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ZOOLOGICA
SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
VOLUME X
DECEMBER, 1928—1935, NOVEMBER Numbers 1-4 Inclusive
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK, NEW YORK
Nftu fork Znnlngital li’nrii'tg
General Office: 101 Park Avenue, New Vork City
Officers
President, Madison Grant
Vice-Presidents, W. Redmond Cross and Kermit Roosevelt Chairman, Executive Committee, Madison Grant Treasurer, Cornelius R. Agnew Secretary, Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr.
Jioarb of fErust zt*
Class of 1936
Madison Grant, Lewis R. Morris, Archer M. Huntington, Cornelius R. Agnew, Harrison Williams, Marshall Field, Ogden L.
Mills, Vincent Astor, C. Suydam Cutting, Childs Frick, Alfred Ely, Herbert L. Pratt
Class of 1937
George Bird Grinnell, Frederic C. Walcott, George C. Clark,
W. Redmond Cross, Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr., George Gordon Battle, Bayard Dominick, Robert Gordon McKay, Kermit Roosevelt, John M. Schiff,
Robert L. Gerry, Warren Kinney
Class of 1938
Robert S. Brewster, Edward S. Harkness, Irving K. Taylor, Harry Payne Bingham, Landon K. Thorne, J. Watson Webb, Oliver D. Filley, De Forest Grant, George F. Baker
Scientific Staff
W. Reid Blair, Director of the Zoological Park William T. Hornaday, Director Emeritus Charles H. Townsend, Director of the Aquarium C. M. Breder, Jr., Assistant Director, Aquarium Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of Mammals and Reptiles William Beebe, Honorary Curator of Birds and Director of Department of
Tropical Research
Lee S. Crandall, Curator of Birds H. C. Raven, Prosector Charles V. Noback, Veterinarian
Claude W. Leister, Ass’t to the Director and Curator, Educational Activities Edward R. Osterndorff, Photographer William Bridges, Editor and Curator of Publications
Cbttorial Committee
Madison Grant, Chairman
W. Reid Blair Charles H. Townsend
William Beebe George Bird Grinnell
William Bridges
ii
Zoologica, Volume X, Numbers 1—J, '+
TITLES OF PAPERS
PAGE
1 — The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti, with a Summary of the Known
Species of Marine Fish of the Island of Haiti and Santo Domingo
Beebe & Tee-Van 1
2— Cichlid Fishes in the West Indies with Especial Reference to Haiti,
Including the Description of a New Species of Cichlasoma . Tee-Van 281
3— An Annotated List of the Cyprinodont Fishes of Hispaniola, with
Descriptions of Two New Species Myers 301
4 — Additions to the Fish Fauna of Haiti and Santo Domingo
Beebe & Tee-Van 317
Zoologica, Volume X, Numbers 1 -J/.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE FISHES OF PORT-AU-PRINCE BAY, HAITI
PAGE
Map A. — Haiti in relation to the West Indies. B. — Haiti showing localities where collections were made. C. — Eastern end of Port-au- Prince Bay showing the localities mentioned in this report .... 4
Key to Families of Port-au-Prince Bay 17
Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre) 26
Sharp-nosed Shark, Scoliodon terrae-novae (Richardson) 27
Spot-fin Ground Shark; Caconeta, Carcharinus limbatus (Muller & Henle) 28
Scythe-shaped Shark, Carcharinus falciformis (Bibron) 28
Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus) 29
Round Sting Ray, Urobatis sloani (Blainville) 30
Eagle Ray, Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen) 31
Giant Devil Fish; Great Manta, Manta birostris (Walbaum) 32
Big-eyed Herring, Elops saurus Linnaeus 32
Tarpon, Tarpon atlanticus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 33
Bone-fish; Lady Fish, Albula vulpes (Linnaeus) 37
False Spanish Sardine, Clupanodon pseudohispanicus (Poey) 39
Sardine, Sardinella sardina (Poey) 40
Sardine, Sardinella macrophthalmus (Ranzani) 41
Atlantic Thread Herring, Ophisthonema oglinum (Le Seur) 42
Spiny-toothed Herringlet, Chirocentrodon taeniatus Gunther 43
Silver-lined Herringlet, Jenkinsia lamprotaenia Gosse 43
Bonnaterre’s Anchovy, Anchoviella epsetus (Bonnaterre) 46
Hog-mouth Fry, Anchoviella choerostoma (Goode) 47
Spot-cheeked Ghost-Fish, Anchoviella lyolepis (Evermann and Marsh) .... 47
Long-pectoralled Anchovy, Anchoviella longipinna new species 48
Whalebone Anchovy, Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier) 49
Common Eel, Anguilla rostrata (Le Sueur) 50
Pike-Headed Eel, Muraenesox savanna (Cuvier) 51
Worm-eel, Ahlia egmontis (Jordan) 51
Black-spotted Snake Eel, Myrichthys oculatus (Kaup) 52
Yellow-spotted Snake Eel, Myrichthys acuminatus (Gronow) 53
Olive-green Moray Eel, Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani 54
Purple-mouthed Moray Eel, Gymnothorax vicinus (Castelnau) 54
Common Spotted Moray Eel; Hamlet, Gymnothorax moringa (Cuvier) .... 55
Leptocephalus microphthalmus sp. nov 58
Agassiz’s Lizard-fish, Synodus intermedins Agassiz 60
Lizard-fish; Galliwasp; Lagarto, Synodus foetens (Linnaeus) 60
Synodus foetens, A. 155 mm. standard length; B. 40 mm. standard length 61
Snake-fish, Trachinocephalus myops (Forster) 62
Needlefish; Houndfish; Guardfish, Srongylura raphidoma (Ranzani) 63
Ribbon Needlefish, Alblennes hians (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 65
v
VI
Illustrations
PAGE
Orange-tailed Half-beak; Ballyhoo; Baloa, Hemirhamphus brasiliensis
(Linnaeus) 66
Hemirhamphus brasiliensis. Changes in pigmentation of the dorsal surface
with growth 68
Half-beak; Balao; Balaju; Bally-hoo, Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Ranzani) 69 Hyporhamphus unifasciatus. Changes in growth in the pigmentation of the
dorsal surface 70
Flying Half-beak, Euleptorhamphus velox Poey 71
Short-winged Flyingfish, Parexocoetus mesogaster (Bloch) 72
Dark- winged Flyingfish, Cypselurus bahiensis (Ranzani) 72
Unicorn Fish, Bregmaceros atlanticus Goode and Bean 73
Peacock Flounder, Platophrys lunatus (Linnaeus) 74
Transparent Turbot, Syacium micrurum Ranzani. 74
Uhler’s Whiff, Citharichthys uhleri Jordan 75
Spot-finned Whiff, Citharichthys spilopterus Gunther 76
Lineated Sole, Achirus lineatus (Linne) 76
Tongue Fish, Symphurus plagusia (Bloch and Schneider) 77
Candil; Frere-Jacque, My ripristis jacobus Cuvier and Valenciennes 78
Common Squirrel-fish; Cartinau, Holocentrus ascensionis (Osbeck) 79
Shining Squirrel-fish, Holocentrus coruscus Poey 80
Black-barred Squirrel-fish, Holocentrus vexillarius Poey 82
Large-mouthed Squirrel-fish; Marian, Flammeo marianus (Cuvier and
Valenciennes) 82
Dotted Seahorse, Hippocampus punctulatus Guichenot 83
Lineated Pipe-fish, Doryrhamphus lineatus (Valenciennes) 84
Mackay’s Pipefish, Syngnathus mackayi (Swain and Meek) 84
Rousseau’s Pipefish, Syngnathus rousseau Kaup 85
Poey’s Pipe-fish, Syngnathus elucens Poey 85
Trumpet-fish, Aulostomus maculatus Valenciennes 86
Cornet-fish, Fistularia tabacaria Linnaeus 87
Broad-headed Silverside, Hepsetia stipes (Muller and Troschel) 88
Slender Silverside, Atherina harringtonensis araea (Jordan and Gilbert).. . . 89
White Mullet; Blue-back Mullet; Liza Blanco, Mugil curema Cuvier and
Valenciennes 90
Yellow-tailed Fresh-water Mullet, Agonostomus monticola (Bancroft) 91
Thick-lipped Fresh-water Mullet, Agonostomus microps Gunther 92
Great Barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda (Walbaum) 93
Guachancho Barracuda, Sphyraena guachancho Cuvier and Valenciennes. . 94
Picudilla Barracuda, Sphyraena picudilla Poey 95
Seven-fingered Threadfin; Barbudo, Polynemus virginicus Linnaeus 96
King Mackerel; Painted Mackerel, Scomberomorus regalis (Bloch) 97
Spanish Mackerel; Cazard, Scomberomorus maculatus (Mitchill) 97
Little Tunny, Gymnosarda alletterata (Rafinesque) 99
Frigate Mackerel, Auxis thazard (Lacepede) 99
Deep-bodied Tunny, Parathunnus obesus (Lowe) 100
Cutlass-fish, Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus 100
Dolphin, Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus 101
Harvest-fish, Peprilus paru (Linnaeus) 102
Illustrations
vii
PAGE
Portuguese Man-of-War Fish, Nomeus gronovii (Gmelin) 103
Round Scad; Round Robin; Cigar-fish; Quia-quia, Decapterus punctatus
(Agassiz) 104
Large-eyed Selar; Goggle-eyed Scad, Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch) 105
Common Jack-fish; Crevalle Toro; Horse Crevalle; Cavally, Caranx
hippos (Linnaeus) 106
Yellow Jack, Caranx bartholomaei Cuvier and Valenciennes 107
Horse-eye Jack, Caranx latus Agassiz 108
Blue-striped Cavalla; Carbonero; Cibi Mancho, Caranx ruber (Bloch) 109
Golden Jack; Hard-tailed Jack; Runner; Jurel; Yellow Mackerel, Caranx
crysos (Mitchill) 109
Bumper; Casabe, Chloroscombrus chrysurus (Linnaeus) 110
Leather Jacket; Kal, Oligoplites saurus (Bloch and Schneider) 112
Threadfish, Alectis ciliaris (Bloch) 113
Bristle-finned Moonfish, Vomer setapinnis cubensis Nichols . 114
Look-down, Selene vomer (Linnaeus) 114
Round Pampano; Palometa; Kareng-a-plime, Trachinotus falcatus (Lin- naeus) 115
Gaff-topsail; Pampano; Palometa, Trachinotus glaucus (Bloch) 117
Pilot Fish, Naucrates ductor (Linnaeus) 117
Two-spotted Cardinal Fish, Amia binotata Poey 118
Peppered Cardinal Fish, Amia pigmentarius (Poey) 119
Spot-finned Cardinal Fish, Apogonichthys stellatus Cope 121
Comb-toothed Snook, Centropomus pectinatus Poey 121
Common Snook, Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch) 122
Sword-spined Snook, Centropomus ensiferus Poey 123
Red Guativere; Outalibi, Cephalopholis fulvus ruber (Bloch and Schneider) 124 Nigger-fish; Negro-fish; Black Guativere, Cephalopholis fulvus punctatus
(Linnaeus) 125
Brown Hind; Petit Negre, Petrometopon cruentatus coronatus (Cuvier and
Valenciennes) 126
Bonaci Cardinal, Mycteroperca venenosa apua (Bloch) 127
Red Grouper; Cherna Americana; Negue coleur rouge, Epinephelus morio
(Cuvier and Valenciennes) 128
Nassau Grouper; Hamlet; Negue, Epinephelus striatus (Bloch) 128
Red Hind; Cabrilla; Grandgele; Grand forte, Epinephelus guttatus (Lin- naeus) 129
Black Jewfish; Black Grouper; Mero de la Alto, Garrupa nigrita (Holbrook) 130
Spotted Jew-fish, Promicrops itaiara (Lichtenstein) 130
Guaseta; Cherna, Alphestes afer (Bloch) 13 i
Haitian Soap-fish, Rupticus bornoi sp. nov 132
Soap-fish, Rupticus coriaceus (Cope) 133
Creole Fish; Rabirubia de la Alto, Paranthias furcifer (Cuvier and Valen- ciennes) 134
Vaca; Petit Negre, Hypoplectrus unicolor (Walbaum) 135
Harlequin Serranid, Prionodes tigrinus (Bloch) 139
Jacome; Tobacco-fish; Bout-de-tabac, Prionodes tabacrius (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 141
Vlll
Illustrations
PAGE
Mottled Sea-basslet, Eudulus dispilurus (Giinther) 142
Purple and Gold Fairy Bass, Gramma hemichrysos Mowbray 143
Spineless Big-eye; Juif, Priacanthus arenatus Cuvier and Valenciennes. . . . 144
Triple-tail; Flasher, Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch) 145
Mutton Fish; Card Claire, Lutianus analis (Cuvier and Valenciennes) .... 147
Lane Snapper; Argente, Lutianus synagris (Linnaeus) 148
Red Snapper; Sard Rouge; Ronde, Lutianus campechanus { Poey) 150
Dog Snapper; Carde Roulesse, Lutianus jocu (Bloch and Schneider) 150
Schoolmaster, Lutianus apodus (Walbaum) 151
Gray Snapper; Carde Gris, Lutianus griseus (Linnaeus) 152
Yellow-tail; Kola, Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch) 152
Golden-red Snapper; Fadate, Rhomboplites aurorubens (Cuvier and Valen- ciennes) 153
Large-toothed Conodon Grunt; Bureteado, Conodon nobilis (Linnaeus) .... 154 Tom Tate; Red-mouthed Grunt, Bathystoma rimator (Jordan and Swain) . . 155
Striped Grunt, Bathystoma striatum (Linnaeus) 156
Small-mouthed Golden Grunt, Brachygenys chrysargeus (Giinther) 157
French Grunt; Open-mouthed Grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest) 158
Common Grunt; Ronco-ronco, Haemulon plumieri (Lacepede) 158
Yellow Grunt; Boar Grunt, Haemulon sciurus (Shaw) 159
Gray Grunt; Striped Grunt; Caco Gris, Haemulon macrostomum Giinther. . 160 Black Grunt; Ronco Prieto, Haemulon bonariense Cuvier and Valenciennes 160
Croaker-like Roughcheek, Pomadasys corvinaeformis (Steindachner) 161
Crocro Roughcheek, Pomadasys crocro (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 161
Pork Fish, Anisotremus virginicus (Linnaeus) 162
Saucer-eyed Porgy, Calamus calamus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 163
Little-head Porgy; Pez de Pluma, Calamus proridens Jordan and Gilbert 164 Jolt-head Porgy; Diol pas bleu, Calamus bajanado (Bloch and Schneider) 164
Grass Porgy; Shad Porgy, Calamus arctifrons Goode and Bean 165
Tropical Sheepshead; Medance, Archosargus unimaculatus (Bloch) 166
Rudder-fish; Bermuda Chub; Chub; Chopa Blanca, Kyphosus sectatrix
(Linnaeus) 166
Silver Mojarra, Eucinostomus gula (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 167
Common Mojarra, Eucinostomus calif or niensis (Gill) 168
Lefroy’s Mojarra, Ulaema lefroyi (Goode) 168
Dark-barred Mojarra, Gerres cinereus (Walbaum) 169
Rhomboid Mojarra, Diapterus rhombeus (Cuvier) 170
Red Goatfish; Salmonete; Barbaray Rouge, Upeneus maculatus (Bloch).. . 171 Yellow Goatfish; Salmonete Amarilla; Barbaray Jaune et Gris, Upeneus
martinicus Cuvier and Valenciennes. 171
White-mouthed Drummer; Verrugato, Micropogon furnieri (Desmarest).. . 172
Spongy-headed Croaker, Stellifer colonensis Meek and Hildebrand 173
Ronco; Ground Drummer, Bairdiella ronchus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) . 174
Spotted Ribbon-fish, Serrana; Hispana, Eques punctatus Bloch and
Schneider . . 174
Lance-shaped Ribbon-fish; Guapena; Serrana, Eques lanceolatus (Linnaeus) 175 Cabezon, Larimus breviceps Cuvier and Valenciennes 176
Illustrations
IX
PAGE
Corvina; Brown large-eyed Croaker, Odontoscion dentex Cuvier and Valen- ciennes 176
Mongolar Drummer, Cynoscion jamaicensis (Vaillant and Bocourt) 177
Plumier’s Blanquilla, Malacanthus plumieri (Bloch) 177
Spade-fish; Karengue a plime, Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet) 178
Mariposa; Butterfly-fish, Chaetodon striatus Linnaeus 179
Mariposa; Parche; Butterfly, Chaetodon capistratus Linnaeus 180
Mariposa; Black Angel; Chirivita; Portugais, Pomacanthus arcuatus
(Linnaeus) 181
Paru; Indian Fish; Flat Fish, Pomacanthus paru (Bloch) 182
Rock Beauty; Catalineta; Maguerite, Holacanthus tricolor (Bloch) 182
Angel-fish; Isabelito; Maguerite, Angelichthys ciliaris (Linnaeus) 183
Barbero; Blue Tang; Blue Surgeon; Sous-ge, Acanthurus caeruleus Bloch
and Schneider 184
Crescent-tailed Surgeon Fish; Ocean Tang, Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau 184 Common Surgeon; Doctor-fish; Lancet-fish, Acanthurus hepatus (Linnaeus) 185
Plumier’s Scorpion Fish, Scorpaena plumieri Bloch 186
Small-scaled Scorpion Fish, Scorpaena brasiliensis Cuvier and Valenciennes 187 Long-horned Scorpion-Fish, Scorpaena grandicornis Cuvier and Valenciennes 187 Smooth-cheeked Scorpion Fish, Scorpaena isthmensis Meek and Hildebrand 188
Haitian Scorpion Fish, Scorpaenodes russelli new species 189
Spotted Gurnard, Prionotus punctatus Bloch 191
Flying Gurnard, Cephalacanthus volitans (Linnaeus) 191
Blue Chromis, Chromis cyaneus (Poey) 193
Brown Chromis, Chromis marginatus (Castelnau) 194
Common Demoiselle, Pomacentrus fuscus Cuvier and Valenciennes 195
Haitian Demoiselle, Pomacentrus freemani new species 196
Sergeant Major; Cow-Pilot; Cockeye Pilot, Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus) 198 Yellow-tailed, Soft-toothed Demoiselle, Microspathodon chrysurus (Cuvier
and Valenciennes) 199
White-spotted, Soft-toothed Demoiselle, Microspathodon niveatus (Poey) . . 200
Hogfish, Lachnolaimus maximus (Walbaum) 201
Lady-fish, Bodianus rufus (Linne) 201
Purple-tailed Wrasse; Creole, Clepticus parrae (Bloch and Schneider) 202
Pink-finned Wrasse, Halichoeres caudalis (Poey) 203
Variegated Wrasse; Pudding Wife, Halichoeres radiatus (Linnaeus) 203
Coral Wrasse, Halichoeres garnoti (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 204
Bicolored Wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatus (Bloch) 205
Shining Wrasse, Thalassoma nitida (Gunther) 205
Tall-finned Pygmy Wrasse; Baucket, Doratonotus megalepis Giinther 206
Scorched Parrotfish, Cryptotomus ustus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 207
Painted-tail Parrotfish, Scarus taeniopterus Desmarest 208
Punctulated Parrotfish, Scarus punctulatus Cuvier and Valenciennes 209
Brown Parrotfish, Scarus croicensis Bloch 209
Green Parrotfish; Guacamai, Pseudoscarus guacamaia (Cuvier) 210
Blue Parrotfish, Pseudoscarus coelestinus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 211
Green and Black Parrotfish, Pseudoscarus pleianus (Poey) 211
Red Parrotfish; Parroquette, Sparisoma abildgaardi (Bloch) 213
X
Illustrations
PAGE
Blue Parrotfish; Vieja, Sparisoma chrysopterum (Bloch and Schneider) .... 214 Vermillion-banded Parrotfish, Sparisoma aurofrenatum (Cuvier and Valen- ciennes) 214
Dark Green Parrotfish, Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre) 215
Short-snouted Parrotfish, Sparisoma radians (Cuvier and Valenciennes).. . 215
Gray Parrotfish, Sparisoma squalidum (Poey) 216
Stocky Parrotfish, Sparisoma flavescens (Bloch and Schneider) 216
Red-tailed Parrotfish, Sparisoma brachiale (Poey) 217
Sleeper; Guavina, Gobiomorus dormitor Lacepede 218
Common Spotted Sleeper; Guavina Mapo, Dormitator maculatus (Bloch) 219
Many-fanged Goby, Leptophilypnus crocodilus new species 219
Sleeper, Bathygobius soporator (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 221
Fringe-shouldered Goby; Guavina; Saga, Chonophorus taiasica (Lichten- stein) 221
Gill’s Banded Goby, Gobius fasciatus (Gill) 222
Emerald-tongued Goby; Esmerelda, Gobius oceanicus Pallas 222
Giant-Scaled Sponge Goby, Evermannichthys metzelaari Hubbs 223
White-lined Sponge Goby, Gobiosoma horsti Metzelaar 224
Large-toothed Scaleless Goby, Gobiosoma macrodon new species 226
Short-disked Shark-sucker Echeneis naucrates (Linnaeus) 227
Rough-scaled Blenny, Gillias jordani Evermann and Marsh 229
Cope’s Two-spotted Blenny, Malacoctenus biguttatus (Cope) 229
Fringe-naped Blenny, Labrisomus nuchipinnis (Quoy and Gaimard) 231
Haitian Spotted Blenny, Labrisomus haitiensis new species 232
White-cheeked Blenny, Labrisomus albigenys new species 233
Moore’s Blenny, Acteis moorei (Evermann and Marsh) 235
Marbled Blenny, Brannerella culebrae (Evermann and Marsh) 236
Tri-ocellated Blenny, Cremnobates argus new species 238
Fajardo Blenny, Cremnobates fajardo (Evermann and Marsh) 239
Green Thalassia Blenny, Auchenistius stahli Evermann and Marsh 240
Rock-hopping Blenny, Rupiscartes atlanticus (Cuvier and Valenciennes). . 242
Haitian Snake Blenny, Ophioblennius ferox new species 242
Bushy-headed Spiny Blenny, Acathemblemaria arborescens new species .... 244 Variegated Spiny-headed Blenny, Acathemblemaria variegata new species. . 247
Coral Scaleless Blenny, Stathmonotus corallicola new species 249
Black-finned Cusk Eel, Lepophidium brevibarbe (Cuvier) 251
Large-eyed Clingfish, Gobiesox macrophthalmus Gunther 251
Rock-living Clingfish, Arbaciosa rupestris (Poey) 252
Queen Trigger-fish; Old Wife; Old Wench; Bouze, Batistes vetula Linnaeus . . 253
Ocean Trigger-fish; Sobaco, Canthedermis sobaco Poey 254
Dusky Filefish; Lija Colorado, Cantherines pullus (Ranzani) 255
Reticulated Filefish, Monacanthus tuckeri Bean 256
Leather-fish; Lija, Monacanthus ciliatus (Mitchill) 257
Poey’s File-fish, Monacanthus oppositus Poey 258
Common File-fish, Ceratacanthus schoepfi (Walbaum) 259
Scrawled File-fish, Ceratacanthus scripta (Osbeck) 260
Trunk-fish; Rock Shellfish; Drunken-fish; Chopin; Platefish, Lactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus) 261
Illustrations
xi
PAGE
Chopin; Spotted Trunk-fish; Coffre, Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus) 262
Common Trunk-fish; Chopin; Shellfish, Lactophrys trigonus (Linnaeus) .... 262
Cowfish; Cuckold; Toro, Lactophrys tricornis (Linnaeus) 263
Smooth Puffer, Lagocephalus laevigatus Linnaeus 263
Spiny-backed Puffer, Tetraodon marmoratus (Ranzani) 264
Southern Puffer, Tetraodon spengleri (Bloch) 265
Turtle-headed Globefish; Foufou sans piquant; Tambor, Tetraodon testu-
dineus Linnaeus 266
Sharp-nosed Puffer, Canthigaster rostratus (Bloch) 266
Short-spined Porcupine-fish; Foufou avec piquant, Diodon hystrix Linnaeus 268
Long-spined Porcupine-fish, Diodon holacanthus Linnaeus 269
Cuvier’s Burr-fish, Chilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier) 269
Common Frog-fish, Histrio gibbus (Mitchill) 270
Short-tentacled Frogfish, Antennarius inops Poey 271
Long-snouted Batfish, Ogcocephalus vespertilio (Linnaeus) 272
Short-snouted Batfish, Ogcocephalus nasutus, (Cuvier and Valenciennes).. . 273 Reticulated Batfish, Halieuticthys aculeatus (Mitchill) 274
CICHLID FISHES IN THE WEST INDIES WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO HAITI, INCLUDING THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF CICHLASOMA
Figures 269 to 272 inclusive
Fig. 269. Proportions of Cichlasoma haitiensis correlated with growth, and comparison of proportions of Cichlasoma tetr acanthus of
Cuba as recorded by Regan and Eigenmann Face page 288
Fig. 270. Cichlasoma haitiensis Tee-Van. Type specimen. 108 mm.
standard length 294
Fig. 271. Cichlasoma haitiensis. Specimen from Etang Saumatre, Haiti.
100 mm. standard length 296
Fig. 272. Cichlasoma. Specimen from Hinche, Gurabo River, Haiti, with gibbous forehead, standard length 215 mm. This is the largest specimen mentioned in this paper 296
AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE CYPRINODONT FISHES OF HISPANIOLA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES
Figures 273 to 279 inclusive
Fig. 273. Gambusia beebei Myers. Old female, paratype, 93 mm. total
length 306
Fig. 274. Gambusia beebei Myers. Adult male, holotype, 58 mm. total
length 306
Fig. 275. Gambusia beebei Myers. Distal end of gonopodium of holotype 308 Fig. 276. Mollienisia dominicensis (Evermann and Clark). Adult female,
L’Atalaye Plantation, Haiti. Twice natural size 311
Xll
Illustrations
PAGE
Fig. 277. Mollienisia dominicensis (Evermann and Clark). Adult male,
L’Atalaye Plantation, Haiti. Twice natural size 311
Fig. 278. Limia dominicensis (Cuvier and Valenciennes). Female type (cotype) of Poecilia dominicensis Cuvier and Valenciennes.
2l/2 times natural size. The cheek and opercular scales have
fallen off the specimen 313
Fig. 279. Limia dominicensis (Cuvier and Valenciennes). Male type (cotype) of Poecilia dominicensis Cuvier and Valenciennes.
2}/2 times natural size. The cheek and opercular scales have fallen off the specimen 313
ZOOLOGICA
SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
VOLUME X. NUMBER 1
Department of Tropical Research Contribution Number 301
THE FISHES OF PORT-AU-PRINCE BAY, HAITI
With a Summary of the Known Species of Marine Fish of the Island of Haiti and Santo Domingo
By William Beebe, Sc.D. and
John Tee- Van
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK, NEW YORK
December 31, 1928
Nnu fork 2nalngtral jiwtetg
General Ofl5 ce: 101 Park Avenue, New York City
President, Madison Grant;
Honorary President, Henry Fairfield Osborn;
' Vice-Presidents, Frank K. Sturgis; and Henry D. Whiton; Chairman, Executive Committee, Madison Grant;
Treasurer, Cornelius R. Agnew Secretary, William White Niles
loath of DHatmgTra Class of 1929
Henry Fairfield Osborn, George F» Baker, Robert S. Brewster, Ed- ward S. Harkness, William B. Osgood Field, Edwin Thorne, Irving K. Taylor, Harry Payne Bingham, Landon K. Thorne, J. Watson Webb, Oliver D.
Filley De Forest Grant
Class of 1930
Madison Grant, Wm. White Niles, Frank K. Sturgis, Ogden Mills. Lewis R. Morris, Archer M. Huntington, George D. Pratt,
T. Coleman du Pont, Henry D. Whiton, Cornelius R. agnew, Harrison Williams, Marshall Field
Class of 1931
Percy R. Pyne, George Bird Grinnell, Anthony R. Kuser, Mortimer L. Schiff, Frederic C. Walcott, George C. Clark, Jr., W. Red- mond Cross, George Gordon Battle, Henry Fair- field Osborn, Jr., Bayard Dominick, Anson W. Hard, Robert Gordon McKay
i>rmxtifir i>taff
W. Reid Blair, Director of the Zoological Park ;
Charles H. Townsend, Director of the Aquarium ;
C. M. Breder, Jr., Research Associate, Aquarium;
Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of Mammals and Reptiles;
William Beebe, Honorary Curator of Birds and Director of Department of
Tropical Research;
Lee S. Crandall, Curator of Birds;
H. C. Raven, Prosector;
Charles V. Noback, Veterinarian;
tEhttortal (Emnmitt??
Madison Grant, Chairman;
Charles H. Townsend George Bird Grinnell Elwin R. Sanborn, Secretary.
W. Reid Blair William Beebe
Zoologica Vol. X, No. 1.
THE FISHES OF PORT-AU-PRINCE BAY, HAITI*
With a Summary of the Known Species of Marine Fish of the Island of Haiti and Santo Domingo
By William Beebe, Sc.D. and
John Tee-Yan
(Figures 1-268 inclusive and Plate A)
OUTLINE
I. — Introduction with Map 1
II. — Systematic Table of Contents 7
III. — Key to Families 17
IV. — Annotated List of Fish of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti 26
Y. — Marine Fish Recorded from Haiti and Santo Domingo 276
Introduction
The preparing of this annotated account of the marine fishes of the republic of Haiti was the major problem planned on the Tenth Expedition of the Depart- ment of Tropical Research of the New York Zoological Society. As described elsewhere, we operated from a four-masted schooner “The Lieutenant” anchored near shore as a base.
Having learned on numerous expeditions of the value of effort concentrated upon a limited area, we .chose a very definite region. This was the south- eastern corner of Port-au-Prince Bay, which body of water in turn forms an exceedingly small proximal portion of the great Gulf of Gonave. Even here, with the Bizoton shore and the city of Port-au-Prince forming the eastern and southern sides of our area, we did not go farther afield than Sand Cay and Lamentin Reefs, three miles respectively to the north and the west. The exact physical boundaries of this zone may be considered as lying between the parallels 18° 32' and 35' north latitude, and the meridians 72° 22' and 27' west of Greenwich. While almost all ot the species were obtained within this area, a few were purchased at the market from fishermen who had seined them in more distant portions of the bay. The limitation of our zone of activities necessitated the omission of the fresh-water river and lake fish of the families Cichlidae and Poecilidae, which we have reserved for separate consideration. This does not apply to the fresh-water representatives occurring within our zone, of dominantly marine families such as the gobies and sciaenids, which are in- cluded in the list.
If we roughly estimate the shore line of the republic of Haiti at a minimum of eleven hundred miles, we covered in our collecting only one two-hundred-and- twentieth of this. Nevertheless within a period of less than one hundred days, from February 2nd to May 10th, 1927, we secured 6122 specimens of 270 species
* Contribution New York Zoological Society Department of Tropical Research No. 301
1
2 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
of Haitian fish, comprising 84 families. This may well be considered as repre- sentative of the fish fauna of Haiti.
Until now no adequate list of Haitian fishes has existed. The only comparable modern faunal list of West Indian Fishes is “The Fishes of Porto Rico,” by Evermann and Marsh. This was published thirty years ago with a list of 291 species. Dr. Nichols has in preparation a new and up to date list for Porto Rico.
There is no department of fisheries in the present occupational scheme of the Americans in Haiti, so duplicate collections were made for the Service Technique of the Haitian government, and all possible economical information was gathered and put at their disposal.
There is a small open-air fish market in addition to the main fish market at Port-au-Prince, but these cater to only a very small percentage of piscivorous natives. In fact the annual importation of dried, pickled, and canned fish into Haiti amounts annually to fifteen million pounds.
In the gathering of our collection we used every available method, from hook-and-lines to nets, seines, set-traps; air-rifles, harpoons, poisons, dynamite and high explosive bombs dropped from airplanes. On the surface we worked with water buckets and glass-bottomed boats, while diving helmets enabled us to reach an extreme depth of ten fathoms.
Although the present paper is concerned with the marine fishes of the republic of Haiti, yet in ichthyological literature most references refer vaguely to the entire island of Haiti or Santo Domingo. Of this island the Haitian Republic occupies only the western third.
In order to round out the value of our list, we have added a list of all additional marine species recorded from the island as a whole. This brings the total number of marine fish known from the island of Haiti to 324. All of these will, probably, ultimately be taken in the Gulf of Gonave.
The logic of physical distribution demands that, for a moment, we disregard national boundaries and concern ourselves with the location of the island of Haiti. With the exception of Cuba it is the largest of the West Indies and lies between 17° 39' and 20° north latitude, and 68° 20' and 74° 30' west longitude. The Atlantic Ocean bounds it on the north and the Caribbean Sea on the south, and it lies almost exactly between Cuba and Porto Rico, separated from them respectively by the Windward and Mona Passages. Cuba is less than sixty miles distant, with the northern portion of the Bartlett Deep pushing up between to a depth of 1983 fathoms. In the other direction Porto Rico is seventy miles away, connected to Haiti by a bank averaging 250 to 300 fathoms deep.
As to the topography of the restricted area of our operations, it lies almost wholly on the littoral platform which borders much of the coast. The maximum depth of Port-au-Prince Bay is 85 fathoms, but this does not occur nearer than forty miles from our station. Our greatest depth was 20 fathoms, but the whole locality was very irregular in contour, with numerous cays and coral reefs lying awash or occasionally rising above the surface. The senior author, in his study of reef ecology, was able to distinguish eight more or less distinct zones from the shore outward, the enumeration of which, in the present connection, will suffice:
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti 3
1. — Fresh-water streams and springs flowing into the bay.
2. — High-tidal, land-locked, salt-water lagoons.
3. — Inter-tidal zone of mangroves and mud.
4. — Submerged shallows of bare sand and hairy algae.
5. — Thalassia growth, pure culture and transition.
6. — Typical coral reef.
7. — Deeps below coral growth.
8. — Surface Nekton and Plankton, diurnal and nocturnal.
In the make-up of this paper we have followed a definite arrangement, one which has stood protracted use in the field in connection with the fresh-water fishes of British Guiana and the oceanic collections of the Arcturus. The following table shows the sequence of treatment:
Names.
References (The type reference and a good recent account).
Field Characters for identification at sight.
Description, Size and Weight, Color.
General Range.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay.
Abundance. Method of Capture.
Food. Enemies.
Proportion of Sexes.
Size at Maturity.
Spawning Season.
Eggs. Young.
General Habits.
Study Material — Drawings, Photographs, Specimens.
The republishing of complete descriptions of the species represented in Haiti seemed to be needless, and anyone interested can be connected with the literature of the species through the second reference mentioned under each fish.
We have gone to considerable trouble in providing illustrations of every species, using the same type of outline drawing as Nichols and Breder in their “Marine Fishes of New York,” and we have to thank them for the use of 69 of their electrotypes. These illustrations, with the exception of those of new species, are to be regarded as character sketches made as accurately as possible. Owing to their size, fin rays are in most cases only indicated, although whenever possible the correct number has been shown.
During our stay in Haiti the American High Commissioner and his wife, General and Mrs. John H. Russell lost no opportunity to aid our work, and in this they were heartily seconded by President and Madame Borno. A complete list of those who rendered valuable assistance would require a roll-call of the entire American Force of Occupation — aviators, scientists, officers of the marines and heads of all departments. In particular we must mention Commander V. Wood and Dr. George Freeman.
The expedition was made possible by the generosity of the following members of the New York Zoological Society:
4
Haiti in relation to the West Indies.
Haiti showing localities where collections were made. The black rectangle shows the position and extent of the large
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 5
We are indebted to the following institutions for the loan of specimens for comparison: — the U. S. National Museum, the Bingham Oceanographical Collection of the Peabody Museum through Mr. A. E. Parr, and the American Museum of Natural History through Mr. John T. Nichols. We are especially grateful to the last named gentleman, to Dr. E. W. Gudger of the American Museum and Mr. C. M. Breder, Jr. of the New York Aquarium for advice and suggestions. We would also like to thank Dr. S. F. Hildebrand for the use of the manuscript and page proof of the third part of “The Marine Fishes of Panama. ”
We are also indebted to Floyd Crosby for photographs of fishes, to Helen Tee-Van for colored plates made in the field, to Fritz Maximilian of the Service Technique of Haiti, who was assigned to us by Dr. Freeman to assist in making drawings, and to Edith Thane for some of the line drawings.
Additional information as to the general environment, and the activities of the Haitian Expedition may be found in the following publications which have already appeared:
“Beneath Tropic Seas,” by William Beebe (Putnams), 1928
“The Haitian Expedition,” Zoological Society Bulletin, Vol. XXX, No. 5,
George F. Baker John C. Berwind Robert Brewster Coleman du Pont Marshall Field
Anthony R. Kuser Ogden Mills Lewis R. Morris George D. Pratt Mortimer L. Schiff Frederic C. Walcott
Edward S. Harkness
Harrison Williams
September, 1927.
Systematic Table of Contents
A. Class ELASMOBRANCHII
I. Order Euselachii Page
Family I. Orectolobidae
Ginglymostoma cirratum 26
Family II. Galeorhinidae
Galeorhinus sp 26
Family III. Carcharhinidae
Scoliodon terrae-novae 27
Carcharhinus limbatus 28
Carcharhinus falciformis 28
Family IV. Sphyrnidae
Sphyrna zygaena 29
II. Order Batoidei
Family V. Dasyatidae
Urobatis sloani 30
Family VI. Myliobatidae
Aetobatus narinari 31
Family VII. Mobulidae
Manta birostris 32
B. Class PISCES
III. Order Isospondyli Family VIII. Elopidae
Elops saurus 32
Family IX. Megalopidae
Tarpon atlanticus 33
Family X. Albulidae
Albula vulpes . , 37
Family XI. Clupeidae
Clupanodon pseudohispanicus 39
Sardinella sardina . 40
Sardinella macrophthalmus 41
Opisthonema oglinum 42
Chirocentrodon taeniatus 43
Family XII. Dussumieriidae
Jenkinsia lamprotaenia 43
Family XIII. Engraulidae
Anchoviella epsetus 46
Anchoviella choerostoma 47
Anchoviella lyolepis . 47
Anchoviella longipinna 48
Cetengraulis edentulus 49
7
8 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
IV. Order Apodes Page
Family XIV. Anguillidae
Anguilla rostrata 50
Family XV. Muraenesocidae
Muraenesox savanna 51
Family XVI. Echelidae
Ahlia egmontis 51
Family XVII. Ophichthyidae
Myrichthys oculatus 52
Myrichthys acuminatus 53
Family XVIII. Muraenidae
Gymnothorax funebris 54
Gymnothorax vicinus 54
Gymnothorax moringa 55
Leptocephalid Larvae
Leptocephalus latus 56
Leptocephalus mucronatus 57
Leptocephalus michael-sarsi 58
Leptocephalus microphthalmus 58
Leptocephalus rex 59
V. Order Iniomi
Family XIX. Synodontidae
Synodus intermedius 60
Synodus foetens 60
Trachinocephalus my ops 62
VI. Order Synentognathi Family XX. Belonidae
Strongylura raphidoma 63
Ablennes hians 65
Family XXI. Hemiramphidae
Hemiramphus brasiliensis 66
Hyporhamphus unifasciatus 69
Euleptorhamphus velox 71
Family XXII. Exocoetidae
Parexocoetus mesog aster 72
Cypselurus bahiensis 72
VII. Order Anacanthini
Family XXIII. Bregmacerotidae
Bregmaceros atlanticus 73
VIII. Order Heterosomata Family XXIV. Bothidae
Platophrys lunatus 74
Syacium micrurum 74
Citharichthys uhleri 75
Citharichthys spilopterus 76
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
9
Family XXV. Achiridae Page
Achirus lineatus 76
Family XXVI. Cynoglossidae
Symphurus plagusia 77
IX. Order Berycoidei
Family XXVII. Holocentridae
Myripristis jacobus 78
Holocentrus ascensionis 79
Holocentrus coruscus 80
Holocentrus vexillarius 82
Flammeo marianus . 82
X. Order Thoracostei
Family XXVIII. Syngnathidae
Hippocampus punctulatus 83
Doryrhamphus lineatus 84
Syngnathus mackayi 84
Syngnathus rousseau 85
Syngnathus elucens 85
XI. Order Aulostomi
Family XXIX. Aulostomidae
Aulostomus maculatus 86
Family XXX. Fistulariidae
Fistularia tabacaria 87
XII. Order Percomorphi Family XXXI. Atherinidae
Hepsetia stipes 88
Atherina harringtonensis area 89
Family XXXII. Mugilidae
Mugil curema 90
Agonostomus monticola. . 91
Agonostomus microps 92
Family XXXIII. Sphyraenidae
Sphyraena barracuda 93
Sphyraena guachancho 94
Sphyraena picudilla 95
Family XXXIV. Polynemidae
Polynemus virginicus 96
Family XXXV. Scombridae
Scomberomorus regalis 97
Scomberomorus maculatus 97
Family XXXVI. Thunnidae
Gymnosarda alletterata 99
Auxis t hazard 99
Parathunnus obesus 100
10
Zoologica: N. Y . Zoological Society
Family XXXVII. Trichiuridae
Trichiurus Upturns
Family XXXVIII. Coryphaenidae
Coryphaena hippurus
Family XXXIX. Stromateidae
Peprilus paru
Family XL. Nomeidae
Nomeus gronovii
Family XLI. Carangidae
Decapterus punctatus
Selar crumenophthalmus
Caranx hippos
Caranx bartholamaei
Caranx latus
Caranx ruber
Caranx crysos
Chloroscombrus chrysurus
Oligoplites saurus
Alectis ciliaris
Vomer setapinnis cubensis
Selene vomer
Trachinotus falcatus
Trachinotus glaucus
Naucrates ductor
Family XLII. Amiidae
Amia binotatus
Amia pigmentarius
Apogonichthys stellatus
Family XLIII. Centropomidae
Centropomus pectinatus
Centropomus undecimalis
Centropomus ensiferus
Family XLIV. Epinephelidae
Cephalopholis fulvus ruber
Cephalopholis fulvus punctatus . . . Petrometopon cruentatus coronatus
Mycteroperca venenosa apua
Epinephelus mono
Epinephelus striatus
Epinephelus guttatus
Garrupa nigrita
Promicrops itaiara
Alphestes afer
Rypticus bornoi
Rypticus coriaceus
Family XLV. Serranidae
Paranthias furcifer
[X; 1
Page . 100
, 101
. 102
, 103
. 104 . 105 . 106 . 107 . 108 , 109 . 109 . 110 . 112
113
114
114
115 117
117
118 119 121
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128 128
129
130
130
131
132
133
134
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 11
Page
Hypoplectrus unicolor 135
Prionodes tigrinus 139
Prionodes tabacarius 141
Eudulus dispilurus 142
Family XLVI. Pseudochromidae
Gramma hemigymnos 143
Family XLVII. Priacanthidae
Priacanthus arenatus 144
Family XLVIII. Lobotidae
Lobotes surinamensis 145
Family XL -X. Lutianidae.
Lutianus analis 147
Lutianus synagris 148
Lutianus campeachanus 150
Lutianus jocu 150
Lutianus apodus 151
Lutianus griseus 152
Ocyurus chrysurus 152
Rhomboplites aurorubens 153
Family L. Pomadasidae
Conodon nobilis '. 154
B athy stoma rimator 155
Bathy stoma striatum 156
Brachygenys chrysargeus 157
H aemulon flavolineatum 158
Haemulon plumieri 158
H aemulon sciurus 159
Haemulon macrostomum 160
Haemulon bonariense 160
Pomadasys corvinaeformis 161
Pomadasys crocro 161
Anisotremus virginicus 162
Family LI. Sparidae
Calamus calamus 163
Calamus proridens 164
Calamus bajonado 164
Calamus arctifrons 165
Archosargus unimaculatus 166
Family LII. Kyphosidae
Kyphosus sectatrix 166
Family LI II. Gerridae
Eucinostomus gula 167
Eucinostomus calif orniensis 168
Ulaema lefroyi 168
Gerres cinereus 169
Diapterus rhombeus 170
/ ' ' ■
12 Zoologica: N.. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
Family LIV. Mullidae Page
U peneus maculatus 171
Upeneus martinicus 171
Family LV. Sciaenidae
M icropogon furnieri 172
Stellifer colonensis 173
Bairdiella ronchus 174
Eques punctatus 174
Eques lanceolatus • 175
Larimus breviceps 176
Odontoscion dentex 176
Family LVI. Otolithidae
Cynoscion jamaicensis 177
Family LVII. Malacanthidae
Malacanthus plumieri 177
Family LVI1I. Chaetodipteridae
Chaetodipterus faber 178
Family LIX. Chaetodontidae
Chaetodon striatus 179
Chaetodon capistratus , 180
Pomacanthus arcuatus 181
Pomacanthus paru 182
Holacanthus tricolor 182
Angelichthys ciliaris 183
Family LX. J.canthuridae
Acanthurus coeruleus 184
Acanthurus bahianus 184
Acanthurus hepatus 185
XIII. Order Cataphracti Family LXI. Scorpaenidae
Scorpaena plumieri , 186
Scorpaena brasiliensis 187
Scorpaena grandicornis 187
Scorpaena isthmensis 188
Scorpaenodes russelli 189
Family LXII. Triglidae
Prionotus punctatus 191
Family LXIII. Cephalacanthidae
Cephalacanthus volitans 191
XIV. Order Chromides
Family LXIV. Pomacentridae
Chromis cyaneus 193
Chromis marginatus 194
Pomacentrus fuscus 195
Pomacentrus freemani 196
Abudefduf saxatilis 198
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 13
Page
Microspathodon chrysurus 199
Microspathodon niveatus . . . . 200
XV. Order Pharyngognathi Family LXV. Labridae
Lachnolaimus maximus 201
Bodianus rufa 201
Clepticus parrae 202
Family LX VI. Corid ae
Halichoeres caudalis 203
Halichoeres radiatus 203
Halichoeres garnoti 204
Thallasoma bifasciatus 205
Thalassoma nitidus 205
Doratonotus megalepis 206
Family LXVII. Scaridae
Cryptotomus ustus 207
S earns taeniopterus . 208
Scarus punctulatus 209
Scams croicensis. 209
Pseudoscarus guacamai 210
Pseudoscarus coelestinus 211
Pseudoscarus pleianus 211
Sparisoma abildgaardi 213
Sparisoma chrysopterum 214
Sparisoma aurofrenatum 214
Sparisoma viride 215
Sparisoma radians 215
Sparisoma squalidum 216
Sparisoma flavescens 216
Sparisoma brachiale 217
XVI. Order Gobioidea
Family LXVIII. Eleotridae
Gobiomorus dormitator 218
Dormitator maculatus . . 219
Leptophilypnus crocodilus 219
Family LXIX. Gobiidae
Bathygobius soporator 221
Chonophorus taiasica 221
Gobius fasciatus v. 222
Gobius oceanicus 222
Evermannichthys metzelaari 223
Gobiosoma horsti 224
Gobiosoma macrodov 226
14 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
XVII. Order Discocephali Page
Family LXX. Echeneididae
Echeneis naucrates 227
XVIII. Order Jugulares
Family LXXI. Clinidae
Gillias jordani 229
Malacoctenus biguttatus 229
Labrisomus nuchipinnis 231
Labrisomus haitiensis 232
Labrisomus albigenys 233
Acteis moorei 235
Brannerella culebrae 236
Cremnobates argus 238
Cremnobates fajardo 239
Auchenistius stahli 240
Family LXXII. Blenniidae
Rupiscartes atlanticus 242
Ophioblennius ferox 242
Family LXXII I. Emblemariidae
Acanthemblemaria arborescens 244
Acanthemblemaria variegata 247
Family LXXIV. Chaenopsidae
Stathmonotus corallicola 249
Family LXXV. Ophidiidae
Lepidophidium brevibarbe 251
XIX. Order Xenopterygii Family LXXVI. Gobiesocidae
Gobiesox macrophthalmus 251
Arbaciosa rupestris 252
Arbaciosa sp r 252
XX. Order Plectognathi Family LXXVII. Balistidae
Balistes vetula 253
Canthidermis sobaco 254
Family LXXVIII. Monacanthidae
Cantherines pullus 255
Monacanthus tuckeri 256
Monacanthus ciliatus 257
Monacanthus oppositus 258
Ceratacanthus schoepfi 259
Ceratacanthus scripta 260
Family LXXIX. Ostraciidae
Lactophrys triqueter
Lactophrys bicaudalis
261
262
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti 15
Page
Lactophrys trigonus 262
Lactophrys tricornis 263
Family LXXX. Tetraodontidae
Lagocephalus laevigatus 263
Tetraodon marmoratus 264
Tetraodon spengleri 265
Tetraodon testudineus 266
Family LXXXI. Canthigasteridae
Canthigaster rostratus 266
Family LXXXII. Diodontidae
Diodon hystrix 268
Diodon holacanthus . 269
Chilomycterus antennatus 269
XXI. Order Pediculati
Family LXXXI II, Antennariidae
Histrio gibbus 270
Antennarius inops 271
Family LXXXIV. Ogcocephalidae
Ogcocephalus vespertilio 272
Ogcocephalus nasulus 273
Halieulichthys aculealus 274
16
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X
The following new species are described in this paper:
Anchoviella longipinna Leptocephalus microphthalmus Rypticus bornoi Scorpaenodes russelli Pomacentrus freemani Leptophilypnus crocodilus Gobiosoma macrodon Labrisomus haitiensis Labrisomus albigenys Cremnobates argus Ophioblennius ferox Acanthemblemaria arbor escens Acanthemblemaria variegata Stathmonotus corallicola
KEY TO FAMILIES OF PORT-AU-PRINCE BAY
NOTE. — These keys do not attempt to show relationships and are in the widest sense artificial. In scope they treat only of the locality and species mentioned in this paper, and will not necessarily work in other localities, either for the families or species.
To identify a fish, start at Key A under No. 1 and see which of the two alter- natives the specimen fits best. Then go to the number or Key indicated at the end of the proper alternative, and continue the process until a family name is reached.
The keys to the genera and species are slightly different from this key to fam- ilies, and in these the alternatives are labelled A, AA; B, BB, etc. With these keys choose the alternative A or AA according to which one fits best. Then decide between the pair of alternatives immediately under the chosen one, regardless of what the letter may be, — thus under BB the next pair of alternatives may be D and DD. Continue this until the species is reached. Comparison of the fish with the illustration and the field characters ought to determine whether it is actually that species or whether it represents a form not found by us.
The accompanying diagram and notes illustrate most of the characters used in identification.
CIRRI
NOSTRILS
BEAK oRj
BILL"^ /PR$ m^RECTORAL ^
FINLETS
ADIPOSE FIN
•®3r&
^CAUDAL
BARBEL
OILL
SUBORBITAL OPENING pr^wir STAY r e&VIG
D,AY ^ or VENTRAL
BASAL FIN
PROCESS X. W
■PRENAXILLARV SUPPLEMENTAL MAXILLARY
^•MAXILLARY
CAUDAL
PEDUNCLE
vV
VOMER
PALATINES
ROOF OF MOUTH
Because a fish continues to grow all during its life and does not reach a definite maximum size as a bird or mammal does, absolute measurements as to length, size of head, depth, etc., are of very little value. Because of this, dimensions are stated in terms of proportion. Thus, Head 3.4 means that the length of the head goes into the body length 3.4 times. Depth of body and size of head are compared to the body length, while eye, maxillary and smaller measurements are compared to the head.
Actual measurements of a fish are taken in a straight line, as with a pair of di- viders. The standard length is taken from the snout to the base of the caudal fin. When total length is mentioned it includes the caudal fin. Depth is the greatest vertical distance from the upper to the lower contour of the body. The
17
18
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X; 1
length of the head is from the snout to the most posterior point of the opercle, exclusive of spines which may project further backward. The diameter of the eye is its greatest diameter. The maxillary is measured from the tip of the snout to the posterior edge of the maxillary. The interorbital space is the least distance from eye to eye, measured across the top of the head. The snout is measured from its tip to the front of the eye.
The pectoral and the pelvic or ventral fins are paired, while all others are single and found only along the midline of the body. The shapes and positions of these fins vary tremendously and one or more may be completely lacking. Thus the dorsal may be a continuous fin or divided so as to form 2 or 3 fins; it may be followed by finlets. The ventral fins occasionally are found beneath the lower jaw. The adipose fin is small, placed on the posterior dorsal surface and contains neither spines nor rays.
The supporting elements of the fins are usually quite constant in number, and their number is often of importance in classification. These elements are of two types — spines, which are rigid, solid and sharp-pointed; and rays, which are segmented, flexible and often branched at their tips. In descriptions the spines are denoted by a Roman numeral and the rays in Arabic.
Gill rakers are bony excrescences found regularly placed along the gill arches in some fishes. The isthmus is the portion of the body extending forward on the ventral side, just between the gill covers. The gill membranes often cover it or are attached to it. The nictitating membrane is a membrane which can be drawn up over the eye — it is found in some of the Haitian sharks.
Key A
1. — Fishes with cartilaginous skeletons and with more than one gill opening
on each side of the body (Sharks, Rays, Skates, Mantas)
See Key B, p. 23
—Fishes with bony skeletons and with a single external gill-opening on
each side 2
2. — Bones of the head fused into a tubular snout, with the jaws at the tip.
See Key C, p. 23
— No tubular snout 3
3. — A sucking disk placed either on the dorsal surface of the head, or on the
belly, the latter formed, partly or entirely by the ventral fins.
See Key D, p. 24
—No sucking disk on head or belly 4
4. — Body enclosed in a hard bony box, only the fins and the caudal peduncle
freely movable; ventral fins absent; dorsal fin single, of soft rays only.
Ostraciidae, p. 261
— Body not enclosed in a bony box and with the above mentioned characters.
5
5. — One or both jaws prolonged into a long bill See Key E, p. 24
— Jaws not prolonged into a bony bill 6
6. — Pectoral fins enlarged, forming conspicuous “ wings”. . .See Key F, p. 24
— Pectoral fins not forming wings, not especially enlarged or wide 7
7. — Eels: Body very elongate, more or less snake-like; premaxillaries rudi-
mentary or wanting; ventral fins wanting; no spines in the fins; gill
openings not especially large See Key G, p. 24
— Without the above characters 8
8. — Fishes with the carpal bones greatly elongated, forming an arm, which
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
19
supports the rather broad pectoral fin; gill openings reduced to a small
opening situated near the base of the arm 9
— Fishes without the above series of characters 10
9. — Body more or less compressed, not depressed; mouth large, terminal,
nearly vertical Antennariidae, p. 270
— Body depressed, skin sometimes with bony tubercles or spines; mouth small, usually inferior Ogcocephalidae, p. 271
10. — Fishes which lie flat on one side, with both eyes on the other side; upper
side dark, lower side pale See Key H, p. 25
— Fishes with one eye on each side of the body . 11
11. — Ventral fins present. 12
— Ventral fins absent 53
12. — Ventral fins placed on. the abdominal portion of the body 13
—Ventral fins placed on the thoracic or subjugular part of the body, i. e.,
placed below, or in front of the base of the pectoral fins 14
13. — Dorsal fin single, composed of rays only, or rarely with a very small
spine just anterior to fin. ..... . See Key I, p. 25
— Dorsal fins 2, the anterior composed of spines, the posterior chiefly of soft rays See Key J, p. 25
14. — Ventral fins with definitely one spine and five rays 15
— Ventral fins with number of spines and rays not definitely one spine and
five rays. (Occasionally the ventral fins may resemble barbels and be found near the chin) 46
15. — Lateral line absent; spinous portion of dorsal fin least developed; caudal
fin rounded or pointed Eleotridae, p. 217
— Without the above combination of characters 16
16. — Suborbital with a bony stay extending across the cheek; cheeks sometimes
mailed 17
— No suborbital stay across the cheeks; cheeks not mailed 18
17. — Lowermost rays of pectoral fin detached; head bony and hard. . Triglidae,
p. 191
— Pectoral fins entire, no detached rays; head large, with prominent ridges;
body and head often with dermal flaps Scorpaenidae, p. 185
18. — Some or all of the dorsal or anal spines disconnected, the former depressible in a groove .19
— Dorsal spines, if present, all or nearly all connected by membrane .... 20
19. — Anal fin preceded by two free, rather short spines (sometimes obsolete
in the very old and joined by membrane in the very young) ; oesophagus normal, without teeth; preopercle entire; teeth, if present, moderate; caudal fin broadly forked; often with a series of enlarged scales along
the posterior part of the sides Carangidae, p. 103
— Anal fin long, not preceded by free spines, with 3 or more connected spines; ventral fins sometimes wanting in adults; oesophagus provided with lateral sacs which are toothed internally Stromateidae, p. 102
20. — Dorsal and anal fins followed by a series of detached finlets; anal fin not
preceded by free spines; caudal peduncle with a prominent lateral keel;
20
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[X; 1
caudal fin broadly forked 21*
— Dorsal and anal fins not followed by finlets 22
21. — More than 20 gill rakers on the lower limb of the 1st gill arch; rather
robust fishes with the anterior part of the body in a corselet.
Thunnidae , p. 98
—Fewer than 20 gill rakers on the lower limb of the 1st gill arch; teeth in jaws rather strong, somewhat compressed, sometimes triangular, with sharp cutting edges; no corselet; elongate rather slim fishes.
Scombridae, p. 97
22. — Ventral fins broad, very large and black; small fishes growing to 6 or 8
inches long with very conspicuous vertical dark cross bands; found only in the company of Portuguese Man-of-War. . . .Nomeidae, p. 103 — Without the above combination of characters 23
23. — Caudal peduncle armed with a strong spine, capable of being turned
outward A canthuridae, p . 183
— Caudal peduncle not armed with a strong spine 24
24. — Two long unbranched barbels on the lower surface of the under jaw.
Mullidae, p. 171
— Throat without two long barbels 25
25. — A single nostril on each side of the head; lateral line ending under the
soft dorsal fin; anal fin with 2 spines Pomacentridae, p. 192
— Two nostrils on each side of head 26
26. — Lateral line extending to tip of middle rays of caudal fin 27
— Lateral line not extending onto the caudal fin 29
27. — 3 anal spines, the second usually strong; dorsal fins separate.
Centropomidae, p. 121
— One or two anal spines, dorsal fins deeply notched 28
28. — Preopercular margin with a membranous border, never with bony serrae;
upper jaw with a pair of very large canines at the tip, these usually curved inward and backward, one of them often obsolete.
Otolithidae, p. 177
1 — Preopercular margin with bony serrae or at least with one or more spines, or membranous without spines and without large canines at the tip of the lower jaw .Sciaenidae, p. 172
29. — Gills Sy2 (half of the gill-filaments of the last arch missing) the slit behind
the last arch very small or wanting (Parrot-fish and Wrasses) .... 30 — Gills 4; a long slit behind the last one 32
30. — Teeth in jaws coalesced at the sides, usually forming a continuous cutting
edge, and with an evident median suture between the groups of teeth
of each side of the jaw Scaridae, p. 207
— Teeth in the jaws nearly or quite distinct, some of the anterior ones enlarged and forming canines 31
31. — Dorsal fin with 11 to 14 spines Labridae, p. 200
* Occasionally the dolphins (Coryphaenidae) have the dorsal rays broken up into ‘ ‘finlets.” This family may be readily separated from the two families mentioned under 21 by having the dorsal fin beginning on the head. Also a few of the Carangidae have finlets; this family may be recognized by the two free spines before the anal fin.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
21
— Dorsal fin with 8 to 9 spines Coridae, p. 202
32. — Teeth setiform like the teeth of a brush or at least very slender, movable;
body very short and deep; soft fins completely scaled; gill-membranes
attached to the isthmus 33
— Teeth not very slender or bristle-like, usually fixed; gill-membranes free from the isthmus or nearly so 34
33. — Spinous and soft dorsal fins continuous; teeth numerous, slender, bristle-like
Chaetodontidae, p. 179
— Dorsal fins deeply notched or divided; teeth slender, but scarcely bristle- like Ephippidae, p. 178
34. — Upper jaw extremely protractile, the basal process of the premaxillary
very long, entering a groove at top of the cranium just underneath
the skin; scales large, silvery Gerridae, p. 167
— Premaxillaries moderately or not at all protractile 35
35. — Dorsal fin very long, beginning on the head, no definite spines; caudal
fin widely forked Coryphaenidae, p. 101
— Dorsal fin shorter, not beginning on the head, the anterior portion with spines, either very weak or well developed 36
36. — Dorsal spines very weak, 6 in number, the spinous dorsal very low and
forming but a very small portion of the very long dorsal fin; elongate fishes with conical head furnished with fairly large curved conical teeth; tail crescentic, the tips produced into filaments. .Malacanthidae, p. 177 — Dorsal spines strong, usually greater in number, in one case less than 6 37
37. — Anal spines 2; dorsal fins well separated; scales large. . . .Amiidae, p. 118
— Anal spines 3; dorsal fin continuous or rarely divided 38
38. — Maxillary not or only partly sheathed by the preorbital bone; opercles
usually ending in one or two flat spines 39
— Maxillary slipping for the most part under the preorbital and more or less completely shielded by the latter; opercle without spines 43
39. — Vomer without teeth; dorsal fin continuous; soft dorsal and anal fin
large, almost as large as the caudal fin Lobotidae, p. 145
-^-Vomer and palatines usually with teeth 40
40. — Anal fin nearly as long as the dorsal and similar to it; head and body
everywhere with rough scales; body rather deep, compressed; post- ocular part of head shortened; scarlet fish with large eyes.
Priacanthidae, p. 144
— Anal fin shorter than dorsal; head not everywhere covered with rough scales, body usually quite elongate and generally more or less compressed; postocular part of head not shortened 41
41. — Supplemental maxillary (a small bone found lying along the upper edge
of the maxillary) present Epinephilidae, p. 124
— Supplemental maxillary bone absent 42
42. — Lateral line continuous, parallel more or less with the back.
Serranidae, p. 133
— Lateral line running close to the back, interrupted below center of soft dorsal fin and continued again lower down on the center of the caudal peduncle Pseudochromidae, p. 143
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43. — Teeth on jaws not all incisors, canines or molars present; alimentary
canal comparatively short; carnivorous fishes 44
— Teeth on anterior part of jaws incisors; no molars or canines; alimentary canal very long; herbivorous fishes Kyphosidae, p. 166
44. — Vomer with teeth, these sometimes very small; teeth in jaws usually
unequal, some of them more or less canine-like .. Lutianidae, p. 146 — Vomer without teeth 45
45. — Teeth on sides of jaws not molar-like, all pointed but with no marked
canines; preopercle usually serrate Haemulidae , p. 154
— Teeth on sides of jaws molar-like, the anterior teeth conical or more or less incisor-like; preopercle entire Sparidae, p. 163
46. — Ventral fins with more than five rays; body covered with firm, strongly
serrated scales; anal fin with 4 strong spines Holocentridae, p. 78
— Ventral fin with fewer than five rays 47
47. — Dorsal fin with soft rays only1 48
— Dorsal fin consisting of spines only, or partly of spines or at least of simple
unbranched rays 49
48. — Dorsal fin single, continuous around the caudal with the anal fin.
Ophidiidae, p. 251
— Dorsal fin double, the anterior fin a single ray placed on the posterior part of the head, widely separated from the second dorsal fin; ventral fins long Bregmacerotidae, p. 73
49. — Pectoral fins divided into two parts, the anterior part nearly as long
as the head, composed of about six rays, the other part produced, reach- ing nearly to base of caudal in adult (shorter in young), used as organs
of flight . .Cephalacanthidae, p. 191
— Pectoral fins not divided; dorsal spines usually numerous, gill membranes usually more or less united to the isthmus 50
50. — Body with scales Clinidae, p. 228
— Body without scales. ... r 51
51. — Dorsal fin composed of spines only Chaenopsidae, p. 249
— Dorsal fin composed of rays or of spines and rays 52
52. — Top of head not covered with short spines Blennidae, p. 241
— Top of head covered, especially anteriorly, with short, forward pointing
thick-set spines Emblemariidae, p. 244
53. — Gill membranes free from the isthmus 54
— Gill membranes broadly united to the isthmus 55
54. — Body extremely elongate, band shaped, tapering posteriorly; no scales;
caudal fin wanting Trichiuridae, p. 100
— Body compressed, rather short, rounded, with a caudal fin . . Stromateidae,
p. 102
55. — Dorsal fins 2, the anterior of 1 to 3 spines and inserted just behind the
cranium, the posterior one separate and composed of soft rays only;
body short and deep, much compressed 56
— Dorsal fin continuous, composed of soft rays only 57
56. — First dorsal with 3, rarely 2, spines, the first spine very large, the second
1 The family Emblemariidae under No. 52, may at times be judged to fall under this heading.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
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locking it when erected; scales rather large, bony, forming a coat of mail.
Balistidae, p. 253
— First dorsal fin with a single spine with a rudiment at the base; scales minute, bearing very slender spines making the surface of the body rough velvety Monacanthidae, p. 254
57. — Teeth in each jaw divided by a median suture; body not covered with
large bony spines, naked or with small prickles. . 58
— Teeth in each jaw undivided, no median suture; body covered with strong bony spines Diodontidae, p. 267
58. — Nostrils without a distinct tube or tentacle; a single opening on each
side; back compressed and produced into a short prominence over the
pectoral fins Canthig aster idae, p. 266
— Nostrils with a distinct tube or tentacle back rounded, not compressed.
Tetraodontidae, p. 263
Key B
Sharks, Skates, Rays, etc.
1. — Body fusiform in shape, pectoral fins not attached to the head; gill openings
at side of body (Sharks) 2
— Head and body depressed and disk-like; gill-openings on under side of body; tail slender, usually with one or more serrated spines (Rays, Stingarees, Skates, Mantas) 5
2. — Nictitating membrane absent; nostrils with a naso-oral groove and with
a prominent barbel; first dorsal fin inserted over the ventrals.
Orectolobidae, p. 26
— Nictitating membrane present 3
3. — Teeth depressed, paved, several series functioning. . .Galeorhinidae, p. 26 — Teeth more or less compressed, triangular, one or two series functioning . . 4
4. — Head normally shaped, not expanded and hammer-shaped.
Car char inidae, p. 27
— Head expanded, hammer-shaped; the eyes at the outer extremities of the
head Sphyrnidae, p. 29
5. — Disk subcircular, no cephalic appendages Dasyatidae, p. 30
— Disk broad and angular, the outer tips produced into “wings’’ 6
6. — Head produced into a rostral process; no cephalic appendages.
Myliobatidae, p. 31
— Head with two long, rather broad, horn-like appendages.
Mobulidae, p. 32
Key C
1. — Spinous dorsal fin present; small ctenoid scales present.
Aulostomidae , p. 86
— Spinous dorsal fin absent 2
2. — Middle rays of caudal fin prolonged into a long filament. Body scaleless,
but with bony plates on various parts of the body mostly covered with skin Fistularidae, p. 87
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— Middle rays of caudal fin, when present, not produced into a long fila- ment; body hard, leathery, sometimes tubercular, marked off into segments; shaped either slender and with head in line with body (pipe- fishes), or robust with head at right angles to body (sea-horses).
Syngnathidae, p. 83
Key D
1. — Sucking disk placed on top of the head and formed of lamellae.
Echeneididae , p. 227
— Sucking disk placed on the belly 2
2. — Sucking disk formed by the ventral fins alone, the fins of the right and
left sides connected together as one fin, with a velum across their base,
forming a “cup”: Gobiidae, p. 220
— Sucking disk formed only partly by the ventral fins, the fins usually con- fined to the sides of the disk; dorsal fins composed of soft rays only.
Gobiesocidae , p. 251
Key E1
1. — Both jaws equally elongated Belonidae , p. 63
— Lower jaw only elongated, the upper short. Hemirhamphidae, p. 66
Key F
1. — Dorsal fin single, composed of soft rays only and situated quite far back
on the body. Exocoetidae, p. 72
— Dorsal fin composed of spines and rays, the former sometimes very slender.
2
2. — Ventral fins with 1 spine and 5 rays; 3 lowermost rays of the pectoral
fins free and separate, the remainder of the fin sometimes quite long; head bony and rough, but without the exceptionally long spines mentioned below. (These fish do not fly, but they have been included here because of the size of the pectoral fins, which are sometimes quite long.)
Triglidae, p. 191
— Ventral rays fewer than 5; the pectoral fins in two parts, the anterior part nearly as long as the head, composed of about 6 rays, the other part produced and reaching nearly to the caudal in adult, shorter in the young; head bony, a long bony process ending in a sharp spine extending from nape to or beyond the dorsal fin; preopercle extending backward as a long spine Cephalacanthidae, p. 191
Key G
1. — Skin covered with rudimentary scales which are embedded and placed at right angles to each other; mouth terminal, the lower jaw somewhat
projecting; teeth in bands on the jaws and vomer Anguillidae , p. 50
— Scales absent 2
1 Some of the flying fishes, Exocoetidae, especially the young, occasionally have elongate bills.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 25
2. — Gill openings well developed; tongue present; pectoral fins usually present.
3
— Gill openings very small; pectoral fins absent; tongue absent; skin thick, leathery. Muraenidae , p. 53
3. — Tip of tail with distinct fin rays, the dorsal and anal fins usually confluent
around it 4
— Tip of tail without fin rays, the dorsal and anal fins not extending around it, the tip ending in a hard, horny point Ophichthyidae, p. 52
4. — Body fairly robust, not worm-like; posterior nostril situated entirely above
the upper lip; tongue rather narrow; vomerine teeth well developed;
head conical, somewhat pike-like Muraenesocidae, p. 5 1
— Body slim and very long, worm-like; the posterior nostril situated in the upper lip Echelidae, p. 51
Key H
1. — Eyes large and well separated; preopercular margin usually distinct and
not hidden by skin and scales .Bothidae, p. 73
— Eyes small, close together; preopercular margin adnate, hidden by skin and scales 2
2. — Body short and ovate; the eyes and color on the right side . . . Achiridae , p. 76 — Body elongate, more or less lanceolate; the eyes and color on the left side.
Cynoglossidae, p. 77
Key I
1. — Adipose fin absent; head not lizard-like .2
— -Adipose fin present; mouth large; head lizard-like in shape; body more or
less cylindrical, tapering from the head backward. . . Synodontidae, p. 60
2. — A bony plate between the arms of the lower jaw 3
— No bony plate between the arms of the lower jaw 4
3. — Scales very large; lateral line decurved; last ray of the dorsal fin elongate.
Megalopidae, p. 33
— Scales small; lateral line straight; last ray of the dorsal fin not elongate.
Elopidae, p. 32
4. — Lateral line present; tongue and base of skull inside mouth with patches
of coarse blunt teeth...... Albulidae, p. 37
— Lateral line wanting; tongue and base of skull without coarse blunt teeth . . 5
5. — Mouth moderate in size, terminal, usually more or less oblique 6
— Mouth large, inferior, usually horizontal, the snout overhanging the mouth;
mandible long and slender Engraulidae, p. 45
6. — Belly compressed, usually forming a more or less sharp edge along which are
serrae Clupeidae, p. 39
— Belly rounded, without serrae Dussumieridae, p. 43
Key J
1. — Lower rays of the pectoral fin free and filamentous Polynemidae, p. 96
— Lower rays of the pectoral fin not free or filamentous 2
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2. — Lateral line present; teeth very large, unequal; jaws long and strong;
head long, pike-like Sphyraenidae, p. 92
— Lateral line absent; head not pike-like or produced; jaws rather weak. . . .3
3. — Anal fin with a single weak spine; first dorsal fin with 3 to 9 flexible spines.
Atherinidae, p. 88
— Anal fin with 3 stiff spines (2 in very young) ; first dorsal with 4 stiff spines.
Mugilidae, p. 90
ANNOTATED LIST OF FISH OF PORT-AU-PRINCE BAY,
HAITI
Family Orectolobidae ; Nurse Sharks Ginglymostoma Muller and Henle, 1837
Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre)
References: Squalus cirratus, Bonnaterre, 1788, Tableau Encyclo. Ichth., p. 7.
Ginglymostoma cirratum, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine. Fishes of Panama, I, p. 29.
Field Characters: A large, blunt-headed shark; a fleshy flap in front of the small mouth with a barbel on each side; two large dorsal fins placed far back; brown, the young sometimes spotted.
Description: A young female measured: Total length 692 mm., length to tail notch 496, depth 87, head to last gill-slit 140, eye 6.
Size and Weight: One young specimen 27.25 inches in total length, weighed 4.25 pounds. The species grows to 10 feet.
Color: Uniform olive brown above, fading to olive buff below.
General Range: Warm seas of the western hemisphere from Carolina to southern Brazil, and on the west coast of Mexico. A straggler to Rhode Island.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: One young individual taken near shore, over shallow bank.
Method of Capture : Caught in net by native fisherman.
Food: Two six inch parrot fish ( Sparisoma flavescens ) swallowed entire.
Study Materials: Specimens, 1; young female, 692 mm., No. 7094.
Family Galeorhinidae; Dogfish Galeorhinus Blainville, 1816
Haitian Dogfish
Galeorhinus sp.
Note: I include this genus in the list of Haitian fish from the careful scrutiny I was able to give, on two occasions, to parent sharks of small size swimming
1928] Beebe and Tee-V am The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
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slowly about the schooner. The extremely flattened, elongated head and the two large dorsal fins of equal size insure the certainty of generic identification.
One shark, five feet long, swam past on April 3rd, accompanied by two young, each about a third of her length. On May 4th a smaller dogfish circled the schooner, well under five feet in length, and had with her two young, certainly not over twelve inches in length. (W. B.)
Family Carcharhinidae ; True Sharks Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Small labial fold on upper and lower jaw at angle of mouth Scoliodon
AA. Labial folds wanting; teeth more or less serrate on both
margins of the cusp , Carcharhinus
Scoliodon Muller
Sharp-nosed Shark
Scoliodon terrae-novae (Richardson)
Henle, 1837
References: Squalus terrae-novae, Richardson, 1836, Fauna Bor. Amer. Ill, p. 289.
Scoliodon terrae-novae, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine fishes of Panama, I, p. 55.
Field Characters: A small-sized shark, reaching a length of three feet; teeth smooth; upper and lower lips with a labial fold extending from the angle of the jaw forward for less than one-third the length of the jaw.
Description: The following measurements were recorded of the largest and smallest specimens taken:
Total length
Preoral length
Length to base of 1st dorsal
Width at nostrils
Interorbital area
Snout
Internostril angle from mouth “ “ snout
Eye to nostril Internarial space Eye
Width of mouth
Preoral into base of 1st dorsal Width nostrils into preoral Eye greater than nostril width Teeth in outer row in each jaw Upper labial fold
|
No. 7141 |
No. 7109 |
|
Y oung female |
Young male |
|
405 mm. |
668 mm. |
|
33.5 “ |
46 “ |
|
135.5 “ |
198 “ |
|
35 |
46 “ |
|
35 |
51 “ |
|
37 |
52.8 “ |
|
16 |
21 “ |
|
25 |
34 “ |
|
13.5 “ |
19 “ |
|
24 |
33.5 “ |
|
10.5 “ |
13.5 “ |
|
32 |
43 “ |
|
1.06 |
1.1 |
|
1.05 |
1 |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
21 |
23 12 mm. |
28 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
Size and Weight: A 15 inch female weighed 610 grams. A 20 inch male weighed 3 pounds.
Color: Pale shark gray above, turning to white below; dorsals and caudal edged with black, second dorsal and lower lobe of caudal broadly so. Iris greenish silver.
General Range: Labrador to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Occasionally brought into the market by fishermen.
Abundance: Fairly common.
Method of Capture: Mainly taken in nets by the natives.
Food: Unidentifiable parrot fish.
Young: Three of our specimens, including No. 7141 were of the same brood, the umbilical cord still being in evidence. These were taken April 4th.
Study Material: 6; 405-668 mm: including Nos. 7109, 7141.
Carcharinus Blainville, 1816 Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Teeth slightly serrated, similar in form in the two jaws, narrow, clavi- form, constricted at base; snout rather sharp; fins edged with black.
limbatus
AA. Teeth in both jaws distinctly serrate in adult, serrae on lower teeth smaller; upper teeth rather broad, lower teeth narrower; snout not very acute; color deep blue gray falciformis
Spot-fin Ground Shark, Caconeta
Carcharinus limbatus (Muller and Henle)
References: Carcharias limbatus, Muller and Henle, 1841, Plagiostomen, 49, PI. XIX, fig. 9 (Martinique).
Carcharhinus limbatus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 41.
Note: I include this species on the fact that when I started my deepest dive of sixty feet on March 23, 1927 over the schooner’s side, several fathoms below the surface a shark over nine feet in length, attended by a single young about three feet long, passed slowly by me. The only feature which remains in mind is the extensive and intense black tips of at least three fins, the two dorsals and the anal. They appeared much blacker than I have ever observed in sharks of this species after being drawn from the water. (W. B.)
Scythe-shaped Shark
Carcharinus falciformis (Bibron)
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
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References: Carcharhinus falciformis, Bibron, 1838, in Muller and Henle’s Plagiostomen, p. 47:
Carcharhinus falciformis, Evermann and Marsh, 1902, Fishes of Porto Rico, p. 62.
Field Characters: Large sized blue grey shark. Upper teeth much broader than lower and deeply notched on the outer margin; snout to mouth not greater than width of mouth; no sharp lobe to nasal flap; second dorsal and anal fins subequal.
Description: The female specimen captured showed the following measure- ments :
|
Total length |
1093 mm. |
|
Length to base of caudal fin |
838 “ |
|
Snout to first gill opening |
213 “ |
|
Length of caudal from pit |
292 “ |
|
Length of pectoral |
150 “ |
|
Snout to mouth |
83 “ |
|
Width of mouth |
83 “ |
|
Snout to origin of dorsal |
401 “ |
|
Origin of dorsal to caudal pit |
448 “ |
|
Weight: Reaches a length of 10 feet. |
Our 43 inch fish weighed |
13 pounds.
Color: Dark shark grey.
General Range: West Indies.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: The small specimens were taken over the deeper fishing reefs.
Method of Capture: Taken on set line by native fishermen.
Food: Two fish hooks and eight inches of line on each were found in the stomach of the young female, together with a small piece of fish, probably bait.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; young female, 3 feet 7 inches long, No. 6940; young male, 3 feet long, No. 7137.
Family Sphyrnidae ; Hammerhead Sharks Sphyrna Rafinesque, 1810
Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus)
References: Squalus zygaena, Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, p. 234.
Cestracion zygaena, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 58.
Field Characters: A large shark with the head depressed and greatly expanded from side to side, the eyes being placed on the forward part of the lateral expansions.
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Note: No specimens taken. A hammerhead shark, about nine feet long, swam close about the schooner all the afternoon of March 10th. It was pale grey with the posterior edges of the fins black.
Size : The species grows to a length of 17 feet.
Family Dasyatidae; Sting Rays Urobatis Garman, 1913
Round Sting Ray
Urobatis sloani (Blainville)
References: Leiobatus sloani , Blainville, 1816, Bull. Soc. Philom., p. 121.
Urolophus jamaicensis, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 81.
Field Characters: Flattened disk-like ray with rayed caudal fin, the disk ovate, longer than broad and slightly longer than tail; brown sprinkled with yellow or orange dots, sometimes forming ocelli.
Description: Measurements of two specimens:
Length total 304 mm. 145 mm.
Length disk 176 “ 76.5 “
Width disk 152 “ 76 “
Length caudal spine 41 “ 13 “
It can be seen from the measurements that the smaller fish has a disk that is almost round and that the tail is' almost as long as the disk. The upper surface of the smaller is nearly smooth.
Size: The largest specimen obtained by us had a disk length of 190 mm. and a total length of 340 mm.
Color: In the larger preserved specimen the round yellow or orange spots are smallest on the mid-line, becoming larger on the periphery of the disk and on the caudal fin. This is also true to a certain extent in the smaller specimen (76.5 disk length) except that on the outer edges of the disk the darker color which surrounds the lighter spots has broken up, so that the color of this part of the fish could be described as a light background with broken reticulations and small spots of dark color.
General Range : West Indies.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay : Found on the bottom, rather widely distributed, especially over muddy and sandy bottoms.
Abundance: Rather common. Seen two or three times a week at the market.
Method of Capture: Taken in wire traps baited with chicken remains and set on the bottom at fifty feet. Also captured by hooks and lines by native fishermen and by small seines along shore.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 31
Food: The 190 mm. ray contained the remains of four shrimps, Peneus brasiliensis. The smaller fish contained comminuted bottom detritus.
Size at Maturity: The 190 mm. male was in breeding condition on March 22, 1927.
Study Material: Photographs, 3731, 4126; Specimens, 4; 76.5 to 190 mm. disk length, including Nos. 6853 and 7164.
Family Myliobatidae; Eagle Rays Aetobatus Blainville, 1816
Eagle Ray
Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen)
References: Raja narinari , Euphrasen, 1790, Handl. K. Sven. Vet. Akad., XI, p. 217, pi. X.
Aetobatus narinari, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 89.
Field Characters: Flattened rays with pointed wings; head elevated, compact; tail long and lash-like with two serrated spines at the base; upper surface with numerous, round, whitish spots.
Size and Weight: Grows to 12 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and an estimated weight of 450 pounds.
Color: A 30-inch specimen is clear green blue grey above, the numerous spots being pearly white, each surrounded by a broad, dark ring; those near the posterior edge of the wings and on the pelvic fins have a large dark center. The spots average 15 mm. in diameter and about the same distance apart; those on the snout merge into bands converging toward center of snout; under surface ivory white, immaculate; pupil vertical, iris silvery.
General Range: Tropical parts of the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Seen near surface, over fairly deep fishing reefs.
Abundance: Fairly common, according to native fishermen.
Method of Capture: Taken in seines.
Study Material: Photographs, 3919, 4154, 4155, 4156, 4157; Specimens, 3, 300-750 mm., including No. 6953.
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Family Mobulidae; Giant Devilfish Manta Bancroft, 1829
Giant Devil Fish; Great Manta
Manta birostris (Walbaum)
References: Raja birostris, Walbaum, 1792, Artedi Piscium, p. 535.
Manta birostris, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 94.
Field Characters: A flattened ray growing to great size; with pointed and curved wings; two large fleshy cephalic fins; a short whip-like tail; black above.
General Range: Tropical waters on both coasts of America, straggling to New York.
Note: No specimen taken, but a medium-sized one observed on January 6, 1927, half way between Port-au-Prince and Gonave Island. On January 12th, one about 6 feet across seen partly cut up at the fish-market.
Family Elopidae ; The Ten Pounders Elops Linnaeus, 1766
Big-eyed Herring
Elops saurus Linnaeus
References: Elops saurus, Linnaeus, 1766, Syst. Nat., Ed. XII, p. 518 (Carolina).
Elops saurus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 175.
Field Characters: A slender, elongate fish with a large normal mouth, a single, soft-rayed dorsal fin in middle of back; very large adipose eyelid; scales small and absent on the head. Uniform bluish above, silvery on sides and below.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
33
Size and Weight: A specimen 10]^ inches long weighed 92 grams. General Range: Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Brazil. Abundance : Apparently rather rare, not seen at the market during our stay. A small female seined April 18, 1927.
Food: Our single specimen contained one shrimp, Peneus brasiliensis, and the heads of two small fish of its own species.
Study Material: Photographs, Specimens, 1; 258 mm., No. 7172.
Family Megalopidae; Tarpons Tarpon Jordan and Evermann, 1896
Tarpon
Tarpon atlanticus (Cuvier and Yalen ciennes)
References: Megalops atlanticus, Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1846, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XIX, p. 398.
Tarpon atlanticus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 174.
Field Characters: Large, silvery, compressed fish with a large mouth and undershot lower jaw; a single soft-rayed dorsal fin in middle of back, the last ray of which is long and filamentous; scales very large and heavy.
Dimensions: The measurements of five arbitrarily chosen individuals are
|
given below: |
a |
b |
c |
d |
e |
|
Length |
78 mm. |
122 mm. |
128 mm. |
188 mm. |
1060 mm. |
|
Depth |
20 |
30 |
33 “ |
46.5 “ |
257 “ |
|
Head |
22 |
30 |
34 “ |
48 |
239 “ |
|
Eye |
6 |
9 |
10 “ |
11 |
43 “ |
|
Snout |
5.8 “ |
8 |
8 “ |
12 |
|
|
Maxillary |
13 |
19.5 “ |
20 “ |
30 |
148 “ |
|
Length pectoral |
15 |
25 |
26 “ |
36 |
|
|
Length last dorsal ray |
8 |
22 |
28 “ |
42 |
287 “ |
|
Dorsal rays, number |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
|
Anal rays, number |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
|
Weight |
5 grams |
65 gr. |
36 lbs. |
Taking the largest specimen and calling each of its measurements 100% we find that the percentages of size of the smaller individuals a and d are as follows:
|
a |
d |
e |
|
|
Length |
7.4% |
17.7% |
100% |
|
Depth |
7.8“ |
18 “ |
100“ |
|
Head |
9.2“ |
20 “ |
100“ |
|
Eye |
14 “ |
25.5“ |
100“ |
|
Maxillary |
8.7“ |
20 “ |
100“ |
|
Length, last dorsal ray . |
2.7“ |
14.6 “ |
100“ |
It is of interest to observe in this table that the eye is of greater size pro-
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portionately and changes least in comparative size, — a character which might be expected in the development of the fish; and that the last dorsal ray is relatively small in smaller fish.
Size and Weight: Three individuals taken during the expedition gave the following weights:
Length 78 mm. or 3 inches, weight 5 grams “ 188 “ “ 8 “ " “ 65 “
“ 1060 “ “ 40 “ “ 36 pounds
The world’s record for size, at this date, is 8 feet 2 inches long with an esti- mated weight of 350 pounds.
Color: The thirty-six pound fish had a black dorsal fin with a broad golden edge.
General Range: Atlantic coast, from Massachusetts to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Adults were rather rare and found mostly near coral reefs and along shore. The young were found in abundance in February in a land-locked lagoon at Source Matelas, approximately 15 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince.
Samples of water from the lagoon where these fishes were captured were submitted to Mr. N. McKaig, Jr., Assistant Chemist of the Service Technique of Haiti. A portion of his preliminary report is given here, “I have started analysis of the water of the Tarpon Lagoon and have found it to be rather inter- esting. It has a density of 1.0374 and contains 54,000 parts per million total solids, which, as you see, is much denser than ordinary sea water. The hydro- gen sulphide content is low, about 5 parts per million in the sample which I received.”
Method of Capture: In large seines. Not known to take a hook in Haitian waters according to local fishermen. Two members of our party trolled industriously with various types of tarpon gear and failed to raise a fish. Whether this was the result of its being the wrong time of the year is not known, but as far as we could gather this seems to be the experience of the Haitian sports- men, also.
The young were taken in small bait seines dragged through the shallow waters of their lagoon.
Eggs: The 40-inch fish contained an estimated 891,000 eggs.
Young: An account of the capture of young individuals of this species has been published by William Beebe in the Bulletin of the New York Zoological Society, September-October, 1927, Vol. XXX, No. 5, page 141, under the title of “A Tarpon Nursery in Haiti.” Part of this article is republished in the following paragraphs: —
“About fifteen miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, along the shore of the gulf itself, I located two, interconnected, land-locked lagoons known as Source Matelas.
“The more western of the lagoons was a rounded body of water about one hundred yards across, on a marshy promontory backed by low, rolling hills. These were covered with the usual semi-arid vegetation, consisting of cactus, cereus and acacias. From the waters of the gulf the lagoon is separated only by a narrow dyke built up apparently by the action of the storm waves at high water.
“In mid- January I walked into the mud at the edge of one of the lagoons and out
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van : The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
35
to the center. There I found half a foot of mud and about eighteen inches of water. This was green and muddy but not slimy. It was impregnated with sulphur and the odor of this element rose strongly from the disturbed mud. A few miles away was a constantly flowing sulphur spring, used to bathe in by the natives, and this lagoon has apparently some connection with the same source of supply. This unprepossessing liquid was filled with innumerable small insects which, upon examina- tion, proved to be water-boatmen ( Corixidae ), both adults, with handsomely varie- gated, yellow elytra, and young which looked at first glance amazingly like copepods. These have been identified as Trichocorixa reticulata (Guerin).
“I saw no signs of fish and was about to return to shore when something nipped my ankle. This happened again, and I called for the seine. We had hardly com- menced to draw it when small fish began leaping high to escape it. Closing the net I secured a considerable number, and when we examined our catch on the shore I found thirty-six tarpon, Tarpon atlanticus (Cuvier and Valenciennes), ranging from two to eight inches. When I recovered from my first astonishment at seeing these clean-scaled, virile fish living in this sulphurous, stagnant pool, I examined the smallest for any hint of the leptocephalus stage through which ifcis assumed they must pass early in life. Neither this, nor a later, much more thorough examination showed in these young fish any hint of such phase — even the smallest was as normal and perfectly formed as any six-foot giant of the Florida waters. This may mean only that the leptocephalid characters disappear when the fish are still smaller.
“My next visit to Source Matelas was on January twenty-third, when I made a haul with the seine in the same place and secured a heavy load of tarpon. When we counted our catch on shore, we found one hundred and fifty-four of the young fish, from three to seven inches in length. One individual measured thirteen inches. It was a pure culture of tarpon, except for three small snook, Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch). Several times as many tarpon as we took escaped by leaping over the top of the seine as we were pulling it, some of them rising three feet clear of the surface. We threw back all but the few which we wished to keep as specimens.
“My third visit was two months later, after heavy storms had set in, on the twenty-first of March.
“I found the lagoon dyke broken through, and the tide pouring into a three-foot sluiceway. A thorough seining of the first lagoon netted six tarpon, measuring from four and a half to seven inches, together with a two-inch snook. Ultimate hauls failed to secure another fish of any kind. A seine haul in the second lagoon yielded four small mojarras, Eucinostomus californiensis (Gill), recent emigrants from the open water outside. The water-boatmen were as abundant, and the sulphur smell quite as strong as ever, in spite of the infiltration of the water from the gulf.
“The most interesting development of this last haul of young tarpon was that when we examined five of the fish in aquariums on the schooner, we found that there was something the matter with their eyes — a grey, translucent film clouding the tissue of the lens or the humor behind it, the aspect being wholly unlike the appear- ance of the eyes of the fish taken two months before. They seemed to be quite blind. Whether this affliction was connected with their remaining in the lagoon after the hundreds or thousands of their fellows had escaped to the open gulf can be only surmised. It could hardly have interfered with their feeding, as the water- boatmen were present in uncounted millions, and a single scoop with a quart jar would secure large numbers.
“The only other mention of an actual nursery of tarpon is in Evermann and Marsh’s “Fishes of Porto Rico,” page 80, where we find the following note: “Com- mon about Porto Rico where it evidently breeds, as numerous immature individuals were taken at Hucares and Fajardo. The four examples from Hucares are from 7.5 to 11.5 inches long and were seined in a small brackish pool of dark-colored water, not over five feet deep, in the corner of a mangrove swamp, and at that time (February) entirely separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of land scarcely 25 feet wide. The thirteen others are nearly all very young, of 2.25 to 3.25 inches, collected at Fajardo.” A few tarpon, from six to eight inches long, have been taken on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, and L. L. Babcock in his
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excellent monograph of the tarpon, records a three-inch specimen taken in a cast net on the coast of Texas. He also gives the world’s record tarpon as eight feet, three inches, with an estimated weight of three hundred and fifty pounds. This was taken in a net by Florida fishermen.
“My discovery of young tarpon in a land-locked lagoon in Haiti suggests that the Porto Rican record is not a casual accident, but a usual phenomenon in the life of these fish. On account of the shallowness and the muddiness of the Haitian lagoon, it would be impossible for an adult tarpon of any size to enter it and deposit her eggs. We can only surmise that the eggs are scattered out in the waters of the gulf, sink to the bottom and hatch, and that the young, either as leptocephalids or as very small larval fish, make their way into the lagoon before the season when it becomes cut off from the gulf. Here they live and thrive, with an abundance of food, sheltered from voracious fish and other dangers of the open sea, having to guard only against the keen eyes and sharp beaks of the larger herons, and such unthinkable catastrophes as visiting scientists.
“One of my Haitian fishermen took two good-sized tarpon in his seine not far off shore from Source Matelas. These were thirty-six pounders, more than forty- one inches in length. When diving on Lamentin Reef, several miles across the gulf, I saw a large tarpon again and again. For a number of days in succession this great silver fish would swim toward me on my first submersion, and pass slowly within eight or ten feet, looking me over. When I learned that this would probably happen every time I went down, I devoted all my attention to estimating his exact length. Once he swam past two very tall tube sponges, and I could see distinctly that he overlapped the distance between them in actual body length, not including his tail. I measured this distance and found it six feet, three inches. So even ignoring the slight overlap, he was a full six feet in length of body. He showed no fear, only a gentle curiosity, rolling his great eye about as he passed. His scales reflected the light, even at a depth of twenty-five feet, as a dazzling sheet of bluish silver.
“I could learn of no tarpon being caught on a hook in Haiti, although anglers have made many attempts. The native fishermen were familiar with them, and, as I have said, occasionally found them in their seines.
“The food of the young tarpon consisted entirely of the aquatic hemiptera which filled the waters of the lagoon, a five-inch fish having the remains of sixty-eight of these insects in its stomach. The relative increase in various body measurements from a three-inch, through an eight-inch, to a forty-inch individual, is remarkably uniform, the average of the characters of length, depth, head and eye being 9.6%, and 19.8%, as compared with an arbitrary 100% of the largest fish. The elongated, thread-like, posterior ray of the dorsal fin is developed relatively late in life, the percentages of this character in the same three individuals being 2.7%, 14.6% and 100%. In weight, the relations between the three sizes of fish are tremendously disproportionate. The actual weights are as follows: the three-inch fish, five grams; the eight-inch fish, sixty-five grams; and the forty-inch fish, thirty-six pounds. This makes the percentages:
“Five-inch = .00031% or—?— of the large fish.
3246
“Eight-inch = .4% or—?— of the large fish.”
250
Study Material: Photographs, 4009, 4018, 4024, 4026, 4010, 4009, 4025; Specimens, 11; 78-1060 mm., all but the largest from Source Matelas; the largest from Port-au-Prince Bay.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
37
Family Albulidae; The Bone Fishes Albula Gronow, 1763
Bone-fish; Lady Fish
Albula vulpes (Linnaeus)
References: Esox vulpes , Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, p. 313 (Baha- mas, based on Vulpes bahamensis of Catesby).
Albula vulpes , Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 178; Weber, 1913, Fishes Indo Australian Archipelago, II, p. 7.
Field Characters: Adult: Cylindrical fishes with small mouth placed well back of the projecting pig-like snout; a single soft rayed dorsal fin in the middle of the back; scales rather small. Brilliant silver. Leptocephalid larvae: Teeth 30; transparent except for pigment line along ventral surface; dorsal fin 17, anal fin 8.
Size and Weight: Grows to 31 inches and a weight of 14 pounds. Our 17-inch fish weighed a little over 3 pounds.
Color: Brilliant silver, the scales, especially above, with greenish tinge. Top of head greenish. Series of dark lines following the line of the scales, especially prominent above the lateral line. Tips of the dorsal rays, tips of the caudal rays, anterior portion of the anal, and the ventral rays spotted with dusky. A dusky spot at the base of the pectorals superiorly.
General Range: Cosmopolitan in tropical seas.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Adults taken occasionally by native fishermen. The leptocephalid larvae were common at night at the surface during our stay. They were attracted to our lights. Adult fishes about a foot in length also seen at night about light, one on April 22nd and two on the 28th.
Abundance: Uncommon. Seen occasionally at the fish market, but not especially useful for food.
Method of Capture: Adults taken in seines; larvae taken in scoop nets at surface.
Food: Bivalve mollusks and small squids formed the food of a 12-inch fish.
Young: Leptocephalus larva; From February 26th to April 30th, in the course of thirty-four evenings of study of the positively phototropic surface organisms at the gang-way of the schooner, the larvae of Albula vulpes were absent on only two occasions, while on seventeen nights they were very abundant. They swam by slight, lateral undulations and gathered in numbers, swimming around the submerged light.
No radical change or growth was observed during these two months, al- though one hundred and forty were preserved, and several thousand examined. The extremes of length were 45 and 60 mm.
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Description of a Typical Larva taken at 2000 candle power light 9:00 P. M., February 26. No. 6965
Length 55 mm. Length of Pectoral 1 .4 mm.
Depth 5.7 “ Length of Ventral .75 “
Head 4.1 “ Length base dorsal 2.3 “
Snout 1.1 “ Length base anal 1 “
Eye 1 “
Measurement Percentages of Larvae and Adult stages
|
Adult |
Larva No. 6965 |
|
|
Length |
100% |
30% |
|
Depth |
100% |
14% |
|
Snout |
100% |
5% |
|
Head |
100% |
.8% |
|
Eye |
100% |
•9% |
There are sixty-four myomeres, the dorsal fin beginning at the fiftieth.
The only pigmentation besides the eye-ball is a very narrow, black line, between the lower edge of the myomeres and the alimentary canal. Anteriorly this is broken into two, short, stitch-like lines to each myomere, but posteriorly the line becomes more connected. There are a few rounded, black pigment cells at the base of the caudal rays, and a scattering of the black stitches along the longest, outer, caudal rays.
The eye-ball is bluish black, with a cap of black pigment, draped in strands like moss or hair over the top of each eye-ball.
The nostrils are very large, double, .4 of a millimeter from the tip of the snout, and occupying .45 of the total length of the snout. The anterior one is round, the posterior one constricted in its lower half.
There are two long, straight, downwardly directed incisors, close together at the symphysis of the upper jaw; then a space, followed by fourteen short teeth, decreasing in length backward, directed almost straight downward. At the point of the lower jaw are two long, needle-like incisors, originating outside and beneath the edge of the jaw, and growing obliquely forward and upward, followed by ten teeth, much longer and more slender than those in the upper jaw, and slanted acutely forward. The upper jaw shows almost no overhang.
The dorsal fin, with the seventeen rays of the adult fish, is well differentiated. The middle rays are the longest, curving rapidly down anterior^, much less so posteriorly. In front of the dorsal is a short, homogeneous membrane-fin, and behind, another which rises gradually into a low arc and again dies out just in front of the base of the caudal. This fin is granular on the proximal, hyaline on the distal portion.
The anal fin shows the ultimate eight rays. It is close to the caudal, in fact is suspended and extends obliquely out from the body along the outer edge of the hyaline membrane-fin joining the lower caudal rays to the body. The anal fin is immediately preceded by the anus, and anterior to this is a very long, low, hyaline membrane-fin.
The caudal contains twenty-two rays, symmetrically arranged, although the
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 39
heterocercal character of this fin is clearly marked. This fin adds 3.4 mm. to the length, making the total 58.4 mm.
The pectorals are well developed, 1.4 mm. in length, and paddle-shaped. The ventrals are much smaller, .75 long, arising at the thirtieth myomere. There is no indication of the axillary scales of the adult.
The vertebrae are clearly distinguishable for the posterior sixteen myomeres, averaging three to a myomere. From the forty-eighth myomere to the base of the urostyle are fifty-two vertebrae, the last six being abruptly narrow, unlike the rest.
Variations: In an individual of 47 mm. the dorsal begins at the fifty-second myomere, but the average is the fiftieth myomere. The extremes of myo- meres are 62 and 68.
Extremes of development: In the largest larva taken (No. 7152), with a length of 60 mm., the ventrals are large and distinct, and the anal fin has broken wholly away from the membrane base of the caudal, and lies flat along the body. Although the largest, this is also the most developed, which agrees neither with the figures of Gilbert,1 nor the description of Meek and Hilde- brand.2
Study Material: Photographs, 3936; Specimens — adults, 3; 182-390 mm., including Nos. 7009, 7130; leptocephalid stages, 140; 45-60 mm., No. 6965.
Family Clupeidae; The Herrings Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Anal fin with less than thirty rays.
B. Last ray of the dorsal fin not prolonged into a long filament.
C. Gill rakers very numerous (105 in our single specimen) Clupanodon
CC. Gill rakers moderate in number, about 25 to 35 Sardinella
BB. Last ray of the dorsal fin prolonged into a long filament. . .Opisthonema AA. Anal fin with more than thirty rays; jaws with canines. .Chirocentrodon
References: Sardinia pseudo-hispanica, Poey, 1861, Memorias, II, p. 311.
Clupanodon pseudohispanicus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 180.
Field Characters: Small, compressed silvery fishes with weak scutes along belly, small mouth, weak jaws, and with numerous gill-rakers, in our specimen 105.
1 In Weber and Beaufort’s, 1913, “ The Fishes of the Indo- Australian Archipelago, ” II, p. 7
2 Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, “The Marine Fishes of Panama,” I, p. 179.
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Dimensions:
|
Length |
122.5 mm. |
Dorsal fin |
17 |
|
Depth |
33 (3.7) |
Anal fin |
18 |
|
Head |
30 (4.1) |
Scales |
50 |
|
Eye |
7.5 (4) |
Scutes |
15-13 |
|
Snout |
8.8 (3.7) |
Gill-rakers |
105 |
|
Maxillary |
12 (2.5) |
Discussion: There is considerable likelihood that this represents a new species, but the present lack of knowledge as to exact structural details and comparative osteology of related forms compels us to call it pseudohispanicus. To take the gill-raker count alone we find the following recorded variations:
|
A — Cuba to Cape Cod1 |
30 to 40 gill-rakers |
|
B — Woods Hole, Mass. |
45 |
|
C — Mass., Cuba, Jamaica |
65 |
|
D — Havana |
88 |
|
E — Dominica |
90 |
|
F — Haiti |
105 |
Until re-examination confirms or otherwise explains this extraordinary variation from 30 to 105 gill-rakers, it is useless to try to settle the question of specific identity.
Study Material: Specimens, 1; 122.5 mm., No. 7432.
Sardinella Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1847 Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. About 25 gill rakers on lower limb of the first gill arch sardina.
A A. About 32 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch . . macrophthalmus.
Sardine
Sardinella sardina (Poey)
References: Harengula sardina, Poey, 1861, Memorias, II, p. 310.
Sardinella sardina, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, page 183.
Field Characters: Small, compressed fishes with adipose eyelid; single, soft-rayed dorsal fin; serrations along belly; small mouth and with about 25 gill rakers. Scales deciduous, those on the sides with vertical striae.
i A — Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 424.
B — Kendall and Smith, 1894, Bull. U. S. Fish Com., p. 17.
C — Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 181.
D — One specimen, No. 3377, American Museum.
E — Three specimens, No. 1528, American Museum.
F — One specimen, No. 7432, Haitian Expedition, Zoological Society.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 41
Size and Weight: Grows to eight inches.
Color: Blue above, sides silvery. Alcoholic specimens are amber brown above, larger individuals being silvery on the ventral 3-4 of the body and head. In small fish the silver is confined to the iris and the gill covers.
General Range: Florida and the West Indies to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: In schools along the sandy beaches and at the surface, coming to light at night. Also seen at the surface in day- time, a mile from shore.
Abundance : Common, much more numerous than Sardinella macrophthalmus . Seen in the market quite often.
Method of Capture: Small seines along shore and with scoop nets at night.
Food: The young fish near shore fed upon red-eyed copepods. A 43^-inch fish taken in a seine off shore had eaten four medium-sized shrimps.
Young: Young almost without pigment, 17 to 25 mm. were taken close in shore and at the surface a mile from land. In the former case they were in the same schools with larger individuals up to 49 mm.
Study Material: Specimens, 82; 17-116 mm., including Nos. 6847, 70 ( . 7027, 7043, 7185 and 7192. Port-au-Prince Bay.
Sardine
Sardinella macrophthalmus (Ranzani)
References: Clupea macrophthalma , Ranzani, 1842, Nov. Comment. Ac.
Sci. Inst. Bonon., Y, p. 320.
Sardinella macrophthalmus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923.
Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 184.
Field Characters: Small compressed fishes with adipose eyelid; single, soft-rayed dorsal fin; serrations along belly, small mouth and with about 32 gill rakers. Scales fairly firm, not as deciduous as in sardina. Scales on sides without evident vertical striae.
Size and Weight: Grows to 6 inches. A 76 mm. individual weighed 7 grams.
General Range: Florida, south to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Seen and taken mainly at light after dark. Some of the night seine fishermen bring these fish to the market.
Abundance: In schools of hundreds, they often covered the 2000 candle- power submerged light submerged at the gang-way of the schooner, night after night. They were not especially common at the market, however.
Method of Capture: Seines and hand-nets.
Study Material: Specimens, 10; 48-98 mm., including Nos. 7001, 7082, 7150, 7152, 7192, Port-au-Prince Bay.
42
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society Opisthonema Gill, 1861
[X; 1
Atlantic Thread Herring
Opisthonema oglinum (Le Seur).
References: Clupea thrissa, Broussonet, 1782, Ichthyologia, fasc. 1.
Megalops oglina, Le Seur, 1817, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., I, p. 359!
Opisthonema oglinum, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 187.
Field Characters: Small, compressed, keeled, silvery scale fishes, with toothless mouth, small pectorals and ventrals; last ray of the dorsal fin pro- longed into a long filament.
Description: The pectoral fins in many of our specimens do not reach the ventrals and average 1.47 in the head. The stomach is very long and U- shaped.
Color : Silvery bluish-green, darker above, the rows of scales with somewhat indistinct dark streaks. Peritoneum black.
Size and Weight: The weights of three individuals were as follows:
Length 84.5 mm. 127 214
Weight 9 . 6 grams 30.5 “
201
The 214 mm. specimen was the largest seen by us.
General Range: Massachusetts to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found widely distributed through the Bay, and at the surface at night.
Abundance: A common species, often seen in the market, but a poor food fish.
Method of Capture: Seines and hand nets.
Food: Small fish, crabs, and shrimps. The smaller fish feed on zoea and other plankton larvae.
Spawning Season: Two adult fish showed signs in March and April of an approaching breeding season.
Study Material: Photographs, 3776; Specimens, 56; 63-214 mm. including 6840, 7131, Port-au-Prince Bay.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
43
Chirocentrodon Gunther, 1868
Spiny-toothed Herringlet
Chirocentrodon taeniatus Gunther
References: Chirocentrodon taeniatus , Gunther, 1868, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., VII, p. 463.
Chirocentrodon taeniatus, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 435.
Field Characters: Small, elongate, compressed, anchovy-like fishes with single dorsal fin and with strong, canine teeth in both upper and lower jaws. Dimensions: The measurements of 5 of our specimens are given below:
|
a |
b |
c |
d |
e |
|
|
Length |
74 mm. |
74.5 mm. |
71 mm. |
74 mm. |
73 mm. |
|
Depth |
16.5 “ |
17 |
16 “ |
17 “ |
16 “ |
|
Head |
16.5 “ |
17 |
16 “ |
18 “ |
19 “ |
|
Eye |
5 |
5 |
5 “ |
6 “ |
6 “ |
|
Snout |
5 |
5.5 “ |
5 “ |
6 “ |
5 “ |
|
Pectoral fin rays |
— |
— |
11 |
11 |
13 |
|
Dorsal rays |
15 |
14 |
15 |
14 |
14 |
|
Anal rays |
40 |
40 |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
Gill-rakers |
13 |
— |
— |
— |
15 |
|
Proportionate |
Measurements |
||||
|
a |
b |
c |
d |
e |
|
|
Depth into length |
4.47 |
4.3 |
4.43 |
4.3 |
4.6 |
|
Head into length |
4.47 |
4.3 |
4.43 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
|
Eye into head |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
3 |
3.15 |
|
Snout into head |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
3 |
3.8 |
Size and Weight: A 74 mm. fish weighed 4.5 grams.
General Range: Jamaica, Haiti.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Taken by us only at the surface at night.
Abundance: Rare, seen occasionally in the fish markets.
Method of Capture: Taken at light at night, and a few purchased at the markets.
Study Material: Specimens, 6, 63-74 mm., including No. 7102, Port-au- Prince Bay, April 1, 1927.
Family Dussumieridae; Round Herrings Jenkinsia Jordan and Evermann, 1896
Silver-lined Herringlet
Jenkinsia lamprotaenia Gosse
44 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
References: Clupea lamprotaenia, Gosse, 1851, Naturalist’s Sojourn in Jamaica, p. 291, Plate 1, fig. 2.
Jenkinsia lamprotaenia, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 419.
Jenkinsia stolifera, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 419.
Field Characters: Small, elongate herrings with rounded bellies and with a terminal mouth. Anchovy-like in color and consorting with Anchoviella epsetus. Pale green with broad band of silver down the side.
Description: Examination of part of our series of specimens, the majority of which were obtained from one school, reveals a certain amount of variation from the original description, — variation which tends to couple this species with stolifera.
The dorsal fin count in our specimens ranges from 11 to 13 and the anal from 14 to 17, both counts within the range of either species. The position of the dorsal fin however, is constantly in front of the middle from the snout to the base of the caudal fin, — a character given for stolifera. However, the placing of the fin may not always be a valid character. In Jordan and Ever- mann’s “Fishes of North and Middle America” and in the copied description given by Evermann and Marsh in the “Fishes of Porto Rico,” lamprotaenia is characterized as having the dorsal fin inserted midway between the snout and the base of the caudal. Metzelaar1 mentions for this same species that the “Front of the dorsal nearer to base of caudal than to tip of snout,” — a character quite the opposite of that given for either lamprotaenia or stolifera. However, in the figure given by him, the opposite is true, and the drawing illustrates a fish with the origin of the dorsal conspicuously nearer the snout than the base of the caudal! This figure resembles our specimens very closely, although a few of the Haitian fish have slightly shorter snouts. Considering the variation of the fin counts of our specimens, Metzelaar might very well have called his fish stolifera.
The Haitian specimens range in depth from 5.9 to 6.1, approximating closer to lamprotaenia in this matter. The size of the eye is also closer to lamprotaenia, averaging 2.8 to 3.2 instead of the 2.5 of stolifera.
The snout in our specimens might be either species, and the same holds true for the position of the maxillary.
In regard to color, either description would fit our fish. Jordan and Gilbert and Jordan and Evermann (original description of stolifera and “Fishes of N. and M. America”) mention that stolifera has a double row of dots along the back before the dorsal fin and a single row along the back posterior to this. Metzelaar (1. c.) mentions “a triple dot line before, a double one behind the dorsal fin.” The latter statement applies more fully to our fish, but the first statement could easily apply to some, as the central line of the three frequently disappears and the 2 rear-most lines approach each other sufficiently close at times to be considered as one.
Jordan and Gilbert in the original description of stolifera i2 say that “We
1 Over Tropisch Atlantische Visschen, 1919, p. 9.
2 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, p. 25.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
45
should identify our specimens with Clupea lamprotaenia Gosse, from Jamaica, were it not for the difference in fin rays. ”
Taking into consideration the variation and the intermediate position of some of the characters in our fish, we consider stolifera to be a synonym of lamprotaenia.
Size and Weight: Specimens from 15 to 55 mm. taken.
Color: Pale greenish, translucent, with a wide lateral band of silver. Two or three lines of black pigment dots down back to dorsal, one or two lines posterior to dorsal.
General Range: Key West to Yucatan, Porto Rico, St. Eustatius and Curacao.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found in enormous schools about the outer reefs, especially at Sand Cay.
Abundance: Very abundant, often forming part of the “whitebait” found at the market.
Method of Capture: Seined by native fishermen. Dynamited on reefs.
Enemies: Pelicans take great toll of these as well as of some of the anchovies. Carnivorous fish also feed upon great numbers.
Size at Maturity: Breeding adults were examined, 25 to 50 mm.
Study Material: Specimens, over 1200, including Nos. 7099, 7169, 7262, 7263, 7264, Port-au-Prince Market and Sand Cay, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Family Engraulidae; The Anchovies Key to Genera of Port-au-Prince Bay
A. Gill membranes not united across the isthmus. Gill rakers relatively few,
12 to 30 .... Anchoviella
A A. Gill membranes broadly united across the isthmus (these membranes very easily torn). Gill rakers numerous 52 to 57. Anal fin moderate, of 20 to 25 rays Cetengraulis
Anchoviella Fowler, 1911 Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Pectoral fins short, the tips not reaching to the base of the ventral fins.
B. Sides with a distinct silvery band.
C. Body moderately elongate, depth 4 to 4.75 in the length; eye large, 3.5
in head; gill rakers about % the eye, about 20 on the lower limb of
the first gill arch; dorsal fin 15, anal fin 20 . . epsetus
CC. Body more elongate, the depth about 5.25 to 5.75; eye 4.4 in head; gill rakers as long as eye, about 24 on the lower limb of the first arch;
dorsal fin 13, anal 23-24 choerostoma
BB. Sides without a distinct silvery band; depth 6 to 7; dorsal rays 12 to 14,
anal rays 18-20 lyolepis
AA. Pectoral fins very long, the tips of the fins reaching half way between the base of the ventrals and the origin of the anal fin
longipinna new species
46
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X;l
Bonnaterre’s Anchovy
Anchoviella cpsetus (Bonnaterre)
References: Esox epsetus, Bonnaterre, 1788, Ichthy., p. 175.
Anchovia browni, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 204, Plate xiv, fig. 1.
Field Characters: Small, elongate, compressed fishes with single, soft- rayed dorsal fin, short pectoral fins and projecting, pig-like snout. Gill mem- branes not united across the isthmus. Gill rakers about 20. Eye large, 3.5 in head. A silvery lateral band.
Description: The Haitian specimens show a small amount of variation
from the published descriptions, but the smallness of our specimens, ranging from 38 to 70 mm. standard length, may account for this. Taking into con- sideration the various descriptions that have been published, mainly those of Jordan and Evermann,1 Jordan and Seale,2 Meek and Hildebrand3 and Met- zelaar4 the following table can be constructed showing (1) the extreme of variation for the species and (2) the range of variation of the Haitian specimens. From this it can be seen that the variation is fairly small but that a few of the specifications need extending.
|
(■ 1 ) |
2 ( Haitian material ) |
||
|
Head into length |
3.4 to |
3 75 |
3.3 to 3.6 |
|
Depth into length |
4.2 “ |
4.9 |
4.87 “ 5.04 |
|
Eye into head |
3.5 “ |
4.25 |
3.4 “ 3.85 |
|
Snout into head |
4.6 “ |
5 |
5 |
|
Dorsal fin rays |
12 “ |
15 |
15 “ 16 |
|
Anal fin rays |
19 “ |
23 |
21 “ 23 |
|
Gill rakers |
16 “ |
22 |
18 |
The Haitian specimens have the pectoral fin almost reaching the ventral as mentioned in Meek and Hildebrand’s description, but not as shown in their plate.
Color: The silvery lateral stripe is faint in some of our fish and almost' absent in others.
Size and Weight: Grows to 6 inches. A 39 mm. fish weighed 1 gram; a 54 mm. fish weighed 2 grams and a 70 mm. fish weighed 4.5 grams.
General Range: Cape Cod to Uruguay.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: The small fish are found along shore over shallow beaches and at the surface off shore at night.
Abundance: Common, especially at the market, where it is often seen in great numbers, salted and used as whitebait.
1 Fishes of North and Middle America, 1896.
2 Review of the Engraulidae, 1926.
3 Marine Fishes of Panama, 1923.
4 Over Tropisch Atlantische Visschen, 1919.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
47
Method of Capture: Seines and scoop nets about submerged lights at night.
Food: Copepods and other entomostracans, shrimps, small worms and miscellaneous debris.
Enemies: Preyed upon by most of the carnivorous fishes. A 2-inch speci- men was taken from the stomach of a snapper, Lutianus griseus.
Study Material: Colored plate, H41, No. 6845; Specimens, 15, 38-70 mm., including 6845, 6901, 6920, 6997, 7027, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Hog-mouth Fry
Anchoviella choerostoma (Goode)
References: Engraulis choerostomus, Goode, 1874, Amer. Journ. Sci., ser. 3, VIII, p. 125.
Stolephorus choerostomus , Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 444.
Field Characters: Small, elongate, compressed fish with single, soft-rayed dorsal fin, short pectoral fins and projecting, pig-like snout. Gill membranes not united across the isthmus. Gill rakers about 24. Eye moderate, 4.4 in the head. A silvery lateral band.
General Range : Bermudas and southward.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Taken in shallow water along shore near Bizoton and also in shallow water at Source Matelas.
Abundance : Fairly common, seen in the markets under the same conditions as epsetus.
Study Material: Photographs, 4004; Specimens, 34; 34 to 50 mm. including 7266, 7060, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Spot-cheeked Ghost- Fish
Anchoviella lyolepis (Evermann and Marsh)
Reference: Stolephorus lyolepis, Evermann and Marsh, 1902, Fishes of Porto Rico, p. 89.
Field Characters: Small, elongate, compressed fishes with single, soft- rayed dorsal fin, short pectoral fins and slightly projecting snouts. Gill mem- branes not united across the isthmus. No silvery lateral band, but with small black pigment spots, especially conspicuous on top of head, across opercles and at base of tail.
Description: The Haitian specimens have the dorsal fin 13-16 instead of 12-14.
Size: The maximum length is 1 z/i inches.
Colors: In life these fish are almost dead-white, rather translucent, and with pigment spots as described by Evermann and Marsh.
48
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X; 1
General Range: Porto Rico and Haiti.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: A few taken on some of the shoals, but the great majority found at surface at night, where they came to our lights.
Abundance: One of the commonest of fishes to come to our submerged lamps, and present during all of our stay.
Method of Capture: Seines and hand nets about lights.
Study Material: Photographs, 3937; Specimens, 230; varying in length from 17 to 45 mm., including 7105, 7073, 7097a, 7087, 7046, 7243, 7054, 7152, 7033, 7153b, 7030, 7153c, 7284, 7003, 7073a, 7081, 7097a, 7063, 7087, 7026, 7050a, 7286 and 7005, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Long-pectoralled Anchovy
Anchoviella longipinna new species
Type: No. 7460. Length 65 mm., Bizoton, Haiti, at night, April 1, 1927.
Field Characters: Small, elongate, compressed fishes with single, rayed dorsal fin and projecting pig-like snout. Pectoral fins long, the tips filamentous, reaching half-way between the base of the ventral fins and the origin of the anal fin.
Measurements and Counts of the Type :
|
Length 65 mm. |
Scales about 35, caducous |
||
|
Head |
18 “ (3.6) |
Dorsal fin |
14 |
|
Depth |
12 “ (5.4) |
Anal fin |
21 |
|
Eye |
4 “ (4.5) |
Gill rakers |
20 |
|
Snout |
4 “ (4.5) |
||
|
Pectoral length 19 |
Description: Vertebrae: 40 in one specimen.
Body: Elongate, compressed, the greatest depth between the opercle and the dorsal fin; ventral portion of the body but slightly compressed. Depth into length varying from 4.8 to 5.3.
Anterior profile: Very slightly decurved immediately in front of the dorsal fin, thence straight to over the upper angle of the gill opening, then gently decurved to the snout.
Head: Conical, 3.4 to 3.8 in length.
Interorbital: Convex, about equal to diameter of eye.
Eye: Small, 4.2 to 4.7 in head.
Snout: Projecting, conical, but broadly rounded at tip; length approximately equal to diameter of eye, 4.3 to 4.7 in head.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
49
Mouth: Large, slightly oblique, anterior end beginning just before the eye.
Maxillary: Long, not quite extending to the gill openings, its posterior end pointed.
Teeth: Very small, present on jaws, vomer, palatines and pterygoids. No canines.
Preopercular margin: Very oblique, making with the maxillary a V-shaped area, the length of which from eye to tip is less than half the head length.
Opercular margin: Smooth.
Gill rakers: 20 to 21, about % the eye in length.
Scales: Caducous, about 35.
Dorsal fin: 13 to 15 rays, placed midway or slightly forward of midway between the snout and the base of the caudal fin. The fin arises in one dissected specimen over the 16th vertebrae. Third ray longest, the rays becoming progressively shorter. Last ray longer than preceding one.
Anal fin: 20 to 21 rays, its origin under last ray of the dorsal.
Caudal fin: Forked.
Pectoral fins: Placed low, falcate, the upper ray very long, extending in unbroken specimens, to halfway between the base of the ventral fins and the origin of the anal. The tips in many of our specimens are broken, but clearly show that they extended much further than they now do.
Ventral fins: Short, close together, placed midway between gill opening and origin of anal fin.
Color: (In formalin) Hyaline, the caudal fin dusky. A silvery stripe down sides from upper angle of gill-opening to caudal fin, its margins somewhat indistinct, its width about that of the eye.
Comparison: This fish is very close to filifera, described in 1915 from Trinidad by Fowler. It differs in the following particulars : depth slightly less, averaging 4.8 to 5.4; anal fin rays 21 inclusive instead of 24 to 25; snout considerabty blunter; scales considerably deeper, possessing only 3 vertical rows plus a half row at the bottom and a half row at the top across the caudal peduncle.
Study Material: Specimens, 11; the type, No. 7460; and 10 paratypes, 52-64 mm., No. 7461, — 8 from light, BizOton, Haiti, and 2 from Port-au-Prince Market, April 1, 1927.
Type Name and Location: longipinna in reference to the long pectoral fins.
Type in the collection of the Department of Tropical Research of the New York Zoological Society.
Cetengraulis Gunther, 1868
Whalebone Anchovy
Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier)
50 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
References: Engraulis edentulus, Cuvier, 1829, Regne Animal, ed. 2, II, p. 323.
Cetengraulis edentulus , Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 214.
Field Characters: Small compressed fishes with single, soft-rayed dorsal fin, short pectoral fins and projecting pig-like snout. Gill membranes united across the isthmus, — this membrane very easily broken and not visible until the opercles are gently pried open.
Size and Weight: Our largest specimen measured 103 mm. The species grows half again as large. A 98 mm. fish weighed 18 grams.
Color: Caudal fin yellow with dusky edges. Iris golden. Dorsal greenish yellow.
General Range: Atlantic Coast of tropical America.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Fairly common in the open Bay.
Abundance: Common, often seen in the markets.
Method of Capture: Mostly by seining by the native fishermen.
Food: Copepods and other planktonic animals. Considerable amount of sand found in the stomachs of 2 fish taken from the stomach of Scomberomorus maculatus.
Enemies: Two 100 mm. individuals found in the stomach of a Mackerel {Scomberomorus maculatus ) .
Study Material: Photographs, 3900; Specimens, 22; 85-103 mm., including 6868, 7292, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Family Anguillidae; True Eels Anguilla Shaw, 1803
Common Eel
Anguilla rostrata (LeSueur)
References: Muraena rostrata , Le Sueur, 1817, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., I, p. 81, (New York).
Anguilla chrysypa, Evermann and Marsh, 1902, Fishes of Porto Rico, p. 68, plate I.
Field Characters: Elongate eels with rather large mouth, the lower jaw projecting; pectoral fins well developed; skin covered with rudimentary em- bedded scales, placed at right angles to each other (often difficult to see without magnifying glass) ; dorsal fin continuous with the anal around the tail.
Size and Weight: Grows to 4 or 5 feet. Our 186 mm. fish weighed 8 grams.
General Range: Atlantic Slope of North America from southern Canada to Panama, West Indies.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found by us only at Source Mariani, a small fresh-water pond a little over a mile from the sea, connected with the ocean by a small rocky stream.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
51
Abundance: Rare, only one seen. Not observed at the markets. Study Material: Specimens, 1; 186 mm., No. 7178.
Family Muraenesocidae; Pike-eels
Muraenesox McClelland, 1844
References: Muraena savanna, Cuvier, 1829, Regne Animal, Ed. 2, II, p. 350.
Muraenesox savanna, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 143.
Field Characters : Medium sized eels without scales and with well developed pectoral fins; dorsal and anal fins confluent around the tail; lower jaw shorter than upper; tongue narrow, mostly attached to the floor of the mouth; vomerine teeth large, in three series, the central ones enlarged.
Size and Weight: A 28-inch eel weighed 1.25 pounds.
Color: Silvery gray above, silvery white below; dorsal fin dull fleshy bordered with black; anal fin bordered with black.
General Range: West Indies to Brazil
Abundance: Uncommon, but seen occasionally at the market.
Method of Capture: Seines and spears.
Food: The alimentary canal contained the remains of three engraulids.
Eggs: The ovary in the 720 mm. specimen is 173 mm. long, and extends 30 mm. back of the vent. The very numerous eggs are round and average .3 mm. in diameter.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; 720-733 mm., including No. 6969.
Family Echelidae; Worm-eels Ahlia Jordan and Davis, 1892
Worm-eel
Ahlia egmontis (Jordan)
References: Myrophis egmontis, Jordan, 1884, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sciences, Phil. XXXVI, p. 44.
Ahlia egmontis, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 370.
Field Characters: Small, very elongate, worm-like eels with dorsal fin
52 Zoologica : N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
beginning behind anal fin; posterior nostril placed at edge of mouth; the anterior nostril in a large tube.
Description: Twenty-one fish, 50 to 145 mm. long are grouped under this species. They agree with the figure given by Bean (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXVI, p. 963), but in general they are considerably slimmer. The anterior nostril is very large, almost doubled by an infolded pointed septum, the nostrils of each side of the head connected by a thin velum. The nostrils lie one on each side of the lower jaw.
Size and Weight: Grows to fifteen inches.
Color: Brownish green, the head finely speckled with black dots, becoming larger and rounder on posterior sides of head, and smaller and more dot-like on body.
General Range: Florida, Glover Reef, Swan Island, Haiti and Barbados.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Many specimens taken and seen at light at surface at night. Not otherwise seen.
Abundance: Fairly common.
Method of Capture: Scoop net about submerged lamps.
Study Material: Photographs, 3939, 3943; Specimens, 21; 50-145 mm., including Nos. 6998, 7088, 7097d, 7125, 7185, 7192, 7242, 7243.
Family Ophichthyidae ; Snake Eels Myrichthys Girard, 1859
Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Dark spots on body on a paler background
AA. Pale spots on body on a dark background
Black-spotted Snake Eel
Myrichthys oculatus (Kaup)
References : Pisoodonophis oculatus, Kaup, 1856, Cat. Apod. Fish Brit. Mus. p. 22. (Curacao).
Myrichthys oculatus, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 376.
Field Characters: Medium sized elongate, more or less cylindrical eels with sharp-pointed finless tail; teeth blunt; dorsal fin beginning on the head before the gill opening; a series of 35 or more dark spots on paler background; white below.
Size and Weight: Our 28-inch fish weighed 160 grams.
General Range: Cuba to Brazil, also Cape Verde and Canary Islands.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Our single specimen was taken at the surface, coming to light over a depth of 40 feet of water.
. . . .oculatus .acuminatus
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
Abundance: Apparently rather rare, not seen at the markets. Method of Capture: Hand nets at side of schooner.
Study Material: Specimens, 1; 730 mm., No. 6978.
Yellow-spotted Snake Eel
Myrichthys acuminatus (Gronow)
References: Muraena acuminata, Gronow, 1854, Fishes Brit. Mus. p. 21.
Myrichthys acuminatus, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 376.
Field Characters: Medium sized, elongate cylindrical eels with sharp- pointed finless tail; teeth blunt; dorsal fin beginning on head before gill opening: two series of round, whitish blotches on each side of body; head with small whitish blotches.
Description: Our specimen in life had a series of conspicuous horizontal creases, especially common along the middle of the sides of the trunk, and a series of vertical creases on the sides extending up to the base of the dorsal fin but not extending below the middle of the sides. The combination of these two series of creases formed a series of small square or rectangular areas. These creases may be an aid to easy movement, and the presence of the horizontal creases may be helpful when especially large prey has been swallowed.
Color: The white spots mentioned in Jordan and Evermann “on the sides,” are present also all over the crown.
General Range: West Indies north to the Florida Keys.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found by us on shallow reefs along shore.
Abundance: Rare.
Method of Capture: Taken by means of spears.
Study Material: Specimens, 1; 740 mm., No. 6905.
Family Muraenidae; Moray Eels Gymnothorax Bloch, 1795 Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Color more or less uniform, not conspicuously mottled or reticulated with
white or light yellow.
B. Body plain dark brown, lower parts somewhat paler; teeth on anterior part
of jaws more or less distinctly in two series funebris
BB. Body brownish, mottled with dark brown or purplish spots; teeth uni- serial vicinus
54
Zoologica : N. Y. Zoological Society
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A A. Brownish to purplish brown, conspicuously mottled and reticulated with white or light yellow moringa
Olive-green Moray Eel
Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani
References: Gymnothorax funebris , Ranzani, 1840, Novi Comment. Ac. Sci. Inst. Bonon., IV, p. 76.
Gymnothorax funebris, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 163.
Field Characters : Medium to large eels without pectoral fins and with very small gill openings; plain olive green or olive brown.
Size and Weight: Our largest specimen, 41 inches long, weighed 3.5 pounds. General Range: Florida to Brazil. Also recorded from the Cape Verde Islands.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found generally on reefs. Abundance: Fairly common; often seen in the markets.
Method of Capture: Usually by spearing. Often taken in traps.
Habits : These eels have astonishing viability. One taken out of water one evening was able to move and snap the next morning.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; 800-1040 mm. including No. 7048.
Purple -mouthed Moray Eel
Gymnothorax vicinus (Castelnau)
References: Murenophis vicina, Castelnau, 1855. Anim. Nouv. Rares Amer. Sud, p. 81, Plate XLII, fig. 4.
Gymnothorax vicinus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 164.
Field Characters: Medium sized eels without pectoral fins and with very small gill openings; brownish mottled with darker brown or purplish spots; anal fin with a pale edge.
General Range: Cuba to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found by us only over the shallower reefs.
Abundance: Uncommon; seen rarely in the markets.
Methods of Capture: Grains and tr? -
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Food: One specimen contained a 6-inch Rhomboplites aurorubens, a 5-inch Cetengraulis edentulus and two 3-inch Yellow-tails, Ocyurus chrysurus.
Study Material: Specimens, 3; 573-600 mm., including No. 6903.
Common Spotted Moray Eel; Hamlet
Gymnothorax moringa (Cuvier)
References: Muraena moringa, Cuvier 1829, Regne Animal, Ed. 2, II, p. 352.
Gymnothorax moringa, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 166.
Field Characters: Medium sized eels without pectoral fins and with very small gill openings; brown or purplish brown with spots and reticulations of white or pale yellow.
Size and Weight: A 24-inch eel weighed half a pound.
Color: Field notes were made on color twice, in both cases the lighter color being considered as the ground color, which is the opposite of the usual color descriptions.
A 610 mm. eel was described as follows: Pale yellowish white, mottled and marbled everywhere with raw umber; head with a pinkish white sheen; dorsal fin viridine green; anal fin edged with white; iris silvery white near pupil, mottled toward outer rim with dark brown.
A second eel, somewhat larger, was described thus: General ground color between ivory yellow and colonial buff, becoming whitish on the head and brightest on the dorsal fin. Spots of cameo brown covering the entire body, these being divided into two distinct sizes, the larger being irregular in shape, the smaller more regular.
The variation in color and pattern is enormous.
General Range: Florida to Brazil; Also recorded from St. Helena.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Widely distributed over the coral reefs.
Abundance: Common, the commonest eel seen on the reefs, usually seen hiding between clumps of coral. Often seen in the markets.
Method of Capture: Spearing and traps.
Food: Small fish; one eel had swallowed a small trigger fish ( Monacanthus oppositus ) .
Study Material: Color Plate, H9, No. 6889; Photographs, 3783, 3784, 3833, 3834, 3860; Specimens, 11; 400-720 mm., including Nos. 6889, 6924.
Leptocephalid Larvae
During the expedition collections were constantly made at night, by the use of dip nets about submerged lights. As a result of this fishing, and in addition to the various juvenile fishes which resembled their adult forms, a
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number of young fishes were captured which are wholly unlike their parents. All of these fish in life were transparent, or at least translucent.
The vast majority of these larvae were Lizard-fish (Sy nodus foetens ), Snake- fish ( Trachinocephalus my ops), and Lady-fish ( Albula vulpes ), especially the first and third; the remaining ones being typical eel Leptocephalids. The first three mentioned species have been treated under their respective headings, but for ease of identification they have been included in the following key. The eel Leptocephalids have been placed under the Leptocephalus form that they most closely resemble, with notes as to how they differ.
Key to Leptocephalid-larval stages
A. Larval stages with small vertical fins, the dorsal with 11 to 17 rays, the
anal with 8 to 11.
B. Dorsal rays 17, anal rays 8. No conspicuous, black, circular spots
along sides Albula vulpes
BB. Dorsal rays 11 to 14, anal rays 11 to 16. Lower sides with six conspicuous black circular spots on lower sides, these spots on the gut.
C. Head long, flattened, lizard-like, coming to a rather sharp point. Eye
small, shorter than snout Sy nodus foetens
CC. Head shorter, compressed; eye large, longer than snout.
Trachinocephalus myops
AA. Larval stages with elongate dorsal and anal fins, the dorsal at least half the length.
D. Pectoral fins absent; 142 myomeres; origin of dorsal fin far in advance
of anal Leptocephalus latus
DD. Pectoral fins present.
E. Myomeres 140; dorsal beginning very slightly in advance of anal; tail
rather sharp, the dorsal and anal not continued around it, each of these fins expanded just before caudal; a series of conspicuous wide spaced black dots along alimentary canal . . .Leptocephalus mucronatus EE. Myomeres 120 to 126.
F. Myomeres 125-126.
G. Myomeres 125; dorsal fin beginning slightly in advance of anal; anterior
nostril in a tube, posterior nostril very small; eye large, 4.7 in head
Leptocephalus michael-sarsi „ GG. Myomeres 126; dorsal fin beginning far in advance of anal, near the.
head; anterior nostril in tube, posterior very large, eye small, 6.8
in head Leptocephalus microphthalmus new species
FF. Myomeres 120; dorsal fin beginning slightly in advance of the anal; nostrils remote, the anterior not in a tube Leptocephalus rex
Leptocephalus latus Eigenmann and Kennedy
References: Leptocephalus latus, Eigenmann and Kennedy, Bull. U. S.
Fish Comm., XXI, 1901, p. 87, figs. 6, 6a, 6b.
Description: A single leptocephalus 83 mm. long, is referred to latus. It is intermediate in some ways between latus and gilli, possessing a head shaped
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 57
like latus, and with the caudal region shaped more like gilli; it also differs in the relations of the myomeres.
No. 7081, 83 mm. Port au Prince Bay at light, March 19, 1927. Body very thin and elevated, widened rather suddenly at the nape, reaching its maximum height before the middle of body, and maintaining the same height for more than pi the length; tail rounded, but not quite as broad as shown for latus; depth 6; head small, 20 in length, lower jaw slightly shorter than upper with a series of 10-11 long fang-like teeth in lower jaw; 12 similar forward pointing teeth in upper jaw; eye 2.1 in snout, 6.7 in head; nostrils remote, pectorals not developed; a series of very small pigment spots at base of dorsal and anal rays, and a few dots obliquely on back of head; myomeres 91 + 51, total 142.
The relation of the caudal and abdominal myomeres is considerably different from latus, a character which possibly may be assigned to movement of the anus with growth, but in most other characters the fish is fairly close to Eigen- mann’s description of that species.
Study Material: Specimen, 1; 83 mm., No. 7081, March 19, 1927.
Leptocephalus mucronatus Eigenmann and Kennedy
References: Leptocephalus mucronatus, Eigenmann and Kennedy, Bull.
U. S. Fish Comm., XXI, p. 90, figs. 11, 11a, and lib.
Description: Two larvae, 73.5 and 82 mm. long, agree with this form, the longer one especially. Our field notes about this specimen record prominent black marks on each myomere below the lateral line, a character agreeing with Eigenmann and Kennedy’s description. In the preserved fish these spots are practically absent, and would never have been noticed except for the field description.
No. 7146, 82 mm. Surface at light, Port-au-Prince Bay, April 4, 1927. Elongate, band-shaped, the body tapering in its anterior fourth, tapering more abruptly posteriorly, depth 11 in length; head rather short, 17.5 in length; eye small, 5.5 in head; snout about 4.7 in head; nostrils closer together than described by Eigenmann and Kennedy; teeth large, strong, triangular; two long slender canines project downward from tip of upper jaw beyond tip of lower; myomeres 61 + 79, total 140; dorsal fin beginning 39 mm. from snout; anal fin 39 mm. from snout; dorsal with 236 rays and anal with 220 rays.
A series of pigment lines down each myacomma a short distance from middle bend; a black dot at base of each dorsal and anal ray; a series of relatively larger spots along alimentary canal, a larg6r one above and a smaller one below.
This specimen differs somewhat in size of head, snout and eye from mucro- natus, but agrees fairly well in myomere count, and excellently in form, especi- ally the peculiarly shaped tail, and in pigmentation.
The second specimen, No. 7198, 73.5 mm. surface at light, Port-au-Prince Bay, April 22, 1927, is slightly older and more robust, the depth being 18 in the length. It possesses the same myomere count, peculiar form of posterior dorsal and anal fins, and pigmentation. It differs from the preceeding specimen in having the anterior nostril in a short tube.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; No. 7146, April 4, 1927 and No. 7198, April 22, 1927.
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Leptocephalus michael-sarsi Lea
References: Leptocephalus michael-sarsi , Lea, Muraenoid Larvae, Rep.
Sci. Results Michael Sars North Atlantic Deep Sea Expedi- tion, Yol. Ill, Part 1, p. 28.
Description: Two specimens, 65 and 68 mm. long are placed under this species. Both are considerably further advanced than the single specimen (99 mm.) upon which Lea based his description. They agree in all essential characters, those in which they differ being easily laid to difference in age.
No. 7032, 68 mm., surface, Port-au-Prince Bay at light, March 10, 1927.
Rather robust in form, partly metamorphosed from the flattened ribbon-like form, the depth 14.8 into the length, the body tapering slightly toward the tail. Head conical, fairly robust, 9.7 in total length, the dorsal profile evenly curved; lower jaw shorter than upper, the upper slightly decurved over the lower; anterior nostril in a tube at edge of upper jaw; posterior nostril small, .1 mm. in diameter, anterior to but below the middle of eye; eye fairly large, 4.7 in head length. Myomeres 54 +71, total 125; dorsal fin beginning a few segments in front of anal.
A lateral line of chroma tophores just beneath the central angle of the myo- meres, the color cells roughly on alternate muscle segments. Three small black spots (2 in michael-sarsi of Lea) on gut anterior to pectoral fins; a row of black dots with large interpsaces along alimentary canal, more marked anteriorly; small black spots at base of dorsal, caudal and anal rays.
No. 7390, 65 mm. Surface at light. Port-au-Prince Bay, February 15, 1927.
This specimen does not differ in any essential way. Its coloration is not quite as distinct as the others, and the three spots on the anterior part of the gut are absent, a fact which may be laid to preservative, as the specimen is a reddish brown instead of light yellow typical of most preserved leptocephalids.
Lea’s specimen of michael-sarsi came from 48° 2' N. and 39° 55' W., West of Flemish Cap in the North Atlantic, a long distance from Haiti, but the agreement of characters which change but little with age, is such that we have little hesitation in identifying our specimens as this form.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; 65 and 68 mm., Nos. 7032, 7390.
Leptocephalus microphthalmus sp. nov.
Type: No. 7080, 74 mm. Surface at light, March 19, 1927.
Description: Body elongate, flattened, moderately deep, depth 11.8; dorsal and anal fins rather wide, especially posteriorly; head rather small, conical, 14.5 in length, the lower jaw projecting beyond upper (specimen damaged, so that lower jaw may possibly be equal to upper); eye small, 6.8 in head, its vertical diameter greater than its horizontal; snout rather short, a little less than 3 in head; anterior nostril in a short tube, near upper lip; post- erior nostril very large, almost half the horizontal diameter of the eye in width,
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and situated anterior to middle of eye; 13 teeth in side of lower jaw, — anterior 8 large, the remaining 5 very small.
Myomeres 65 + 61, total 126; dorsal fin rays, 250, the fin arising at the 18th myomere from the head; anal fin rays 165; pectoral rays 16.
Gut with anlage of liver at 13th myomere from head; from this point on- ward back to anus a row of small round chromotophores along ventral surface.
Transparent, with a very short vertical pigmented line on each myocomma below central bend of myomere. Dorsal and anal fin posteriorly with a black spot at the base of each ray, these spots faint and most noticeable at posterior end of anal. Small black spots along gut.
Measurements and Counts:
Total length 74 mm.
Depth 6.3 “
Head 5.1 “
Eye .75 “
Posterior nostril diameter • .32 “
Snout 1.6 “
Pectoral fin length 2
Snout to origin of dorsal 13
Snout to anus 44 “
Comparison: This species runs close to michael-sarsi, but specimens of practically equal size differ strikingly in size of posterior nostrils and in relative proportions of the eye and somewhat in color.
Study Material: Specimen 7080. Surface at light, March 19, 1927.
Leptocephalus rex Eigenmann and Kennedy
References: Leptocephalus rex , Eigenmann and Kennedy, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXI, 1901, p. 86, figs. 3, 3a, 3b.
Description: One specimen is placed under rex, agreeing in possessing about 120 myomeres, in the relative proportions and relations of the dorsal and anal fins, form and color, but differing in depth and size of head. Eigenmann and Kennedy in their paper mentioned above were not certain as to whether their amphioxus and rex were not the same. The Haitian specimen possesses some characters of both.
No. 7003, 87 mm. long. Taken at light, Port-au-Prince Bay, March 6, 1927.
Depth 14.7; head 11; form rather robust, not especially compressed, the head having taken on its adult form, (like illustration of rex); snout rounded, lower jaw very slightly shorter than upper; teeth very small; tail long and pointed; dorsal beginning slightly in front of anal; caudal rounded, the continua- tion of the dorsal and anal fins intermediate in shape between rex and amphioxus. Small black pigment dots at base of dorsal and anal, most conspicuous near caudal, becoming less marked as they progress forward, those of the anal more marked than those of the caudal. No other pigment spots apparent.
Study Material: Photograph, 3940; Specimen, 1; 87 mm., No. 7003, March 6, 1927.
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Family Synodontidae; The Lizard Fishes
Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Head rather long, flattened, triangular; snout depressed, longer than eye.
Synodus
AA. Head compressed; snout short, not depressed, shorter than eye.
Trachinocephalus
Synodus Scopoli, 1777
Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Scales larger, 48 to 52 in the lateral line intermedins
AA. Scales smaller, 58 to 63 in the lateral line foetens
Agassiz’s Lizard-fish
Synodus intermedius Agassiz
References: Synodus intermedius, Agassiz, 1829, in Spix, Pise. Brazil, p. 81.
Synodus intermedius, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 217.
Field Characters: Elongate fish with single soft-rayed dorsal fin and small adipose fin, and with flattened, scaled lizard-like head; 48 to 52 scales in the lateral line. Greenish with 8 cross bands of darker, sometimes with indistinct bands between them.
Size and Weight: Grows to 15 inches. A 225 mm. fish weighed 129 grams.
General Range: North Carolina to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found generally along sliore.
Abundance: Fairly common, and often brought to the markets, where it is one of the poorer food fish.
Method of Capture: Mostly with seines.
Food: A carnivorous species. Our food records mention fish, especially engraulids and atherinids, and shrimps.
Study Material: Photograph, 4121; Specimens, 6; 216-262 mm., including No. 6860, Port-au-Prince Bay, 1927.
Lizard-fish; Galliwasp; Lagarto
Synodus foetens (Linnaeus)
References: Salmo foetens, Linnaeus, 1776, Syst. Nat. Ed., XII, p. 513.
Synodus foetens, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 220.
Field Characters: Adults: elongate fish with flattened lizard-like head and with single soft dorsal and small adipose fin; scales 58 to 63; greenish, pale below; Young; elongate, cylindrical, translucent, with 6 black spots on the gut showing through to outside, a blackish patch on the sides at base of caudal fin, continued forward on the lateral line, but not continued onto the dorsal surface.
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Description: The single adult taken agrees completely with the published descriptions. Two hundred young specimens, 22 to 41 mm., the majority near the larger size, agree very well with Nicholas description and figure of young Bynodus foetens (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. XXX, 1911, p. 278). Our fish differ in being slightly deeper, about 103^2 instead of 113^2, as stated by Nichols. However, his figure when measured, has the same depth as our fish, and is identical with our specimens of similar size. The Haitian fishes of 40 mm., and some of slightly shorter length have the scales well defined, but practically invisible until the fishes are partly dried.
The teeth in a 41 mm. fish are as follows:
Lower jaw: Four sharp incisors in front followed by two long, curved canines. Following these four groups of three teeth each, each group somewhat separate from the rest, the first and second in each group somewhat longer than the others.
Upper jaw: Teeth much more irregular. About 24 on each side, in two rows, the larger in the outer row. Posterior third of jaw has only a single row of teeth.
The proportionate size and placing of the stomach diverticulum in a 40 mm. and the 155 mm. fish is shown in the following diagram.
Synodus foetens
Relative size of stomach, diverticulum in adult and young.
A. 155 mm. standard length. B. 40 mm. standard length..
The curved line at the left hand side of the diagram represents the opercle; the right hand portion of the diagram represents the anus.
The stomach in the larvae is lined with circular folds, broken only at the bottom. These are deep and close together, each .43 mm. deep and 10-12 to the millimeter. The height of the gut, following along the curve of the side, is 1.35 mm.
Size: Grows to about 12 inches.
Color: Larvae; — Body, translucent white with six pairs of conspicuous, round black spots along the ventral side; — one near the posterior edge of the opercle, one beneath the posterior edge of the pectoral, one half way between insertion and tip of ventral, one at half the length of the ventral beyond the tip of the ventral, one-half way between last mentioned spot and the anus. The position of the second, third and fourth may be shifted considerably forward in relation to the fins. These black pigment spots lie between the gut and the peritoneum, and they are considerably more adhesive to the outer layer of tissue. The spots are upright, broad ellipses with solid edges.
A slightly older fish, 41 mm., is described as follows:
Upper surfaces and upper sides of head with small chromatophores, these color cells extending on the back and sides of the fish, those on the sides in the
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form of diamond shaped figures with the axis on the lateral line. Small blotches of chromatophores on the sides between and above the diamond-shaped patches. Chromatophores of the upper side of the body forming vague cross bands. A dark bar on the sides at the base of the lower caudal rays, continued forward slightly along the lateral line. The black spots of the slightly younger larvae still show through the sides.
General Range: North Carolina to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Seen along shore. The young found at the surface at night.
Abundance: Adults uncommon. Young very common.
Method of Capture: The small specimens were taken mainly with scoop nets as they came to the submerged lights at the side of the schooner. Adults taken with seine.
Food: The young individuals are exceedingly voracious, devouring their own brothers and cousins and anything else animal approaching their way. A 35 mm. fish ate a 20 mm. fish af the same species, 11.8 of the 20 mm. fish remain- ing well forward in the alimentary canal and undigested. A 41 mm. fish had swallowed a 31 mm. specimen of his own kind.
Breeding: The young were first taken by us on February 28th, and they were present about the schooner in almost the same numbers and differing only slightly in size up to April 30, 1927.
Study Material: Photograph, 3942; Specimens, 201: 22-155 mm., including Nos. 6967, 6995, 7003, 7004, 7007, 7026, 7029, 7046, 7050, 7054, 7063, 7073, 7074, 7081, 7087, 7097, 7107, 7125, 7126, 7152, 7153, 7243 and 7285. February 28 to April 30, 1927, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Trachinocephalus Gill, 1861
Snake-fish
Trachinocephalus myops (Forster)
References: Salmo myops, Forster, MS., Bloch and Schneider, 1801, Syst. Ichth., p. 421.
Trachinocephalus myops, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 222.
Field Characters: Medium sized fishes with dorsal fin composed of rays only and a small adipose fin; head short, blunt, compressed, the snout shorter than the eye.
Description : Three small fish resembling young Synodus foetens in general appearance and color, are assigned to this species. When compared with foetens they differ most noticeably in the shape of the head, and size and position of the eye.
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Size: Grows to 9 inches.
Color : The young specimens were translucent with six black spots on the gut (similar to Synodus foetens), and one similar spot at the posterior base of the anal. Blackish spots and pattern on other parts of the body as follows: — top of head with scattered chromatophores; a line of chromatophores along middle of sides; a series at the base of the dorsal; 2 spots at upper base of the pectoral; a large spot at base of the adipose fin; a series of spots at base of posterior anal rays; a large blotch at base of caudal, extending upward and forward slightly on the upper surfaces.
General Range: Widely distributed in tropical seas.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: Young found at surface only at night.
Abundance: Rare.
Method of Capture: Scoop nets at night.
Study Material: Photographs, 3942; Specimens, 3; 36-38 mm., including 6995, 7125 and 7126, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Family Belonidae;* The Needlefishes Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Body moderately compressed, the depth not greatly exceeding the width.
Strongylura
A A. Body very strongly compressed, more or less ribbon-shaped; the depth more than twice the width Ablennes
Strongylura Van Hasselt, 1824
Needlefish ; Houndfish ; Guardfish
Srongylura raphidoma (Ranzani)
References : Belone raphidoma, Ranzani, 1842, Nov. Comm. Ac. Nat. Sci. Inst. Bonon., V, p. 359, pi. 37, fig. 1.
Tylosurus raphidoma, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 226.
Field Characters: Very elongate and slender fishes, with jaws produced into a long, slender beak; a band of minute teeth and a series of large, wide-set teeth; scales small and thin; lateral line low and fold-like; dorsal and anal opposite and long, elevated anteriorly; gill rakers obsolete; greenish above, silvery below; bones green.
Description : The needlefish we took in Haiti are typical of the present species and the only point of interest worth mentioning is a comparative table of characters from young to adult.
* There is a species of gar living in Etang Saumatre, the inland brackish lake of Haiti. Although we plainly saw two fish about a foot long, we were unable to capture them.
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Specimen abed
|
Length |
30 mm. |
50 mm. |
166 mm. |
740 mm. |
|
4% |
7% |
22% |
100% |
|
|
Depth |
1.7 mm. |
3 mm. |
9 mm. |
44 mm. |
|
4% |
7% |
20% |
100% |
|
|
Head |
6.8 mm. |
12 mm. |
53 mm. |
220 mm. |
|
3% |
5% |
24% |
100% |
|
|
Eye |
1 . 5 mm. |
2 mm. |
6 mm. |
22 mm. |
|
7% |
10% |
27% |
100% |
|
|
Snout |
3 mm. |
6 . 3 mm. |
32.5 mm. |
120 mm. |
|
2.5% |
5% |
27% |
100% |
|
|
Average |
4% |
7% |
24% |
100% |
We see from this that the length, depth and head increase from juvenile to adult rather regularly. The snout is, at first, by far the least developed, being only two and one half percent of the arbitrarily chosen adult; the eye, as is usual in almost all young vertebrates, is ahead of the rest, showing as seven percent in the smallest youngster. In the 166 mm. individual, the eye has slowed down and the snout caught up, and we find all five characters averaging twenty-four percent of those of the full-grown needlefish.
The variation in the dorsal and anal rays is not great, being from 22 to 23 in the former, and 20 to 23 in the latter fin.
Size and Weight: Known to reach a length of 5 feet. Our largest captured specimen weighed 3% pounds and was 33 inches in length. We saw several which were well over four feet long.
Color: Adult: The back is dark green, the sides and belly silvery; on some individuals there are two or three black lines down the back and a silvery band along the sides; the dermal keel on the caudal peduncle is black and the fins dusky.
Young: A typical young of fifty mm. exhibits an inverted pattern very unusual among fishes, being light brown above and brownish black below. After death the pigment of both dorsal and ventral surfaces concentrated into a multiplicity of minute, round, black dots. The pectorals, ventrals, caudal and the anterior portions of the vertical fins are hyaline, but the posterior three-fourths of the anal are slightly spotted, and the dorsal solidly blackened. The lower half of the caudal peduncle is conspicuously black, and the large, lappet-like, jaw flap of skin which is such a consistently juvenile character in this and related families, is jet black.
General Range: From North Carolina to Brazil.
Distribution in Port-au-Prince Bay: The young and occasionally the adults are seen swimming singly at the surface in full sunlight. A few may be seen almost every day in the market. One of medium size was taken at the surface light.
Abundance: Uncommon. Always seen singly.
Method of Capture: The young were scooped up in hand nets. Adults taken with hook and line and in the seines of the native fishermen.
Food: Fish remains were found in several stomachs but too comminuted to be recognized. The beak and teeth of needlefish are too delicate to be used
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in the capture of very large fish, and it is probably that they feed chiefly on the vast schools of small fish which swarm at the surface.
Proportion of Sexes: Of eight adult individuals one was a male, and seven were females.
Size at Maturity: In no individual smaller than 24 inches were the gonads well developed.
Spawning Season: In March and April the ovaries were well developed, indicating spawning in the next month or two. In these females the ovary averaged about thirty per cent of the length of the fish, and fifty percent of its depth.
Eggs: The eggs were packed closely together in the elongated ovary. In a fish taken in mid-March they measured from one, to two and one quarter mm. in diameter.
Young: Two young fish, 30 and 50 mm. in length, were taken on the 20th and the 11th of March respectively, and at least half a dozen others seen swim- ming at the surface. All were a mile or more from shore.
General Habits : The young must in some way be adapted, by the inverted pattern already described, for concealment at the surface. The eyesight is much more acute than that of the other young fish living under similar condi- tions, and it was exceedingly difficult to take them with hand nets. In flight, they darted off with short irregular spurts, and never sought shelter beneath the stray strands of sargassum weed or floating debris. The juvenile, fleshy flap extends along the entire length of the lower jaw and on each side near the symphysis is abruptly enlarged into a wide lappet. It is less deeply pigmented in the smaller specimen. In both young fish the teeth are well developed, both the small and the larger series. In addition to the short beak, the most dis- tinctive character of these immature fish is the total absence of any forked appearance of the caudal fin. Instead, it is quite regularly rounded.
Even in needlefish which have reached a length of over six inches the dermal jaw flap is still fully developed, shaped as described in the above paragraph. In the fish of this age the inverted coloration has given place to the more usual pattern of the adult.
Study Material: Color Plates, H548, No. 7195a; Photograph, 4127; Speci- mens, 11; 30-840 mm., including numbers 6865, 6880, 7051, 7158, 7195a, 7260, 7287.
Ablennes Jordan and Fordice, 1886
Ribbon Needlefish
Ablennes Mans (Cuvier and Valenciennes)
References: Belone hians, Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1846, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XVIII, p. 432.
Ablennes hians, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 231.
Field Characters: Similar to Strongylurus but with the bod}?- compressed into a band or ribbon shape.
66
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
Description: Our specimen is typical except that it has one more dorsal ray than has heretofore been recorded.
|
Length |
654 mm. |
Interorbital |
18 mm. |
|
|
Depth |
44 |
U |
Postorbital |
38 “ |
|
Width |
20 |
u |
Pectoral length |
64 “ |
|
Head |
185 |
u |
Dorsal rays |
26 |
|
Eye Snout Beak |
19 129 111 5 149 I3-5 |
u u (C H E |
Anal rays 9.7 § 1.43 5 1.65 fe Jd |
27 |
Size and Weight: The species is known to reach a length of 3 feet. Our specimen was 25% inches or 654 mm. in length, and weighed 320 grams.
General Range: From Massachusetts to Brazil. Also recorded from the Cape Verde Islands.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: One specimen taken in seine by native fishermen.
Study Material: Specimen, 1; 654 mm., No. 7134.
Family Hemirhamphidae; The Half-beaks Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Body moderately compressed; pectoral fins moderate; shore fishes.
B. Sides of the body vertical; ventral fins inserted much nearer the base of
the caudal than the gill opening Hemirhamphus
BB. Sides of body not quite vertical, more or less convex; ventral fins inserted further forward, usually at a point about midway between base of caudal and gill opening . Hyporhamphus
A. Body slender and compressed, more or less band-like; pectoral fins very long, more than % the length of the body; ventral fins very short, inserted posteriorly; pelagic species Euleptorhamphus
Hemirhamphus Cuvier, 1817
Orange-tailed Half-beak; Ballyhoo; Baloa
Hemirhamphus brasiliensis (Linnaeus)
References: Esox brasiliensis, Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, p. 314.
Hemirhamphus brasiliensis, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 234.
Field Characters: Small, elongate fishes with lower jaw prolonged into a long beak; sides vertical; ventral fins inserted nearer base of caudal than gill openings. Upper lobe of caudal fin orange.
Description: Our specimens are typical in almost every respect. The following table illustrates the relative progress of 6 characters from young to adult.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 67
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|||||
|
Length. . . |
35 mm. |
16% |
38.5 mm. |
18% |
145 mm. |
67% |
215 mm. |
100% |
|
Depth .... |
3.8 “ |
10 |
5 |
14 |
25 |
70 |
36 |
100 |
|
Head |
7.8 “ |
16 |
9 |
18 |
35.2 “ |
73 |
48.5 “ |
100 |
|
Eye |
2.3 “ |
17 |
2.6 “ |
19 |
9.5 “ |
70 |
13.5 “ |
100 |
|
Snout. . . . |
1.6 “ |
10 |
2.4 “ |
14 |
11 |
67 |
16.5 “ |
100 |
|
Beak ..... |
10.3 “ |
17 |
13.5 “ |
23 |
41.5 “ |
72 |
58 |
100 |
|
Average.. . |
14.3% |
17.6% |
70% |
100% |
The head of the 145 mm. fish is slightly longer than is usually described for this species, averaging 4.1 times into the length instead of 4.35 to 4.63. The specimen agrees, however, in all other characters.
The smaller examples are less deep than in typical measurements given Meek & Hildebrand, the depth into the length being 9.2 in a 35 mm. fish and 7.7 in a 38.5 mm. specimen, and in these the eye is slightly larger, — 3.4 and 3.46 in the head, respectively.
Size and Weight: This species is said to reach a length of 15 inches. Our largest example measured 215 mm. in length.
Color: This species is conspicuous among the Haitian half -beaks because of the orange upper lobe of the caudal fin.
Adults: Dusky greenish-brown above, silvery on the sides and below. A dark streak along the sides from the upper angle of the gill opening to the base of the caudal, wider and more diffuse posteriorly. Median line of the back with three, dark, narrow lines, often difficult to see, the central one often diffuse. Upper lobe of the caudal fin orange, the lower dusky.
Smaller fish from 35 to 47 mm. in length (alcoholic specimens) have the pigment distributed as follows: Top of head, snout and lower jaw densely covered with chromatophores; the opercles with only a few scattered pigment cells. Edges of the scales on the dorsal surfaces as far down as the center of the sides, densely pigmented. A dark band on the sides beginning at the upper angle of the gill-opening, continuing to the caudal fin, becoming wider and denser posteriorly. Belly and under surfaces with a median narrow band of chromatophores extending from the isthmus to the caudal fin, most intense immediately before and between the ventrals, splitting in two at the anus and continuing as a line of spots on either side of the anal fin to the caudal. A small black spot on the body at the base of the ventral fin, anteriorly and superiorly. Three dark patches on the middle of the sides, two between the anal and dorsal fin, and one above the ventrals. There is a trace of another spot before this one, but it is not sufficiently developed in any of our specimens to be certain as to its actual existence. A few scattered chromatophores are found on the lower sides. Membranes of the posterior part of the dorsal and anal fins blackish. Lower lobe of the caudal dusky. Other fins plain.
The changes in the distribution of the pigment on the dorsal surface is somewhat simpler than in Hyporhamphus unifasciatus, although this may be because we lack specimens of Hemirhamphus as small as those of the other species. Three characters only are present, and their changes may be shown in the following diagram:
68
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X; 1
A B C D
Hemirhamphus hrasiliensis
Changes in pigmentation of the dorsal surface with growth.
A. — 35 mm. specimen. C. — 47 mm. specimen.
B. — 40 mm. specimen. D. — 185 to 215 mm. specimens.
Symbols same as those used under Hyporhamphus unifasciatus.
1. Median line.
Present in all individuals, in varying degrees of strength; in some of the larger specimens being wider and more diffuse than in others.
2. Submedian lines.
These appear in our fish of 40 mm. length as a series of dots, which in the 47 mm. specimen have become continuous lines. They are pfesent in all larger specimens.
3. Pigmented scale edges.
These are present and are very conspicuous in our small specimens of 35 to 47 mm. In the older fish the general darkening of the upper surface has completely submerged these patterns.
General Range: Florida south to Bahia, Brazil.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: A few at surface light at night.
Abundance: Rather rare compared with Hyporhamphus unifasciatus. We took nine individuals.
Method of Capture: Natives take them in seines at night. All of ours were taken as they came to submerged lights.
Food: The stomach of a 215 mm. specimen contained the usual quantity of comminuted algae, also considerable woody tissue of land plants, 2 or 3 blades of grass and several insects, a spider and a small hymenopteron. There was also the remains of a half-digested small fish.
A second individual had eaten large quantities of half-decayed bits of Thalassia leaves.
In a third fish, 50 mm. long was a mass of similar material, Thallasia and bit s of tissue of land plants all quite decolorized. *
Study Material: Photographs, 3773; Specimens, 9 (6 small, 3 large'^. including Nos. 6803, 7043 (2), 7050 (2), 7087a (2),— (2). Port-au-Prince Ba;^
1928J Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti
69
Hyporhamphus Gill, 1859
Half-beak; Balao; Balaju ; Bally-hoo
Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Ranzani)
References: Hemirhamphus unifasciatus, Ranzani, 1842, Novi. Comment. Ac. Sci. Inst. Bonon., V, p. 326.
Hyporhamphus unifasciatus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 237, Plate XVI, fig. 1.
Field Characters: Small, elongate fishes with lower jaw prolonged into a long beak. Sides convex. Ventral fins inserted midway between base of caudal and gill opening.
Description: The 28 specimens taken all conform typically to the descrip- tions of unifasciatus. The extremes in size in our collection are 15 and 147 mm. and the comparative development of six characters is shown in the following table :
|
Length. . . |
A 15.5 mm. |
10% |
26 |
B mm. |
18% |
78 |
C mm. |
53% |
D 147 mm. |
100% |
|
Depth .... |
1.3 “ |
8 |
2.5 |
“ |
10 |
8.5 |
U |
37 |
23 |
100 |
|
Head |
3 |
9 |
5 |
C( |
15 |
16 |
U |
50 |
33 |
100 |
|
Eye |
.95 “ |
12 |
1.7 |
u |
22 |
4.0 |
U |
53 |
7.5 “ |
100 |
|
Snout. . . . |
.65 “ |
6 |
1.3 |
“ |
12 |
5.7 |
“ |
52 |
11 |
100 |
|
Beak |
2 |
8.3 |
7.8 |
Ci |
32 |
20 |
u |
83 |
24 |
100 |
|
Average. . . |
8.6% |
18% |
55% |
100% |
In the smallest fish the snout is least developed, the eye as usual being the most advanced. In specimen C, which is half the length of the adult, the general average of all six characters is 55%, yet the depth still lags, being only 37%, while compensation is found in the beak which has forged ahead to 83%.
Size and Weight: Our largest specimen measured 147 mm. and weighed 27 grams. Grows to a foot.
Color: Pale green above, silvery below and on sides. Upper surface of head and mandible blackish, the tip of the latter red. Sides with a plumbeous stripe, widest posteriorly, bordered above with black, — this line present at all ages down to 15.5 mm. long. Back with dusky punctulations following the edges of the scales. The pattern of the dorsal surface varies with age, and the component parts of the pattern and their appearance and disappear- ance are given below.
In connection with the dorsal pigmentation four characters may be distin- guished, as shown in diagram. These characters are similar to a certain extent to those found on Hemirhamphus brasiliensis, but they also differ considerably.
70
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X; 1
|
1 |
• |
|
|
• |
,+l |
k |
|
* # |
»"j‘S ■7* i |
r |
B
D
i
,
[■
n
Hyporhamphus unifasciatus
Changes with growth in the pigmentation of the dorsal surface.
A. — Artificial diagram showing all the elements present. 1, median dorsal line, 2, sub- median dorsal lines, 3, lateral dorsal spots, 4, pigmented scale edges.
B. — Dorsal surface of 15.5 mm. specimen.
C. — 19 mm. specimen.
D. — 32 mm. specimen.
E. — 52 mm. specimen.
F. — 95 mm. specimen.
G. — 147 mm. specimen.
Taken one by one the characters appear or disappear with age as follows:
1. Median dorsal line of chromatophores.
In a 15.5 mm. fish this line is absent. Faint indications appear in a 19 mm. fish, the chromatophores being very small and wide apart. In a 28 mm. specimen the chromatophores have increased in number and are consequently closer together. They continue their existence in much the same way in larger specimens, although in a 147 fish they are masked to a considerable extent by the encroaching pigmented scale edges.
2. The sub-median dorsal lines.
These are present in 15.5 mm. and 19 mm. fish as a series of unconnected pigment dots. In 32 mm. specimens these pigment dots have become elongate dashes, and at 52 mm. standard length the dashes have consolidated and the continuous double dorsal stripes so conspicuous in the adult, are developed.
3. Lateral spots.
These spots are present in specimens up to 95 mm. and it is possible that they may persist in larger fish. In the very young they are enormous, appar- ently formed of a single chromatophore, and dwarfing the chromatophores of the beginning sub-median dorsal lines. With age they become relatively smaller and in practically all of our 85 and 95 mm. specimens they have dis- appeared entirely. In the smallest specimens these chromatophores join posteriorly to form the black spot on the upper surface of the caudal peduncle.
4. Pigmented scale edges.
In our series these do not appear until 95 mm. standard length has been attained. They are then especially prominent on the rows of scales just outside the submedian line. In still larger specimens they attain greater prominence and form, next to the submedian dorsal lines, the most conspicuous feature of the dorsal coloration of the adult.
General Range: Rhode Island to Brazil.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
71
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay : Many seen in the markets. Common about our surface lights at night. Medium-sized half-beaks occasionally seen in shallow water near shore, and one small one was taken at the surface in full daylight two miles from shore.
Method of Capture: The native fishermen take these in seines at night. Our specimens were captured with hand nets at the gangway at night.
Food: Stomach of a medium sized fish filled with a fine, white, flocculent substance, amorphous except under high power microscope, where remains of partly broken down cells of algae can be made out. We have never seen this species feeding, but both the structure of its jaws and beak and the character of the food indicate a surface feeder.
Size at Maturity: Female 147 mm. in length (March 5th) had ripe ovaries.
Spawning Season: The ripe condition of the 147 mm. fish taken on March 5th, would indicate that the spawning season was approaching. The two ovaries were 70 mm. long by 7, the largest eggs measuring 1 mm. in diameter.
General Habits: Those which came to our light were wary, and always on guard, and it was not easy to take them with a hand net. None were ever seen to feed; they swam slowly along near the surface, occasionally making a flying leap out of the water at the approach of danger.
Study Material: Specimens, Total number 28, divided as follows, — 14, 15 to 70 mm. including 6996 (2), 7006 (2), 7043, 7050 (2), 7087a (3), 7113 (2), 7183 and 7288. 12, medium sized, up to 100 mm., including 7153d, 7243, — (8). 2, large, up to 147 mm.
Euleptorhamphus Gill, 1859
Flying Half -beak
Euleptorhamphus veloz Poey
References: Euleptorhamphus velox, Poey, 1867, Synopsis, 383.
Euleptorhamphus velox, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 724.
Field Characters: Slender, compressed, band-like fishes with lower jaw extended into a long beak; pectoral fins very long, more than one quarter the length of the body.
Note: En route to Gonave Island on January 6, I positively identified this species of which 30 or 40 kept rising ahead of the mine-sweeper in which I made the trip. In the afternoon of the same day a pair was seen through the water-glass, as I waded shoulder deep in an outer reef off Point a Galets, Gonave, and both broke water and flew some distance at the approach of a motor boat.
I distinguished every character in the case of the latter pair, but never again saw the species in Haiti. (W. B.)
72
Zoological N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
Family Exocoetidae; the Flying-Fishes Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Pectoral fins moderate, not reaching beyond middle of base of dorsal
fin; base of anal about equal to base of dorsal Parexocoetus
AA. Pectoral fins long, usually reaching beyond base of dorsal fin, sometimes nearly to base of caudal; ventral fins long, reaching past middle of base of anal; anal fin short, its base shorter than dorsal fin base Cypselurus
Parexogoetus Bleeker, 1866
Short-winged Flyingfish
Parexocoetus mesogaster (Bloch)
References: Exocoetus mesogaster, Bloch, 1795, Ichthyologia, p. 399.
Parexocoetus mesogaster, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 728.
Field Characters: Transparent-winged flying-fish; body coppery blue above, silvery below; pectorals reaching half way to end of dorsal, anal equal in length to dorsal; snout short and blunt.
Size and Weight: Reaches 7 inches in length. Our specimen measured 104 mm. and weighed 14.5 grams.
Color: Blue above with iridescent lights changing constantly to copper, green and orange; silvery white below, shading to steely purple.
General Range: Cosmopolitan in tropical seas.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Seen now and then flying about the Bay. A single specimen taken at the surface light at night on April 20th.
Study Material: Colored Plate, H101, No. 7186; Specimens, 1; 104 mm. No. 7186, Port-au-Prince Bay.
Cypselurus Swainson, 1839
Dark-winged Flyingfish
Cypselurus bahiensis (Ranzani)
References: Exocoetus bahiensis, Ranzani, 1842, Novi. Comment. Ac. Sci. Insti. Bonon. V, p. 362, PI. XXXVIII.
Exocoetus bahiensis, Jordan and Evermann, 1896, Fishes of North and Middle America, I, p. 739.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti 73
Field Characters: Flying-fish with dusky and brown spotted pectoral fins.
General Range: Tropical seas.
Note: No specimen of this flying-fish was taken, but numerous individuals and schools with dusky and brown spotted pectorals were seen flying above the water of the Bay, all of which undoubtedly belonged to this genus, and very probably to the species bahiensis.
Family Bregmacerotidae Bregmaceros Thompson, 1840
Unicorn Fish
Bregmaceros atlanticus Goode and Bean
References: Bregmaceros atlanticus, Goode and Bean, 1886, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., XII, No. 5, p. 165.
Bregmaceros atlanticus, Jordan and Evermann, 1898, Fishes of No. and Mid. America, III, p. 2527.
Field Characters: Very small flesh-colored fish, pigmented above and sometimes on fins; long dorsal and anal fins with undulatory outlines, of forty or more rays each; single elongated spine on head; pelvics with three, very long, flat, separate rays.
Size and Weight: The longest specimen recorded measures 46 mm.
General Range : Atlantic Ocean near the West Indies.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Six specimens taken at night, at the surface, at light.
Enemies : One taken from the stomach of Garanx latus.
Study Material: Colored Plate, H56; Photograph, 3938; Specimens, 6; 25 to 40 mm., including Nos. 7000, 7030, 7055, 7064, and 7289.
Family Bothidae; Flounders Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Lateral line with a distinct arch in front; interorbital space broad; scales
small, 75 to 100 or more Platophrys
AA. Lateral line without a prominent arch in front.
B. Teeth in upper jaw biserial, in lower uniserial; gill-rakers short. . .Syacium BB. Teeth in both jaws uniserial; maxillary more than length of head;
gill rakers slender, of moderate length Citharichthys
74
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society Platophrys Swainson, 1810
[X;l
Peacock Flounder
Platophrys lunatus (Linnaeus)
References: Pleuronedes lunatus, Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, p. 269.
Platophrys lunatus, Jordan and Evermann, 1898, Fishes of North and Middle America, III, p. 2665.
Field Characters: Medium-sized flounders with eyes and color on left side; both pectoral fins present, that of the left side usually filamentous in the male; vomer toothless; lateral line with a strong arch in front; interorbital space very broad; snout projecting, prominent; dark olive, with many rings, curved spots and small round dots of sky blue on body.
Size and Weight: Reaches a length of 18 inches. Our 250 mm. specimen weighed 288 grams.
General Range: Florida and West Indies.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Two specimens obtained from market.
Study Material: Color Plate, Hi 13, No. 7239; Specimens, 2; 171 and 250 mm., Nos. 7726, 7239.
Syacium Ranzani, 1842
Transparent Turbot
Syacium, micrurum Ranzani
References: Syacium micrurum, Ranzani, 1842, Novi Comment. Ak. Sci. Inst. Bonon., V, p. 20.
Syacium micrurum, Meek and Hildebrand, 1928, Marine Fishes of Panama, III, p. 981.
Field Characters: Small, elliptical flounders with ventral fin of eyed side inserted on abdominal ridge; lateral line nearly straight; maxillary equal to or greater than length of head; teeth in upper jaw biserial; 60 to 68 scales in lateral line; brownish.
Size and Weight: Reaches a length of 175 mm.
Color : Adult, brownish with irregular dark blotches and a few ocelli, ringed with grey and black, fins with numerous dark spots. Young, quite transparent.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti 75
General Range: Key West, to West Indies and Rio Janeiro, Brazil.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Three inch specimen seined by native, smaller one taken at night at surface light.
Young: On the night of March 31st took a small turbot of 23 mm. at the gang-way submerged light. When first seen, and later when examined under the microscope in the laboratory tent, it was absolutely transparent, even bone being perfectly clear and distinct. Only the phosphorescent-like reflective gleam from the two eyes was visible, together with the backing of the eye balls, and six red pigment cells on the gills and anterior dorsal rays. In pre- servative, the fins have remained clear, but the body is pale opaque yellow. In this specimen the head is relatively small, going into the length five times, instead of the adult average of 3.8. (W. B.)
Study Material: Specimens, 2; 23 and 68.5 mm. Nos. 6990 and 7127. Port-au-Prince Bay.
Citharichthys Bleeker, 1862 Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Eye larger, 33^ to in head; whitish blotches and ocelli present. . .uhleri AA. Eye smaller, 5 to 6 in head; no whitish blotches and ocelli present.
spilopterus
Uhler’s Whiff
Citharichthys uhleri Jordan
References: Citharichthys uhleri, Jordan and Goss, 1889, Rep. U. S. Fish Comm., p. 275.
Citharichthys uhleri, Jordan and Evermann, 1898, Fishes of North and Middle America, III, p. 2684.
Field Characters: Small, oblong flounders with eyes and color on left side; vomer toothless; lateral line without arch in front; teeth in jaws uniserial; maxillary more than } 4 of head; gill rakers slender; eye 3 K to 4^ in head; dorsal rays 68, anal rays 52; brown with large ocelli on body and tail.
Size and Weight: A 123 mm. specimen weighed 28 grams.
Color: Greenish brown, with numerous large ocelli, pale edged with dark brown centers; a large very distinct ocellus in the center of the caudal rays. Iris bright yellow.
General Range: Haiti.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Rarely taken in seines by native fisherman.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; 99 and 123 mm. No. 6850.
76
Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society
[X; l
Reference: Citharichthys spilopterus , Gunther, 1862, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., IV, p. 421.
Citharichthys spilopterus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1928, Marine Fishes of Panama, III, p. 988.
Field Characters: Small oblong flounders with eyes and color on left side; vomer toothless; lateral line without arch in front; teeth in jaws uniserial; maxillary more than Ri length of head; gill rakers slender; eye 5 to 6 in head, 45 to 48 scales in lateral line; olive brown, with darker spots and blotches.
Description : Differs from the type description in having the eyes somewhat closer together, and the depth into the length is 2.3 instead of “nearly two. ”
Size and Weight: Our 133 mm. specimen weighed 37 grams.
General Range: New Jersey, and the West Indies to Brazil.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: On the bottom in rather shallow water where the native fishermen take them in their seines.
Abundance: Apparently not rare as we obtained eleven specimens.
Study Material: Photograph, 3777; Specimens, 11; 72-133 mm. No. 6837.
Family Achiridae; Soles Achirus Lacepede, 1803
Lineated Sole
Achirus lineatus (Linne)
References: Pleuronedes lineatus, Linne, 1758, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, p. 268.
Achirus lineatus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1928, Marine Fishes of Panama, III, p. 998.
Field Characters: Small, ovate, scaled soles with caudal fin free from dorsal and anal; eyes and color on right side of body; brown to greyish, with about eight narrow, vertical blackish cross streaks, and often with large blackish blotches.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti 77
Size and Weight: Grows to a length of 8 inches. Our 96 mm. specimen weighed 32 grams.
Color: Variable, plain dark brown, or mottled or showing six to eight narrow, dark cross lines.
General Range: Florida Keys and West Indies, to Uruguay.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Adults living on bottom, the young coming to the surface at night.
Abundance: Not rare, fourteen taken by us.
Method of Capture: Seined by native fisherman, and taken in hand nets at surface.
Young: On several nights I caught young soles of this species, near the surface, at our submerged light. They swam slowly along and when at the surface elevated the encircling ring of vertical fins, and depressed the body, and in this cupped shape floated with no apparent movement of fins or body. The tips of all the rays could be seen breaking the surface film, but I could see no dif- ference in the level of the enclosed water and that outside. These specimens measured from 17.5 to 25 mm.
The color change in these young soles was more extreme than in any fish I have ever seen. One taken on April 5th was dark green when dipped up, but in a glass dish under full electric light lost all color except a broad fin border of mottled greenish brown. When this individual undulated to the surface and cupped itself, the effect was of a circular ribbon of dark color, surrounding an area of absolute transparency, showing only dimly a network of fine bones. This specimen had only a single eye although in orientation it was quite adult. In past years I have caught 6 or 8 soles and flounders which had each lost an eye, and as this has always been the peripatetic one, it appears as if the aston- ishing shift through muscle and skull is not accomplished without a certain amount of weakening.
A second baby sole taken at night had a considerable amount of brilliant torquoise blue on the fins. This one likewise became transparent in the light of the laboratory, with the exception of six large, dusky, round spots, three on each side, with a scattering of black pin-pricks of dots. The blue was of the same character as that on the fins of the young, surface-swimming Halieutichthys, an interesting fact because of the bottom living nature of the adult fish in each case. (W. B.)
Study Material: Colored Plate, H18, H125a, No. 7190; Photograph, 3962; Specimens, 14; 17.5-96 mm., including Nos. 6841, 7021, 7204, and 7243. Port-au-Prince Bay.
Family Cynoglossidae; Tongue-Fishes Symphurus Rafinesque, 1810
Tongue Fish
Symphurus plagusia (Bloch and Schneider)
78 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [X; 1
References: Pleuronectes plagusia , Bloch and Schneider, 1801, Syst. Ichth.,
p. 162.
Symphurus plagusia , Meek and Hildebrand, 1928, Marine Fishes Panama, III, p. 1005.
Field Characters: Small, elongate, lanceolate soles, with dorsal and anal fins confluent around tail; eyes and color on left side of body; brownish, some- what mottled.
Description: The two specimens show somewhat intermediate characters between plagusia and plagiusa, as follows: No. 7257 is plagiusa in dorsal ray and in scale count, while 7116 is close to it in anal ray count. In color and all other characters both are typical plagusia. It is probable that the two forms will prove to be one species.
Size and Weight: Our 142 mm. specimen weighed 21 grams.
Color: Brown with 6 to 7 black cross-bars, vertical fins dusky or black.
General Range: West Indies to Uruguay.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Seined by native fisherman near a pebbly beach.
Study Material: Specimens, 2; 91 and 142 mm. Nos. 7116, 7257.
Family Holocentridae; the Squirrel-Fishes Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Genera
A. Lower jaw short, the chin not entering the dorsal profile.
B. No large, preopercular spine, gill rakers long and slender, 21 to 23 on lower
limb of first arch Myripristis
BB. A large preopercular spine; gill rakers rather long and slender, 8 to 15
developed on lower limb of first arch Holocentrus
AA. Lower jaw long, more than half the length of the head; chin projecting considerably beyond upper jaw. Gill rakers short, thick-set, about 9 developed on lower limb of first gill-arch Flammeo *
Myripristis Cuvier, 1829
Candil; Frere-Jacque
Myripristis jacobus Cuvier and Valen- ciennes
References: Myripristis jacobus, Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, p. 162.
Myripristis jacobus, Meek and Hildebrand, 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 294.
Field Characters: Small, chunky, compressed, large-eyed, scarlet fish without a preopercular spine; with a deep crimson bar across upper half of opercle, extending down and back across base of pectoral.
* The genus Flammes merges with Holocentrus and is no longer considered valid.
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti
79
Description:
Length 125 mm.
Depth 50 (2.5)
Head 42 (3)
Eye 19 (2.2)
Snout 8 (5.2)
Lateral Line Scales 34 Dorsal : X-I-14 Anal : IV-12
Size and Weight: Reaches 12 inches in length; our five-inch specimen weighed 74.5 grams.
Color: In life: Scarlet, paling to silvery below; a deep crimson bar across upper half of opercle, and down and back across base of pectoral fin; dorsal fin deep scarlet on distal three-fourths of first two webs, becoming a broad edge on the rest; remainder of webs silvery; ventral fins white; all others deep rose, anterior ray of dorsal and anal and outer caudal rays white, iris scarlet, shot with silvery on outer edge.
General Range: West Indies to Brazil.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Found on reefs; rare.
Method of Capture : Taken in trap baited with crab meat at Bizoton Reef. Size at Maturity : In breeding condition when five inches long.
Spawning Season: Female breeding on March 23rd.
Eggs: Ovary 30 x 10 mm. Eggs .68 mm., each containing a single oil globule. Study Material: Specimen, 1; 125 mm. No. 7092.
Holocentrus Gronow, 1763 Key to Port-au-Prince Bay Species
A. Thirteen to fifteen gill-rakers developed on lower limb of first gill arch.
ascensionis
A A. Eight to nine gill-rakers developed on lower limb of first gill arch.
B. Black spot confined to the membranes between first and third or first
and fourth dorsal spines coruscus
BB. Membranes of dorsal fin black in front of each spine, pale behind, the black not extending to the base or to the tip between the first and second and the second and third spines v vexillarius
Common Squirrel-fish; Cartinau
Holocentrus ascensionis (Osbeck)
References: Perea ascensionis, Osbeck, 1765, Reise nach Ostindien und China, p. 388.
Holocentrus ascensions, Meek and Hildebrand 1923, Marine Fishes of Panama, I, p. 297.
80
Zoological N. Y. Zoological Society
[X;l
Field Characters: Small to medium-sized, oblong, compressed fishes, with very large eyes, long spine on preopercle; scales strongly serrate; upper lobe of caudal much longer than lower; anterior rays of soft dorsal much elevated; reddish above, with bluish reflections and brownish stripes between the scales; head bright red, iris scarlet.
Description: Our series of specimens agrees with the published descriptions of this species.
Size and Weight: Grows to 2 feet. A 156 mm. fish weighed 85 grams.
General Range: From Florida to Brazil, and known from the Eastern Atlantic.
Occurrence in Port-au-Prince Bay: Widely distributed over reefs.
Abundance: A common species, often seen in the markets, but not of great food value.
Method of Capture: Seines, hooks and lines and in traps. Many were taken with the two latter methods, from the schooner anchorage in 40 to 60 feet of water on muddy bottom. A 56 mm. fish was strongly attracted to a red selenium bulb submerged over the side.
General Habits: These fish were easily frightened while we were diving. One medium-sized fish had appropriated a small box-like depression in the upper part of a piece of coral, in which it had coiled itself, and was quietly resting.
Study Material: Color Plate, H21, No. 6877; Photographs, 3761, 4012;
Shining Squirrel-fish
Holocentrus coruscus Poey
References: Holocentrum coruscum, Poey, 1860, Memorias, II, p. 158.
Holocentrus coruscus , Jordan and Evermann, 1896, The Fishes of Middle and North America, I, p. 851.
Field Characters : Small, short . and thick, compressed fishes with large eye and a long spine on preopercle; an intense black spot on membrane between 1st and 3rd or 1st and 4th dorsal spine.
Description: Three specimens are assigned to this species, their respective lengths being 30, 32 and 85 mm. All three agree in possessing the black spot on the anterior part of the spinous dorsal fin, although in preserved coloration the two small fish are bright silvery, while the larger one is dull yellow, a condi- tion most likely brought about by differences in preservative, the former being in alcohol and the latter in formalin.
The measurements of the three are as follows:
|
1928] Beebe and Tee-Van: |
The Fishes of Port-au-Prince Bay , Haiti 81 |
||
|
Specimen number |
7149B |
7149A |
7291 |
|
Length, actual mm. |
30 mm. |
32 mm. |
85 mm. |
|
Depth |
9 (3.3) |
10 (3.2) |
30 (2.8) |
|
Head |
10 (3) |
11.2 (2.8) |
30 (2.8) |
|
Eye |
4 (2.5) |
3.7 (3) |
12.5 (2.4) |
|
Snout |
2.5 (4) |
3 (3.7) |
7 (4.3) |
|
Scales |
41 |
40 |
41 |
|
Gill-rakers, developed |
8 |
9 |
8-9 |
|
Dorsal fin |
XI-1-12 |
XI-1-12 |
XI-1-13 |
|
Anal fin |
IV-9 |
IV-8 |
IV-8 K |
Although there is an appreciable amount of variation between certain propor- tions it is believed that all three fish are of the same species. The longer head and snout measurements in the smaller specimens is due to the projecting snout characteristic of young Holocentrids.
Size and Weight: Our 85 mm. specimen weighed 16 grams.
Color: The following description was made of the 32 mm. fish; Upper sur- faces above a line from the