478 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IX, October, 1955 
TABLE 10 
Fin Counts for Certain Samples of the Acanthurus sandvicensis-triostegus Complex 
For the counts averages are given above and standard deviations below in parentheses. No standard deviations 
were calculated for the counts drawn from Schultz and Woods (1948: table 1) 
as these appear to represent combined samples 
LOCALITY 
AVERAGE 
ANNUAL 
SURFACE 
WATER 
TEMPERATURE 
NUMBER 
OF 
SPECIMENS 
SOFT 
DORSAL 
RAYS 
SOFT 
ANAL 
RAYS 
TOTAL 
PECTORAL 
RAYS 
Hawaii: Midway 
22.0° C 
18 
23.33 
20.67 
15.89 
(=±=.57) 
(=±=.57) 
(±.33) 
Hawaii: Oahu (tide pool on exposed 
NW coast) 
24.5 
20 
23.45 
20.75 
15.85 
(=*=.55) 
(±.58) 
(±.36) 
Hawaii: Oahu (reef-enclosed bay) 
24.5 
46 
23.28 
20.67 
15.83 
(=±=.62) 
(±.47) 
(±.38) 
Hawaii and Johnston (from Schultz 
and Woods) 
32 
23.59 
20.84 
15.84 
Johnston 
26.0 
21 
23.47 
20.67 
15.81 
(=±=.60) 
(±.80) 
(±.40) 
Line: Palmyra 
26.8 
36 
22.78 
19.58 
15.50 
(=*=•59) 
(±.92) 
(±.50) 
Line: Christmas 
26.1 
26 
22.46 
19.46 
15.46 
(■*=.51) 
(±.58) 
(±.51) 
Phoenix: Hull 
27.3 
33 
23.03 
20.00 
15.45 
(*=.52) 
(±.49) 
(±.50) 
Phoenix (from Schultz and Woods) . . . 
11 
23.09 
20.36 
15.37* 
Guam, Marshalls (from Schultz and 
Woods) 
21 
22.81 
20.14 
15.19 
* Based on 16 specimens. 
from its tropical relative K. samoensis most 
significantly in the lower number of pectoral 
rays (Schultz, 1943: 262). 
Zoogeographically there are few definite 
conclusions that can be drawn from the spe- 
cies analysis, though there are several indica- 
tions. One of the species, Kuhlia marginata, 
has obviously come to Johnston from the 
south; the other five have come down from 
the north. The southern Kuhlia shows distinct 
signs of having introgressed into the north- 
western Hawaiian Island populations of K. 
sandvicensis, though whether this has been due 
to immigration from Johnston or elsewhere 
remains unknown. Since, however, the pre- 
vailing current system around Johnston is 
from east to west, and even northwest, it 
seems probable that any migration from 
Tohnston would reach the western leeward 
Hawaiian Islands rather than the eastern wind- 
ward islands. Because of this same current 
system, any Hawaiian fishes arriving at John- 
ston would probably have come in from the 
eastern rather than the western islands, and 
this is what appears to have happened with 
Muraenichthys cookei , judging from the data 
presented on that species. That Hawaiian en- 
demics, such as M. cookei , have gotten from 
the Hawaiian Islands to Johnston seems cer- 
tain. That Johnston fishes actually ever got 
to Hawaii remains unproven. 
ZOOGEOGRAPHIC CONCLUSIONS 
Although it may be repetitious, it seems 
well to draw together the results of the second 
half of this paper for the sake of those who 
got lost among the pectoral markings of 
Acanthurus or elsewhere. 
