3a Bill short, length of part in front of lower
jaw contained 2 or more times in length of bill
from edge of eye; P length less than greatest
body depth ................................................... T. angustirostris
3b Bill long, length of part in front of lower
jaw contained less than twice in length of bill
from edge of eye; P length more than body depth ........ T. pj7uegeri
White marlin
252.4 Tetrapturus albidus
Poey,1861
PLATE 132
Wit marlyn
Tetrapturus albidus Poey, 1861: 237, 258, PI. 15, Figs. 1 & 3; PI. 16, Figs.
2-13; PI. 17, Figs. 1-11,21,26 (north coast of Cuba); Penrith & Cram,
1974; Mather et aI., 1975*.
D (39-45)+(5-7); A (13-18)+(5-7); P 18-22, longer than body depth.
Attains 2.8 m, 80 kg. Atlantic Ocean only.
252.5 Tetrapturus angustirostris
Tanaka, 1914
PLATE 132
Shortbill spearfish
Kortbek -speervis
Tetrapturus angustirostris Tanaka, 1914: 324, PI. 88, Fig. 285 (Sagami
Bay, Japan); Kikawa, 1975*; Gorbunova, 1976*.
D (46-50)+(6-7); A (12-15)+(6-7); P 18 or 19; body depth 8-10 times in
its length; 2nd A origin in front of 2nd D.
Attains 2 m, 27.5 kg. Off Cape Point and Durban northwards throughout the Indo-Pacific.
252.6 Tetrapturus audax
(Phillipi, 1887)
PLATE 132
Striped marlin
Gestreepte marlyn
Histiophorus audax Phillipi, 1887: 34 (Iquique, Chile). Mar/ina jauffreti
Smith, 1956: 31, PI. 1, Fig. H (Mauritius). Martina audax: Smith, 1961:
570; No. 876*aj Smith & Smith, 1966: 79*. Tetrapturus audax: Penrith &
Cram, 1974; Ueyanagi & Wares, 1975*; Gorbunova, 1976*; van der Elst,
1981: 183*.
Body depth 6-8 times in its length (tip of lower jaw to C fork); D
(37-42)+(5-7); A (11-17)+(5-6); P 18-23.
Attains 2.9 m, 230 kg. Primarily an Indo-Pacific species,
but some striped marlin have also been caught off Cape
Town.
252.7 Tetrapturus pfluegeri
Robins & de Sylva, 1963
PLATE 132
Longbill spearfish
Langbek-speervis
Tetrapturus pj7uegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963: 86, Figs. 1,2 (San Juan,
Puerto Rico); Penrith & Cram, 1974; Robins, 1975*.
D (45-53)+(5-7); A (11-18)+(5-8); P 17-20.
Attains 2.0 m, 30 kg. Apparently restricted to the
Atlantic Ocean.
STROMATEOIDEI
Suborder STROMATEOIDEI
by R.L. Haedrich
The stromateoid fishes, generally referred to as butterfishes and their relatives, are a diverse group occurring
world-wide in coastal and oceanic waters of tropical and
temperate regions. The chief diagnostic character for the
group is the presence of toothed pharyngeal sacs in the
oesophagus immediately behind the last gill arch; these sacs
cannot be seen without dissection and are absent in the
Amarsipidae. Stromateoid fishes have a distinctive appearance about the head as a result of the expanded lacrimal
bone which almost covers the upper jaw, the slightly underslung lower jaw, the relatively large eye rimmed with
adipose tissue, and the naked and often protruding snout
and top of the head. The small teeth are in single series in
the jaws. Scales tend to be weak and easily shed and the thin
skin is beset with small pores.
Stromateoid fishes are most often confused with carangids (kingfishes), but are best distinguished from most of
those by the lack of the two short spines ahead of the anal fin
and/or the lack of heavy scales forming scutes on the sides of
the caudal peduncle. Stromateoid fishes occur singly or in
schools. The young, which may hardly resemble the adults,
due to changes in colour pattern and relative proportions
with growth, commonly associate with pelagic jellyfish or
other floating objects. All are excellent food fishes, but only
a few are fished commercially. Adult sizes range from about
15 to over 100 cm.
(Editors' note: The family level classification of the
stromateoid fishes is still unsettled. Dr. Haedrich's original
account recognised six families. We have modified his account by including the Ariommidae in the Nomeidae and
putting the Centrolophidae in with the Stromateidae. Our
decision to recognise four families here (rather than the six
used by Haedrich, or the single family proposed by Robins
et aI., 1980) is admittedly a subjective matter, but we believe that the classification used here is not contrary to the
supposed phyletic relationships of these fishes (Haedrich,
1967). Although this four-family scheme is not endorsed by
Dr. Haedrich, we hope that it may prove an acceptable
compromise to the six-family and one-family schemes.)
KEY TO FAMILIES
(Silhouettes appear under Order Perciformes)
la Two dorsal fins, distinctly though scarcely separated;
the 1st usually with 10-20 spines; if there are fewer than
10 spines, the longest spine is subequal to the longest
dorsal-fin ray; pelvic fins present; vomer, palatines
and basibranchials toothed or not ......................................... 2
841
jaw contained 2 or more times in length of bill
from edge of eye; P length less than greatest
body depth ................................................... T. angustirostris
3b Bill long, length of part in front of lower
jaw contained less than twice in length of bill
from edge of eye; P length more than body depth ........ T. pj7uegeri
White marlin
252.4 Tetrapturus albidus
Poey,1861
PLATE 132
Wit marlyn
Tetrapturus albidus Poey, 1861: 237, 258, PI. 15, Figs. 1 & 3; PI. 16, Figs.
2-13; PI. 17, Figs. 1-11,21,26 (north coast of Cuba); Penrith & Cram,
1974; Mather et aI., 1975*.
D (39-45)+(5-7); A (13-18)+(5-7); P 18-22, longer than body depth.
Attains 2.8 m, 80 kg. Atlantic Ocean only.
252.5 Tetrapturus angustirostris
Tanaka, 1914
PLATE 132
Shortbill spearfish
Kortbek -speervis
Tetrapturus angustirostris Tanaka, 1914: 324, PI. 88, Fig. 285 (Sagami
Bay, Japan); Kikawa, 1975*; Gorbunova, 1976*.
D (46-50)+(6-7); A (12-15)+(6-7); P 18 or 19; body depth 8-10 times in
its length; 2nd A origin in front of 2nd D.
Attains 2 m, 27.5 kg. Off Cape Point and Durban northwards throughout the Indo-Pacific.
252.6 Tetrapturus audax
(Phillipi, 1887)
PLATE 132
Striped marlin
Gestreepte marlyn
Histiophorus audax Phillipi, 1887: 34 (Iquique, Chile). Mar/ina jauffreti
Smith, 1956: 31, PI. 1, Fig. H (Mauritius). Martina audax: Smith, 1961:
570; No. 876*aj Smith & Smith, 1966: 79*. Tetrapturus audax: Penrith &
Cram, 1974; Ueyanagi & Wares, 1975*; Gorbunova, 1976*; van der Elst,
1981: 183*.
Body depth 6-8 times in its length (tip of lower jaw to C fork); D
(37-42)+(5-7); A (11-17)+(5-6); P 18-23.
Attains 2.9 m, 230 kg. Primarily an Indo-Pacific species,
but some striped marlin have also been caught off Cape
Town.
252.7 Tetrapturus pfluegeri
Robins & de Sylva, 1963
PLATE 132
Longbill spearfish
Langbek-speervis
Tetrapturus pj7uegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963: 86, Figs. 1,2 (San Juan,
Puerto Rico); Penrith & Cram, 1974; Robins, 1975*.
D (45-53)+(5-7); A (11-18)+(5-8); P 17-20.
Attains 2.0 m, 30 kg. Apparently restricted to the
Atlantic Ocean.
STROMATEOIDEI
Suborder STROMATEOIDEI
by R.L. Haedrich
The stromateoid fishes, generally referred to as butterfishes and their relatives, are a diverse group occurring
world-wide in coastal and oceanic waters of tropical and
temperate regions. The chief diagnostic character for the
group is the presence of toothed pharyngeal sacs in the
oesophagus immediately behind the last gill arch; these sacs
cannot be seen without dissection and are absent in the
Amarsipidae. Stromateoid fishes have a distinctive appearance about the head as a result of the expanded lacrimal
bone which almost covers the upper jaw, the slightly underslung lower jaw, the relatively large eye rimmed with
adipose tissue, and the naked and often protruding snout
and top of the head. The small teeth are in single series in
the jaws. Scales tend to be weak and easily shed and the thin
skin is beset with small pores.
Stromateoid fishes are most often confused with carangids (kingfishes), but are best distinguished from most of
those by the lack of the two short spines ahead of the anal fin
and/or the lack of heavy scales forming scutes on the sides of
the caudal peduncle. Stromateoid fishes occur singly or in
schools. The young, which may hardly resemble the adults,
due to changes in colour pattern and relative proportions
with growth, commonly associate with pelagic jellyfish or
other floating objects. All are excellent food fishes, but only
a few are fished commercially. Adult sizes range from about
15 to over 100 cm.
(Editors' note: The family level classification of the
stromateoid fishes is still unsettled. Dr. Haedrich's original
account recognised six families. We have modified his account by including the Ariommidae in the Nomeidae and
putting the Centrolophidae in with the Stromateidae. Our
decision to recognise four families here (rather than the six
used by Haedrich, or the single family proposed by Robins
et aI., 1980) is admittedly a subjective matter, but we believe that the classification used here is not contrary to the
supposed phyletic relationships of these fishes (Haedrich,
1967). Although this four-family scheme is not endorsed by
Dr. Haedrich, we hope that it may prove an acceptable
compromise to the six-family and one-family schemes.)
KEY TO FAMILIES
(Silhouettes appear under Order Perciformes)
la Two dorsal fins, distinctly though scarcely separated;
the 1st usually with 10-20 spines; if there are fewer than
10 spines, the longest spine is subequal to the longest
dorsal-fin ray; pelvic fins present; vomer, palatines
and basibranchials toothed or not ......................................... 2
841