Bramidae
Creators: name: Carvalho-Filho, Alfredo
name: Marcovaldi, Guy
name: Sampaio, Cláudio L. S.
name: Paiva, Isabel G.
name: Duarte, Luiz A. G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Perciformes
Bramidae

description: Key to Western Atlantic species of Bramidae:
Adapted from Mead (1972), Tomás et al. (1988), Smith (1991), Thompson (2003), and McEachran & Fechhelm (2005), and added with the new data of the present paper. The key does not include Collybus drachme Snyder, 1904, reported from Cuba by Claro and Parenti (2001), probably a misidentification with a Brama species; C. drachme is a synonym of the tropical Indo-Pacific Brama orcini Cuvier, 1831 (Mead, 1972; Mundy, 2005).
1a. Dorsal and anal fins broadly expanded, no scales along rays of these fins; median fins can be depressed into sheathed groove formed by modified scales ............................................................................................................ (2).
1b. Dorsal and anal fins not broadly expanded, scales along at least part of the length of the rays; no modified sheath at base of median fins .................................................................................................................................................. (5).
2a. Anterior dorsal and anal fin rays thickened; modified sheath at dorsal fin base extends forward onto snout. .............. ................................................................................................................................................................... Pteraclis (3).
2b. Anterior dorsal and anal fin rays similar with no distinct thickening; modified sheath not extended forward beyond dorsal fin insertion ............................................................................................................................... Pterycombus (4).
3a. Branchiostegal rays 7; dorsal fin origin before eye ................... Pteraclis aesticola (Jordan & Snyder, 1901), FIG 13.
3b. Branchiostegal rays 8; dorsal fin origin above posterior half of eye. Pteraclis carolinus Valenciennes, 1833, FIG 14.
4a. Small specimens (ca. 100 mm) with longest dorsal and anal rays shorter than half SL; lateral line absent in adults ... ......................................................................................................... Pterycombus petersii (Hilgendorf, 1878), FIG 15.
4b. Small specimens (ca. 100 mm) with longest dorsal and anal rays longer than half SL; lateral line present in adults .. ...................................................................................................................... Pterycombus brama Fries, 1837, FIG 16.
5a. Transverse precaudal grooves well developed ........................................................................................................ (6).
5b. Transverse precaudal grooves absent....................................................................................................................... (8).
6a. Body rounded, depth 48 to 61% of SL; snout blunt; pelvic fins short, 7 to 9% of SL ................................................... ................................................................................. Taractichthys longipinnis (Lowe, 1843), FIGS. 17 and 18 A–D.
6 b. Body more elongate, depth 36 to 45% of SL; snout pointed; pelvic fins longer, 13 to 19% of SL .......... Taractes (7).
7a. Caudal peduncle with prominent lateral keel ........................ Taractes rubescens (Jordan & Evermann, 1887), FIG 9.
7b. Caudal peduncle smooth, without lateral keel ..................................................... Taractes asper Lowe, 1843, FIG 22.
description: Published as part of Carvalho-Filho, Alfredo, Marcovaldi, Guy, Sampaio, Cláudio L. S., Paiva, Isabel G. & Duarte, Luiz A. G., 2009, First report of rare pomfrets (Teleostei: Bramidae) from Brazilian waters, with a key to Western Atlantic species, pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 2290 on page 24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191361