SMITHS' SEA Fishes SMITHS' SEA FISHES
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SMITHS' SEA fiSHES SMITHS' SEA FISHES ---~-- --. ~-- -- @ - ----- -- J -~ --- --- .~ -- .-- - -----.:..-- -~-.------. fDlHD BY MARGARET M. SM ITH AND PHilliP C. HEEMSTRA Springer-verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York London Paris Tokyo Dedicated to J .L.B. Smith who loved angling and devoted his life to the study of fishes . Distributio n rights all over the world except for the area of Southern Africa Springer-Verl3g Berlin Heidelberg New York London Paris Tot yo ISBN 978·3·642·82860·7 ISBN 978-3-642-82858-4 (cBook) 00110.10071978-3-642-82858-4 Copyright 0 1986 by J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. GrahamSlown. Softcover reprint of ttle hardcover 6th edition 1986 All righ ts reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior wriuen permission from the publisher. Jackel design by Graphitor. after an idea of David Voorvcll. CTP Book Printers, Cape. Foreword Dr. D. S. Henderson, Chairman of the 1. L. B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology and Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University This book is a unique, international collaborative effort ranging all of the colour plates for the book. For the past of 76 scientists, representing 15 countries. Several skilled eight years, she has been assisted in the research, writing artists and photographers have also contributed to the and editing of the book by Dr. P. C. Heemstra. numerous and beautiful illustrations. Research done in It is essential for the proper management of the marine South Africa was supported by the Council for Scientific fish resources of southern Africa that we know what species and Industrial Research. Work on the book at the J.L.B. we are dealing with. This book will greatly facilitate the Smith Institute was also funded by the Department of identification of our fishes. It will thus be of vital import National Education and The Trustees of the Sea Fishes of ance to the understanding and wise use of our tremendously Southern Africa Book Fund. Expenses of visits by ichthy diverse and valuable fish fauna. ologists from overseas were defrayed by a grant from the We are proud of the affiliation of the J.L.B. Smith Insti John S. Schlesinger Foundation. tute with Rhodes University and happy to see the successful Although this book is an impressive contribution to the completion of this long-awaited work. zoology of southern Africa, few people will realise the enormous amount of work that has gone into it. Prof. Mar garet M. Smith has laboured for thirty years: first, to build the foundation of the largest fish collection in Africa and the comprehensive, superbly organised library necessary for the research; second, to lead the project that produced the Dr. D. S. Henderson, book; and third, to participate in the actual research, writ Chairman of the Institute and ing, editing, production of most of the illustrations, and ar- Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University 1. P. de Wit, Deputy President, CSIR When J. L. B. Smith's monumental book The Sea Fishes considered advisable to enlist the assistance of other of Southern Africa was first published in 1949, the first ichthyologists who are experts on the various families of printing was sold out within three weeks. Due in large meas marine fishes represented in the seas of southern Africa. ure to the excellent and numerous illustrations (mostly by This team effort has produced a uniquely authoritative and Margaret Smith), the book has been extremely popular in comprehensive book on the marine fishes of southern Af South Africa and also much in demand overseas. It has be rica. To all of the many collaborators, we owe a debt of come an international ichthyological "classic" and is well gratitude for their unstinting efforts to provide the latest known in museums and marine laboratories all over the and best fruits of their ichthyological research. world. In 1953 and 1961, J. L. B. Smith added a few addi With this book, on which she laboured for over 15 years, tional species in appendices at the end of the book. Since Margaret Smith has produced not only a worthy tribute to 1961, many new species and new records of fishes have been her late husband's great achievements, but also a lasting discovered in the seas off southern Africa. Also, recent testimonial to her own dedication to the fulfilment of his ichthyological research has considerably altered the classifi ideals. cation of marine fishes. It thus became apparent that the Sea Fishes book was in need of a thorough revision. Prof. Margaret Smith and Dr P. C. Heemstra began work on the revision in 1978. In view of the specialisation that has taken place in ichthyology (as in science generally), it was Contents List of subscribers ................................................... ix Acknowledgements .................................................. xi Contributors ................................................... 0 • • • xii Systematic contents ................................................. xiv Introduction ..................................................... 1 Anatomy of fishes ................................................... 2 Biology of fishes ..................................................... 6 Dangers of the sea ................................................... 17 The effect of fishing .................................................. 19 Common names .................................................... 20 Scientific nomenclature and classification .................................. 21 Oceanography of the Southern African region .............................. 22 Ichthyology in South Africa ............................................. 28 Place names and their localities: map ..................................... 30 Systematic section Key to superclasses, classes and subclasses ............................... 31 Class Pteraspidomorphi ............................................... 33 Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes) ................................ 39 Class Osteichthyes (bony fishes) ........................................ 149 Colour plate section ............................................. 908 Reference section Fin formula key to bony fishes .......................................... 909 Glossary .......................................................... 939 Bibliography ....................................................... 945 Number conversion table .............................................. 987 Scientific index ...................................................... 993 English common name index ........................................... 1029 Afrikaans common name index ......................................... 1039 THE SEA FISHES TRUST Chairman: Dr D. S. Henderson Secretary/Treasurer: C. A. Lanham Professor M. M. Smith Professor M. N. Bruton G. A. Harvey W. M. Smith Dr I. Mackenzie Dr B. E. Hersov A. R. Thorpe Sponsors, Donors and Subscribers Corporate Sponsors Anglo American Corporation of South Africa Ltd Gold Fields De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd Mrs Joan Le May: in memory of the late De Beers Industrial Diamond Division (Pty) Ltd Basil C. Le May Corporate Donors Barclays National Bank Ltd Lennon Ltd Fisheries Development Corporation of Natal Parks Board South Africa Ltd Professor Margaret M. Smith The Gencor Development Fund William and Jenny Smith Hewlett Packard South Africa (Pty) Ltd Total South Africa (Pty) Ltd Corporate Subscribers Anglovaal Ltd National Parks Board Atlantic Fishing Enterprises Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban Barlow Rand Limited SAPPI Fine Papers (Pty) Ltd CTP Book Printers (Pty) Ltd Smithsonian Institution Durban City Council The South African Association for Hans Merensky Holdings (Pty) Ltd Marine Biological Research Irvin & Johnson Ltd South African Permanent Building Society Metal Box South Africa Ltd Standard Bank Investment Corporation Monaco Institute of Oceanographic Research A. R. Thorpe E. J. and A. L. Morris Wildlife Society of Southern Africa Individual Donors Adcan Marine Suppliers Hedley Gerhardt Africana Book Collectors Pat Goss Dr B. R. Allanson Henry J. Gradwell Trevor Ashington Dr D. S. Henderson L. G. Baumann Basil Hersov The Brenthurst Library Dr Brian Hulley Professor J. W. Brommert Isowall SA (Pty) Ltd Craig, Ryan and Tracey Bruton Alf Johnson David Christie Jessica and Len Jones Pearl E. Coppin Errol and Fredia Kreutzer Bert Davids Helen Leibel Claire Davids Robert E. Levitt H. B. Dyer Ian Mackenzie Johan Els Natal Ski-Boat Light Tackle Game Fishing Professor P. K. Faure Association ix Individual Donors Richards Bay Minerals George Brian Trow Mrs L. M. Russell G. H. Tudor S.A. Shipping News & Fishing Industry Review Umhlali Ski-Boat Club Derek and Linda Souter Pieter W. van Niekerk South African Ski-Boat Angling Association Zoological Society of Southern Africa Nolan Sparg Individual Subscribers Christopher C. Appleton City of Johannesburg Peter J. Ashton Marthinus J. S. Jordaan Eugene K. Balon Professor D. M. Joubert E. J. B. Bishop· Hillel M. Kahn Border Ski-Boat Angling Association Sidney H. Kahn Alan and Jiff Bowmaker Dr P. G. Landsberg The Braine family Dr B. E. la Trobe, Mayor Grahamstown 1985/86 George and Margo Branch R. H. Lefebvre Alastair and Patricia Buchan In memory of the late Dr C. Mauritz Lombaard Ian D. J. Cochrane-Murray R. Loots Dr Allan Connell W. McLevland Douglas T. Cooke E. K. Moorcroft Mrs H. J. Creswell Natal Ski-Boat Association Brendan Davids National Zoological Gardens of South Africa John-Paul Davids Dan Niven Thomas Davids Patrick Niven Durban Ski-Boat Club Oceana Fishing Group