Comparative osteology of the axial skeleton of the genus Pampus (Family: Stromateidae, Perciformes)

Abstract

Seven osteological characters of the axial skeleton are studied in the eight species of the genus Pampus. The characters include: pattern of interdigitation of the dorsal- and anal-fin pterygiophores with the neural and haemal spines of the vertebrae, structure of the vertebral column, distribution of the dorsal- and ventral- procurrent caudal-fin rays, distribution of the principal caudal-fin rays and the morphology of the caudal-fin skeleton. All these features appear to be useful in the characterization of the eight species of the genus Pampus. Formulae for the structure of the vertebral column, the dorsal- and anal-fin pterygiophores’ interdigitation with the neural and haemal spines of the vertebrae, distribution of the dorsal and ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays, and distribution of the principal caudal-fin rays were developed. Pampus nozawae was recently considered a synonym of P. argenteus. However, according to the characters used in the present study, this species is notably distinct from P. argenteus.