ABSTRACT
All the western North Atlantic species are in the genus Peristedion and comprise 12 species, one of which is still undescribed (Miller & Richards, in press). Another species occurs to the south of our area. Peristedion also occurs in the Indian and Pacific oceans together with Heminodus, Paraheminodus, Gargariscus, and Satyrichthys (Richards 1999). Only the genus Peristedion (3 species) occurs in the eastern Pacific. The Atlantic peristediids comprise two species groups: those with narrow heads and those with broad heads. Meristic characters are very similar and larvae are rare in collections thus no progress has been made on specific identifications. Meristic data are provided in Peristediidae Table 1 and distribution data in Peristediidae Table 2. Illustrations are presented for a small size series of five specimens collected in our area. Pigment is limited to the eyes and tail with dark blotches on the trunk or tail. Also shown is an in situ photo of a specimen collected in the North Sargasso Sea by Richard Harbison and kindly provided to me. This specimen is spectacular with extremely long filaments trailing from the upper four rays of the pectoral fins. The filaments have a dotted pattern of dark pigment (except the first which is light and reaches to the caudal rays while the other three are extremely long), dark pigment in the membranes of the upper pectoral rays, pigment spots over the mid-brain, and three blotches of dark pigment on the tail above the anal fin, midway along the tail, and on the caudal peduncle. A few small spots are on the upper longest secondary caudal fin ray. The gut area is dark after preservation, but was pink in life. The tips of the first two dorsal spines are darkly pigmented. The lower two pectoral fin rays are connected by membranes to the other rays whereas in adults the lower two rays are separate. The head is broad and features highly elevated supraocular spines and very highly elevated nuchal spines. Large spines are present on the lachrymal (first infraorbital) with one directed downward and one upward, a spiny ridge on the mesethmoid, three large spines on the preopercular one lateral that curves dorsal, one directed posteriad, and one directed ventrally. The filamentous barbel is just developing and is 0.4 mm long. Scales are developed but are impossible to count accurately. The web version of this chapter includes the in situ color photos. The length of the elongated
pectoral rays were not possible to measure as they are extremely fragile and tangled. From the in situ photos they are several times the standard length of the specimen.
