BULLETIN FLORIDA STATE MUSEUM


of regression equations for number of mandibular teeth between popula-
tions of C. b. bosquianus (Table 6). The Chesapeake Bay area population
has significantly fewer mandibular teeth (Tables 5, 6) than other popula-
tions of this subspecies. I believe that this difference is due to a collecting
bias. I was unable to locate specimens of Chasmodes from the Cape
Hatteras area (Fig. 5), but the fact that C. b. bosquianus usually is found in
an estuarine habitat, makes it probable that the extensive estuaries of the
Cape Hatteras area support this form. An analysis of specimens from this
area is needed to determine the nature of the relationship of the Chesa-
peake Bay area population to the other populations of C. b. bosquianus.
 DISCUSSION OF SYNONYMY.-Examination of the holotype of Pholis
novemlineatus Wood 1825 substantiates Springer's (1959) conclusion that
this species is a synonym of Chasmodes bosquianus. Based on the maxillary
length, the mandibular tooth count, and the type locality, I identify this
form as C. b. bosquianus.
 The holotype of Pholis quadrifasciatus Wood 1825 is missing (lost?).
Only two meristic characters (caudal and anal ray counts) given in the
original description vary from those of C. bosquianus. The count of 9
caudal-fin rays and 15 anal-fin rays for P. quadrifasciatus are below the
minimum for Chasmodes, but it is not uncommon for specimens of Chas-
modes to have anomalous fin ray counts. If Wood included only branched
rays in his caudal-fin ray count, the count of 9 lies within the observed range
(0-10) for the genus Chasmodes. Inasmuch as all other characters, including
color pattern, agree with those of C. b. bosquianus, I believe that the
original anal-fin count for P. quadrifasciatus was either in error or anomal-
ous. The original description and illustration of P. quadrifasciatus leave no
doubt that this is a specimen of C. bosquianus. I tentatively place P.
quadrifasciatus in the synonymy of C. b. bosquianus, because it is probable
that the holotype was collected on the Atlantic coast (Wood having
obtained it from a museum in Baltimore).
 ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION.-Chasmodes bosquianus bosquianus is
found primarily in bays and estuaries of the Atlantic seaboard. As is true of
the genus as a whole, it usually inhabits waters with salinities between 15
and 25 ppt. The only reliable record of its capture in lower salinities is that
of Dr. William D. Anderson, Jr. Two specimens (27 and 35 mm SL) were
collected in Charleston Harbor 4 May 1971 in water with a salinity of 9.7
ppt.
 Hildebrand and Cable (1938) stated that the spawning season extends
from May to August. Acquisition of several 5-7 mm larval Chasmodes
bosquianus bosquianus collected in Boque Sound, North Carolina, on 23
April 1957 indicates that the spawning season begins much earlier, proba-
bly in mid-March.
 I have examined only five specimens of Chasmodes bosquianus bos-


VOL. 29, NO. 2