorsal-fin base 10.5-13.0%> SL (11.9%), longest 
dorsal-fin ray, usually third, 14.0-17.2% SL (15.5%); 
anal-fin base 9.6-12.7% SL (11.0%), longest anal-fin 
ray, usually third, 7. 0-9. 6% SL (8.5%); pectoral-fin 
length 11.0-13.2% SL (11.9%); pelvic-fin length 15.9- 
21.2% SL (18.8%); caudal-peduncle length 7.9-14.4% 
SL (12.1%), caudal-fin length (only measured in 31 
specimens because many specimens had damaged cau- 
dal fins) 15.7-20.3% SL (17.6%), caudal lobes generally 
same length. 
Mouth terminal, upper jaw slightly oblique, form- 
ing an 8° angle with the horizontal body axis, upper 
jaw extending anterior to lower jaw; upper-jaw length 
14.6-17.0% SL (15.9%) and 58.0-70.1% HL (62.9%), 
lower jaw with fleshy nub at symphysis. Teeth needle- 
like; upper jaw with 2 rows of teeth, teeth in inner row 
longer than teeth in outer row; lower jaw with 3 rows 
of teeth, size of teeth increasing medially, outer row 
covered by lips; posterior teeth in both jaws directed 
slightly anteriorly. Palatine with 3-4 rows of depress- 
ible teeth, teeth directed posteromedially. Tongue with 
4-5 rows of posteriorly directed teeth, largest near an- 
terior tip. Anterior nostril slightly ventral to median 
axis of orbit; posterior nostril same size and situated 
slightly dorsal to anterior nostril; anterior nostril with 
long, narrow flap that tapers to a filament distally, 
length when depressed 0.7-1. 4% SL (0.9%) and 2.6- 
5.3%- HL (3.4%); anterior nostril flap extending beyond 
posterior nostril when depressed (Fig. 2D); posterior 
nostril without flap. 
Cheek with 6 rows of large scales, opercle with 2 
vertical rows of 7-9 scales on anterior margin and 
several scales posteriorly; predorsal scales extending 
anteriorly above anterior margin of preopercle; in- 
terorbital region naked. Dorsal fin flanked basally by 
10-12 half-scales, anal fin flanked by 8-10 half-scales, 
remainder of dorsal and anal fins without scales; 3 
large, diamond-shaped scales covering pelvic-fin bases, 
pelvic fins flanked laterally by 6 half-scales, remainder 
of pelvic fin and pectoral fin without scales; 7 rows of 
body scales extending onto base of caudal fin; upper 
and lower caudal lobes each with a single, enlarged, 
horizontally elongate scale. 
Coloration 
Before preservation (Fig. 50 Head and dorsal half of 
trunk olive to golden-brown, ventral half of trunk pale; 
cross-shaped markings dispersed along trunk in speci- 
mens <100 mm SL, those markings not present in larg- 
er specimens; rows of light spots present on central re- 
gion of trunk, spots darker in some specimens; groove 
above maxilla with stripe of black pigment from pos- 
terior edge of orbit to posterior end of jaw; dorsal-fin 
rays brown with translucent membrane between rays; 
adipose fin opaque, dorsal half dark; pectoral fin trans- 
lucent with a few darker spots; pelvic fins translucent 
to pale yellow; anal fin pale; dark pigmentation present 
on margins of caudal fin, usually extending onto main 
portion of ventral lobe. 
