Deep-bottom fish identification cards for small-scale fishermen iq © Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 2013 These identification cards are produced by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to help improve catch data and statistics from small-scale vessels that regularly target deep-bottom fish species. With a better understanding of small-scale vessel catches, regional fisheries managers can ensure that stocks are better managed throughout their range and that small-scale fishermen get more recognition and support for their contribution to food security and employment at the local level. The most likely users of these cards are small-scale fishers who actively target deep-bottom fish stocks, along with fishery officers who are tasked with monitoring these fisheries. Fisheries training institutions are other potential users. Printing of these cards was made possible through financial assistance provided by AusAID. Project coordination was done by the Oceanic Fisheries Programme’s Ecosystem Monitoring Section and the Fisheries Information Section, SPC. Illustrations were made by Les Hata and Rachel O’Shea. This publication is based on the Fish species identification manual for deep-bottom snapper fishermen by Chapman et al. (2008). Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data Deep-bottom fish identification cards for small-scale fishermen / produced by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community – 2nd ed. 1. Marine fishes – Classification – Oceania. 2. Fishery management – Oceania. 3. Fishes – Identification – Oceania. I. Title II. Secretariat of the Pacific Community 597.0995 AACR2 ISBN: 978-982-00-0666-9 Head Body Caudal fin Different caudal fin types Spiny dorsal fin Soft dorsal fin Rounded Dorsal spines Opercular spine Truncate Snout Emarginate Lateral line Lunate Cheek Caudal fin Gill cover Forked Anal fin Cheek cleft Pectoral fin Pelvic fin Anal spines Snappers 2 Ruby snapper Etelis carbunculus Dorsal fin deeply notched Distinct yellowish Small black markings on lateral line upper lobe of caudal fin max. length: 125 cm Rounded opercular spine (behind skin) 400 m White tip on lower lobe of caudal fin – ETA 80 Pygmy ruby snapper Etelis marshi Dorsal fin deeply notched No black markings on Distinct yellowish upper lobe of caudal fin lateral line max. length: 70 cm Pointed opercular spine (behind skin) 400 m – White tip on lower lobe of caudal fin F96 80 Snappers 3 Snappers 4 Pale snapper Etelis radiosus Forked caudal fin Gills silverish with notch in centre 360 m – EEW 90 Flame snapper Etelis coruscans Tips of upper and lower caudal fin elongated to form filaments, often black 400 m – ETC 90 Snappers 5 Snappers 6 Rusty jobfish Aphareus rutilans Dorsal and anal rays greatly prolonged Lower jaw projecting Caudal fin lunate Gills silver Pectoral fin long, reaching to above the anus 330 m – ARQ 40 Randall’s snapper Randallichthys filamentosus Dark to black margin on first half of dorsal fin Yellowish-orange on upper half of body 380 m Dark to black margin on pelvic fin – RAI 150 Snappers 7 Snappers 8 Crimson jobfish Pristipomoides filamentosus Top of head has yellow Crimson to reddish margin on lines and blue spots dorsal and caudal fins Line drawn from upper lip to fork in caudal fin passes below eye 400 m – PFM 40 Lavender jobfish Pristipomoides sieboldii Dorsal fin has orange margin Large eye for Caudal fin has pale margin size of fish Tooth patch on tongue Line drawn from upper lip to fork in caudal fin passes through centre of eye 360 m – LRB 100 Snappers 9 Snappers 10 Scalemouth jobfish Parapristipomoides squamimaxillaris Upper lobe of caudal fin yellow Lower lobe of caudal fin pink 460 m – PQM 130 Sharptooth jobfish Pristipomoides typus Wavy yellow lines on dorsal fin 120 m – Silverish belly LRU 40 Snappers 11 Snappers 12 Golden eye jobfish Pristipomoides flavipinnis Yellow margin on spiny dorsal fin Top of head has reticulated speckles Yellowish margin on caudal fin when fresh 360 m – LWF 60 Goldbanded jobfish Pristipomoides multidens Pale-bluish and yellowish spots on dorsal fin Gold bands edged in blue on snout and cheeks below eye 320 m – LRI 40 Snappers 13 Snappers 14 Ornate jobfish Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus Upper body has pink and yellow blotches and irregular blue markings 300 m – LRY 70 Oblique-banded snapper Pristipomoides zonatus Four distinct yellow oblique bars on upper body 300 m Lower lobe of caudal fin yellow – LWZ 70 Snappers 15 Snappers 16 Goldflag jobfish Pristipomoides auricilla ‘Herringbone’ pattern of pale-yellow Upper lobe of caudal fin yellow with and purple stripes along body grey-blue margin 360 m – LWA 80 Cocoa snapper Paracaesio stonei Four narrow dark-brown bands extending across whole body Forehead rounded 320 m – LWR 200 Snappers 17 Snappers 18 Saddle-back snapper Paracaesio kusakarii Four broad saddle-like dark brown bars on back extending to or below lateral line Forehead humped in larger adults Upper lobe of caudal fin white 310 m – LRK 60 Vanuatu snapper Paracaesio gonzalesi Yellow band along lateral line from back of gill cover to halfway along dorsal fin Pectoral fin yellow 250 m – LRG 140 Snappers 19 Snappers 20 Tang’s snapper Lipocheilus carnolabrum Upper body golden-olive Upper lip thick with a fleshy to greenish-yellow protrusion at anterior end 340 m – LIR 90 Mozambique large-eye bream Wattsia mossambica Caudal fin slightly forked with broadly rounded lobes Lips whitish to yellow Dark patch at base 220 m – of pectoral fin WTM 60 Emperors 21 Emperors 22 Japanese large-eye bream Gymnocranius euanus Scattered black spots, at most covering a single scale Large eye Rounded lobes 250 m – GMQ on caudal fin All fins clear to reddish 15 Golden hind Cephalopholis aurantia Small red or yellow dots on head Pale-blue margin and back to end of spiny dorsal fin on caudal fin 250 m – CFZ 20 Groupers 23 Groupers 24 Eightbar grouper Hyporthodus octofasciatus Eight pale vertical bands across body extending over dorsal fin 300 m – EWO 80 Speckled grouper Epinephelus magniscuttis Spots on dorsal fin and top Body and head covered with half of caudal fin distinct dark spots (speckles) No spots on belly 340 m – No spots on pectoral, EEJ pelvic or anal fins 50 Groupers 25 Groupers 26 Comet grouper Epinephelus morrhua Distinct oblique bands running from snout to upper body Lower bands break into lines 370 m – EEP and blotches 80 Oblique-banded grouper Epinephelus radiatus Dark spots on soft dorsal fin Dots forming subtle lines and base of caudal fin between bands Bands made up of double lines and 390 m – becoming more vertical towards caudal fin EZR 80 Groupers 27 Groupers 28 Dot-dash grouper Epinephelus poecilonotus Darkish oval blotch on back and spiny dorsal fin Four dark-brown bands (broken into spots) 375 m on side running concentric to oval blotch – EWP 45 Reticulate grouper Epinephelus tuamotuensis Irregular coarse dark-brown reticulum on body and back of head 250 m – EWT 120 Groupers 29 Groupers 30 Red-tipped grouper Epinephelus retouti Spiny dorsal fin with deep-red tips Soft dorsal and upper part of caudal fin grey-brown 220 m Caudal fin truncate – EWR 40 Brownspotted grouper Epinephelus chlorostigma Small dark-brownish spots over head, body and fins Caudal fin truncate with 300 m – white margin EFH 4 Groupers 31 Groupers 32 Golden grouper Saloptia powelli Upper body yellow with no spots Dorsal and caudal fins Head orange yellow 370 m – OOW 140 Garish hind Cephalopholis igarashiensis Seven distinct irregular bright-yellow bands Body bright red 250 m – CWI 80 Groupers 33 Jacks 34 Almaco jack Seriola rivoliana Second dorsal fin four times the height of first dorsal fin 340 m – YTL Leading edge of pelvic fin and margin of anal fin white 10 Greater amberjack Seriola dumerili Second dorsal fin twice the height of first dorsal fin Extreme tip of lower caudal fin lobe pale or white Tip of pelvic fin and anal fin lobes white AMB 1–360 m Jacks 35 Jacks 36 Black jack Caranx lugubris Small black spot at top of gill cover Head profile concave at eye level 350 m – NXU 10 Longnose trevally Carangoides chrysophrys Black spot on upper edge of gill cover No scales on breast, ventrally to behind pelvic fin 240 m – NGH 30 Jacks 37 Snake mackerels 38 Black snoek Thyrsitoides marleyi Lateral line starts level with back of gill cover, then splits into two around fourth dorsal spine Body elongated and compressed Well-developed pelvic fin, as long as pectoral fin 400 m THM – 1 Snake mackerel Gempylus serpens Two distinct lateral lines First dorsal fin very long, second dorsal fin short and followed by five or six finlets Body very long and skinny Very small pelvic fin GES 1–330 m Snake mackerels 39 Snake mackerels 40 Oilfish Ruvettus pretiosus Very rough skin Two anal finlets 800 m Sharp scaly keel – OIL 100 Roudi escolar Promethichthys prometheus Single lateral line Small pelvic fin, represented by a single very small spine and soft ray 750 m – PRP 100 Snake mackerels 41 Other deep-bottom fish 42 Japanese rubyfish Erythrocles schlegelii Deeply notched dorsal fin Rough scales Mouth large and extends with flexible jaw Distinct ridge or 250 m – ERY caudal keel 50 Golden kalikali Erythrocles scintillans Deeply notched dorsal fin No trace of ridge or caudal keel 350 m – ERZ 250 Other deep-bottom fish 43 Other deep-bottom fish 44 Ward’s tilefish Branchiostegus wardi Caudal fin has dark triangle on lower lobe and two yellow stripes above 250 m – TIZ 100 Roughear scad Decapterus tabl First and second dorsal fins reddish Caudal fin bright red Upper body reddish-green Small black spot