Offshore fish identification cards for small-scale line fisheries These identification cards are produced by the Pacific Community (SPC) to help improve catch data and statistics from small-scale vessels that regularly target pelagic . With a better understanding of small- scale vessel catches, regional fisheries managers can ensure that migratory stocks are better managed throughout the range of the stocks and that small-scale fishers get more recognition and support for their contribution to food security and employment at the local community level. The most likely users of these cards are small-scale fishers who actively target pelagic stocks, along with fishery officers who are tasked with monitoring these fisheries. Fisheries training institutions and fishing communities are other potential users. Project co-ordination was done by the Oceanic Fisheries Programme Fisheries Monitoring Section and the Fisheries Information Section, SPC. Most of the colour illustrations are by Les Hata. Others are by Hazel Adams (p. 8, 9, 12, 13, 32, 33, 45, 46, 47 and 48), Jipé Le-Bars (p. 4 and 5) and Rachel O’Shea (p. 27); black and white illustrations courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This publication is based on the Marine species identification manual for horizontal longline fishermen by Chapman et al. (2006). © Pacific Community, 2017 Original text: English Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data Offshore fish identification cards for small-scale line fisheries / Pacific Community 1. Marine fishes – Classification – Oceania. 2. Fishery management – Oceania. 3. Fishes – Identification – Oceania. I. Title II. Pacific Community 338.3720995 AACR2 ISBN: 978-982-00-1082-6 and other scombrids

Second Base of second First dorsal fin dorsal fin

Finlets

Caudal fin

Caudal keel

Pectoral fin Base of anal fin Anal fin

1 Tunas 2 Tunas and other scombrids Yellowfin Thunnus albacares

Narrow body, Adults especially (>70 cm) near caudal fin

Notch in caudal fin Finlets yellow with no black edge Second dorsal and anal fins very long YFT and yellow Bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus

Adults Stout body (>70 cm)

No notch in caudal fin Finlets bright yellow with black edge BET

3 Tunas and other scombrids 4 Tunas and other scombrids Yellowfin tuna < 120 cm Yellow n Thunnus albacares Pectoral fins blade-like

Juveniles Narrow body, (40–70 cm) especially near caudal fin Bigeye

Small notch in caudal fin

Pectoral fin tip Lines slightly curved, rounded Pectoral fin evenly spaced, reaches base of separated by lines YFT second dorsal fin of spots over most of body Yellow n

Bigeye tuna < 120 cm Bigeye Thunnus obesus Pectoral fins curved

Juveniles Stout body (40–70 cm)

No notch in caudal fin

Pectoral fin tip Lines almost straight, pointed Pectoral fin often unevenly spaced with extends beyond base a few erratic spots mostly BET of second dorsal fin over lower body

5 Tunas and other scombrids 6 Tunas and other scombrids tuna Thunnus alalunga Back edge of caudal fin white or colourless

Pectoral fin reaches way past base of second dorsal and anal fins ALB Longtail tuna Thunnus tonggol Second dorsal fin taller than first dorsal fin Body slender, especially towards caudal fin

Faint rows of colourless Pectoral fin rarely reaches spots along belly LOT space between dorsal fins

7 Tunas and other scombrids 8 Tunas and other scombrids Bullet tuna Auxis rochei rochei Wide space between first and second dorsal fins

Pectoral fin tip does not reach front edge of patterned area BLT Frigate tuna Auxis thazard thazard Wide space between first and second dorsal fins

Pectoral fin tip reaches beyond front edge of patterned area FRI

9 Tunas and other scombrids 10 Tunas and other scombrids Skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis

Three to five stripes along belly SKJ Kawakawa Euthynnus affinis Narrow space between first and second dorsal fins

Black spots, sometimes faded KAW

11 Tunas and other scombrids 12 Tunas and other scombrids Striped Sarda orientalis

Numerous stripes, black on upper side, fading on lower side

BIP Double-lined Grammatorcynus bilineatus

Two lateral lines (one on upper side and one on lower side)

DBM A similar and less common species, Grammatorcynus bicarinatus (not shown), has small black spots along the belly.

13 Tunas and other scombrids 14 Tunas and other scombrids Acanthocybium solandri

Snout as long as rest of head

Snout Rest of head

Lateral line dips under first dorsal fin

WAH commerson

Snout shorter than rest of head

Snout Rest of head

Lateral line dips after first dorsal fin

COM

15 Tunas and other scombrids 16 Tunas and other scombrids Dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda unicolor

Obvious wavy lateral line

Cone-shaped (dog-like) teeth in a large mouth DOT Billfish

First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Upper jaw prolonged (bill)

Caudal fin

Caudal Pectoral fin keels First anal fin Pelvic fin Second anal fin

17 Billfish 18 Billfish Blue marlin Makaira nigricans Dorsal fin height (a) half to three-quarters of (a) greatest body depth (b)

(b)

Pectoral fin not rigid – can flatten against body BUM Striped marlin Tetrapturus audax Dorsal fin height (a) higher than or sometimes equal to (a) greatest body depth (b)

(b)

MLS Pectoral fin not rigid – can flatten against body

19 Billfish 20 Billfish Black marlin Istiompax indica

Dorsal fin height (a) about half of (a) greatest body depth (b)

(b)

Pectoral fin rigid – cannot flatten against body BLM on fish over 40 kg Swordfish Xiphias gladius

First and second dorsal fins widely separated (except if <100 cm) Sword-like bill with smooth surface

No pelvic fins Only one caudal keel SWO

21 Billfish 22 Billfish Shortbill spearfish Tetrapturus angustirostris

Dorsal fin about same height as body depth

(a)

(b)

Bill length (a) very short, equal to or shorter than head length (b)

SSP Sailfish Istiophorus platypterus

Dorsal fin very tall (more than two times body depth)

SFA

23 Billfish 24 Jacks Jacks

First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Lateral line Scutes

Caudal fin

Operculum Anal fin Pectoral fin Pelvic fin Bigeye trevally Caranx sexfasciatus

Small black spot at upper edge of gill cover

White tip on second dorsal and anal fin

CSX

25 Jacks 26 Jacks Elagatis bipinnulata Blue and yellow stripes on side

Caudal fin dark in colour and deeply forked

Two-rayed finlet behind second dorsal and anal fins RRU Yellowtail ; Kingfish lalandi

Single yellow stripe on side

No finlet

Pectoral fin shorter than pelvic fin Second dorsal, anal and caudal fins yellow YTC

27 Jacks 28 Jacks Seriola rivoliana Second dorsal fin four times the height of dorsal fin

YTL Leading edge of pelvic fin and margin of anal fin white Greater amberjack Seriola dumerili Second dorsal fin twice the height of dorsal fin

Extreme tip of lower caudal fin lobe pale or white Tip of pelvic and anal AMB fin lobes white

29 Jacks 30 Jacks Bigeye scad Selar crumenophthalmus Dorsal fins close together

Very large eye

Black spot on operculum

Maximum length: 50 cm BIS Mackerel scad Decapterus macarellus Dorsal fins widely separated

Black blotch on operculum

Maximum length: 40 cm MSD

31 Jacks 32 Jacks Golden trevally Gnathanodon speciosus Dark tips on tail

GLT Juveniles bright yellow with 7–11 black bars. Adults silver with golden belly. Cottonmouth jack Uraspis secunda Adults dark to bluish black. Juveniles with 6-7 dark bands with Inside of mouth and tongue pale interspaces appears bleached-white

USE

33 Jacks 34 Jacks Jacks (other) (other)

Uraspis spp.

Carangoides spp. Caranx spp.

Trachinotus spp. Selar spp. Decapterus spp.

Scomberoides spp. Seriola spp. TRE Note: The Carangidae family (jacks) includes 32 genera and about 140 species of highly varied shapes. Jacks are open-water carnivorous fish, usually silvery in colour. Other important species

First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Finlets Head Snout

Caudal fin

Caudal Operculum keel (gill cover) Lateral line Pectoral fin Anal fin Pelvic fin

35 Other important species 36 Other important species Common dolphinfish; Mahi mahi Coryphaena hippurus Roundish-shaped Common length: 100 cm tooth patch Maximum length: 210 cm on tongue Body depth

Body depth less than 1/4 of standard length Anal fin concave Female Male head shape DOL head shape Pompano dolphinfish Coryphaena equiselis Squarish-shaped Common length: 50 cm tooth patch Maximum length: 75 cm on tongue Body depth

Anal fin straight

Standard length

Body depth more than 1/4 of standard length CFW

37 Other important species 38 Other important species Great barracuda Sphyraena barracuda Second dorsal, anal and caudal fins dark with white tips

Distinctive shaped Black spots (normally) caudal fin GBA Pickhandle barracuda Sphyraena jello

Second dorsal and caudal fins yellowish

Bars are faint, unevenly spaced and go to just below lateral line

BAC

39 Other important species 40 Other important species Blackfin barracuda Sphyraena qenie

Dark caudal fin with black margin Common length: 80 cm Maximum length: 170 cm

Two small knobs at centre Almost straight bars of caudal fin BAB Sawtooth barracuda Sphyraena putnamae

Common length: 60 cm Dark caudal fin Maximum length: 90 cm

Chevron-shaped bars BAN extending well below lateral line

41 Other important species 42 Other important species Sickle pomfret Taractichthys steindachneri

Obviously long first dorsal and anal fins

White margin on caudal fin

Large scales TST Brilliant pomfret Eumegistus illustris

Juvenile (less than 30 cm)

Distinct shape of caudal fin

Large scales EBS

43 Other important species 44 Other important species Pomfrets (other) Bramidae (other) Species in this family have: • Angle of jaw very slanted • Single dorsal fin • Caudal fin of adults strongly forked

Pterycombus spp. Pteraclis spp.

BRZ Taractes spp. Brama spp. Triple tail Lobotes surinamensis Large, rounded posterior lobes of dorsal and anal fins that are equal to caudal fin in size.

LOB

45 Other important species 46 Other important species Rough triggerfish Canthidermis maculatus

Dark body and fins covered with numerous whitish blotches

CNT Unicorn leatherjacket filefish Aluterus monoceros Slender dorsal spine above eye

Body grey with faint spotting ALM

47 Other important species 48 Other important species

Batfish Second bar from front of dorsal fin to ventral fin Platax teira

Dark to faint bar through eye

BAO Large dark blotch above rear edge of ventral fin Slender sunfish Ranzania laevis

Slender body shape

No protruding “tail”

Distinct markings

RZV Maximum length: 80 cm

49 Other important species 50 Other important species

Gemfish & snake

Species in this family have: • Large mouth with strong teeth • Two dorsal fins, second shorter than first Rexea spp. • Pelvic fin very small, often just a single spine with a few or no soft rays

Rexichthys spp.

GEP Index Acanthocybium solandri...... 14 Dogtooth tuna...... 16 Albacore tuna...... 6 Double-lined mackerel...... 13 Aluterus monoceros...... 47 Elagatis bipinnulata...... 26 Auxis rochei rochei...... 8 Eumegistus illustris...... 43 Auxis thazard thazard...... 9 Euthynnus affinis...... 11 Batfish...... 48 Frigate tuna...... 9 Bigeye scad...... 30 Gemfish & snake mackerels...... 50 Bigeye trevally...... 25 Gempylidae...... 50 Bigeye tuna ...... 3 & 5 Gnathanodon speciosus...... 32 Billfish...... 17 Golden trevally...... 32 Black marlin...... 20 Grammatorcynus bilineatus...... 13 Blackfin barracuda...... 4 Great barracuda...... 38 Blue marlin...... 18 Greater amberjack...... 29 Bramidae (other)...... 44 Gymnosarda unicolor...... 16 Brilliant pomfret...... 43 Istiompax indica...... 20 Bullet tuna...... 8 Istiophorus platypterus...... 23 Canthidermis maculatus...... 46 Jacks...... 24 Caranx sexfasciatus...... 25 Katsuwonus pelamis...... 10 Common dolphinfish...... 36 Kawakawa...... 11 Coryphaena equiselis...... 37 Kingfish...... 27 Coryphaena hippurus...... 36 Lobotes surinamensis...... 45 Cottonmouth jack...... 33 Longfin yellowtail...... 28 Decapterus macarellus...... 31 Longtail tuna...... 7 Mackerel scad...... 31 Sphyraena barracuda...... 38 Mahi mahi...... 36 Sphyraena jello...... 39 Makaira nigricans...... 18 Sphyraena putnamae...... 41 Pickhandle barracuda...... 39 Sphyraena qenie...... 40 Platax teira...... 48 Striped bonito...... 12 Pomfrets (other)...... 44 Striped marlin...... 19 Pompano dolphinfish...... 37 Swordfish...... 21 Rainbow runner...... 26 Taractichthys steindachneri...... 42 Ranzania laevis...... 49 Tetrapturus angustirostris...... 22 Rough triggerfish...... 46 Tetrapturus audax...... 19 Sailfish...... 23 Thunnus alalunga...... 6 Sarda orientalis...... 12 Thunnus albacares...... 2 & 4 Sawtooth barracuda...... 41 Thunnus obesus...... 3 & 5 Scomberomorus commerson...... 15 Thunnus tonggol...... 7 Selar crumenophthalmus...... 30 Triple tail...... 45 Seriola dumerili...... 29 Tuna and other scombrids...... 1 Seriola lalandi...... 27 Unicorn leatherjacket filefish...... 47 Seriola rivoliana...... 28 Uraspis secunda...... 33 Shortbill spearfish...... 22 Wahoo...... 14 Sickle pomfret...... 42 Xiphias gladius...... 21 Skipjack tuna...... 10 Yellowfin tuna...... 2 & 4 Slender sunfish...... 49 ...... 27 Spanish mackerel...... 15

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Prepared for publication at: Pacific Community headquarters, Noumea, New Caledonia New Noumea, headquarters, Community Pacific at: publication for Prepared

Fisheries Conventions and Related Instruments in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PIOFMP-II) States Developing Island Small Pacific the in Instruments Related and Conventions Fisheries

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