続ハゼ科魚類の肩胛骨について

抄録

Scapulae of 84 species of gobiid fishes were stained with alizarin red and examined. They were classified into four types as follows.
Enclosing scapula type: The scapula completely encloses the scapula foramen (figs. 1-3).
Forked scapula type: The scapula surrounds the scapula foramen incompletely and the lower margin is broken by the foramen (fig. 4).
Blotched scapula type: The scapula is not broken at the lower margin by the scapula foramen which is outside of the scapula.
No scapula type: The scapula does not appear when stained with alizarin red.
In certain cases two of the four types were found among matured individuals of the same species and sometimes even in the right and left scapulae of the same specimen were different. These conditions were observed in Odontobutis obscure, Gobius niger, Quisquilius naraharai and Zonogobius semidoliatus. Scapulae of Lubricogobius exiguus TANAKA and Mugilogobius abei (JORDAN & SNYDER) shown in the figures 8 and 19-22 of my previous paper, are thought to be included in such a special group.The blotched scapula was found in two specimens of Pandaka pygmaea HERRE preserved in alcohol, so it seems probable that all Pandaka pygmaea have the blotched scapula. Among 150 species, including the results of my previous paper, 12 species are of the enclosing scapula type, 66 species (45 species in my previous paper except Lubricogobius exiguus and 21 species in the present study) belong to the forked scapula type, 1 species (Pandaka pygmaea in my previous paper) is of the blotched scapula type, and 64 species (18 species in my previous paper and 47 species in the present study) belong to the no scapula type. Besides the above mentioned species, there are 6 species of the special group in which two types of scapula were found. In 1 species, the enclosing scapula type and the forked scapula type are found; in 4 species (Lubricogobius exiguus in my previous paper and 3 species in the present study) the forked scapula type and the blotched scapula type are found ; in 1 species (Mugilogobius abei in my previous paper) the blotched scapula type and the no scapula type are found. However, if more specimens of the same species are examined, it is possible that the number of the species to be included in the special group will increase.
The results of the present study further confirm the conclusion of my previous paper that the characteristics of the scapula provide a useful means of distinguishing the genera of gobiid fishes. But as I have not examined other characteristics. I do not refer to the classification of the genera of gobiid fishes.