DOCSLIB.ORG

Studies on the Biology and Fishery of Thefishes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Studies on the Biology and Fishery of Thefishes STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGY AND FISHERY OF THE FISHES OF THE FAMILY PRIACANTHIDAE (PISCES : PERCIFORMES) OF INDIAN WATERS THESIS Submitted to THE COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By K. P. PHILIP, M. Sc. DEPARTMENT or INDUSTRIAL FISHERIES COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COCHIN - 682 016 1994 DECLARATION I, K.P. Philip, do hereby declare that the thesis entitled "STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGY AND FISHERY OF THE FISHFS OF THE FAMILY PRIACANTHIDAE (PISCI-'S=PERCIFORMFS) OF INDIAN WATERS" is a genuine record of research work done by me under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Kuruvila Mathew, Reader, Department of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology and has not been previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or other similar title of any University or Institution. September,Kochi -1994 682 K.P. 016PHILIP CERTIFICATE This is to certify that this thesis is an authentic record of research work carried out by Sri. K.P. Philip, M.Sc. under my supervision and guidance in the Department of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and that no part thereof has been submitted for anyother degree. 9% (KURUVILA MATHEW) Supervising Teacher Dr Kuruvila Mathew Reader Department of Industrial Fisheries 9--9-1994Cochin Cochin University Cochin of Science - and682 Technology 016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Kuruvila Mathew, Reader, Department of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Techno­ logy for suggesting this problem and guiding me with encouragement and constant support throughout the course of this work. I acknowledge my sincere thanks to Dr. M. Shahul Hameed, Professor and Head of the Department of Industrial Fisheries and to Dr. C.T. Samuel, former Head of the Department, Cochin University of Science and Technology for their valuable suggestions and constant support and also for providing necessary facilities to carry out this work. I am greatly indebted to Dr. D. Sudarsan, Director General, Fishery Survey of India, for permitting me to undertake this study and for extending all sorts of support, guidance and encouragement throughout the course of this study. I am very much thankful to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India for allowing me to carry out this work on part—time basis and for allowing me to make use of the data collected by the survey vessels of the Fishery Survey of India. I am also thankful to the Cochin University of Science and Technology for granting me registration for Ph.D. programme. My sincere thanks and gratitude are due to Shri. K. Vijayakumar, Scientist, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Visakhapatnam for the assistance he has rendered for statistically analysing and computing the data and also for all the help rendered during this study. I am indebted to Dr. M. Madhusoodhana Kurup, Reader, Department of Industrial Fisheries and Dr. C.J. Cherian, Associate Professor, Kerala Agricultural University for critically going through the manuscript and giving valuable suggestions. The valuable assistance rendered by S/Shri. Paul Pandian, Junior Fishing Gear Technologist, N. Jagannath, Sr. Scientific Assistant and S.M. Reddy, Scientific Assistant and all my colleagues in the Fisheries Section of the Zonal Base of Fishery Survey of India, Visakhapatnam and Shri. P.J. Joseph, Junior Fisheries Scientist of Cochin Base is acknowledged with great apprecia­ tion. I express my sincere thanks to Shri. Antony Joseph, Statistician, Fishery Survey of India, Bombay for the assistance rendered for the compilation of distribution data on priacanthids. I thank Dr. K. Sujatha, Reader, Andhra University and Dr. V.V. Rao, Retd. Senior Fisheries Scientist, Fishery Survey of India, for the assistance given to me in the taxonomic studies. My thanks are also due to S/Shri. I(.P. Reghunath, Junior Stenographer and C.S.N. Murty, Accountant, Fishery Survey of India for the secretarial assistance. CONTENTS Page No. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 Review of previous work 1.2 Review on priacanthid fishery along the Indian waters 10 1.3 Research approach 12 SYSTEMATICS 14 2.1 Introduction 14 2.2 Material and methods 16 2.3 Distinguishing characters of family Priacanthidae 2.4 Key to the genera of family Priacanthidae of Indian waters 18 2.5 Key to the species of Priacanthus 25 Plates 1-3 Tables 1-2 FOOD AND FEEDING 31 3.1 Introduction 31 3.2 Material and methods 33 3.3 Results 36 3.3.1 Composition of food 36 3.3.2 Seasonal variations in the food composition 37 Page No. 3.3.3 Spatial difference in food composition 40 3.3.4 Variations of food in relation to depth 41 3.3.5 Variations of food in relation to size groups 42 3.3.6 Feeding intensity 42 3.3.7 Gastro—somatic index 43 3.3.8 Comparative study of food of E. hamrur with that of E. japonicus 43 3.4 Discussion 44 Figures 2-4 Tables 3-8 MATURATION AND SPAWNING 49 4.1 Introduction 49 4.2 Material and methods 50 Results 53 4.3. 4.3.1 Macroscopic study of gonads 53 4.3.2 Maturity stages 54 4.3.3 Development of ova to maturity E 58 4.3.4 Spawning season 58 4.3.5 Depth-wise distribution of maturity stages 60 4.3.6 Size at first maturity 61 4.3.7 Gonado-somatic index 61 4.3.8 Fecundity 62 Page No. 4.3.9 Sex ratio 63 4.4 Discussion 64 Figures 5-8 Tables 9-23 5. LENGTH—WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP AND RELATIVE CONDITION FACTOR 72 5.1 Introduction 72 5.2 Material and methods 74 5.3 Results 76 5.4 Discussion 77 Figures 9-11 Table 24 AGE AND GROWTH 81 6.1 Introduction 81 6.2 Material and methods 83 6.2.1 Modal progression analysis 84 6.2.2 Fitting of von Berta1anffy's growth’equation 87 6.3 Results 89 6.4 Discussion 91 Table 25 Figures 12-18 Page No. MORTALITY AND EX PLOITATION 95 7.1 Introduction 95 7.2 Material and methods 95 7.3 Results 100 7.4 Discussion 102 Figure 19 DISTRIBUTION OF THE STOCK AND FISHERY 106 8.1 Spatial and temporal distribution of the stock 106 8.1.1 Introduction 106 8.1.2 Material and methods 107 8.1.3 Results 111 8.1.3.1 Area-wise distribution 111 8.1.3.2 Depth-wise distribution 112 8.1.3.3 Seasonal abundance 114 8.1.3.4 Contribution of priacanthids to the total catch 116 8.1.3.5 Variation in annual abundance 118 8.1.3.6 Biomass 119 8.2 Fishery and utilization 119 8.2.1 Fishery 119 8.2.2 Utilization 122 8.3 Discussion 123 Figures 20 Tables 26-38 SUMMARY 129 10. REFERENCES 139 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION Fisheries form. an important sector in the Indian economy. With an annual production of 4.04 million tonnes in 1991 (Anon, 1994), India occupies seventh position among the fish producing nations and second among the shrimp producers of the world. Apart from providing employment for nearly 7 million fisherfolks, this sector contributes to 2.4% of the GDP from primary industries. The 7,500 km coastline has over 2500 fishermen villages and as many traditional fish landing centres. There are about 34,000 mechanised boats, 170 of them having OAL above 23 m, (Joseph and Deviah, 1993) and 1.8 lakhs traditional crafts in this country. The export of fish products from India during 1992 was 1,91, 314 tonnes valued at Rs.1581.44 crores, forming 3.5% of the total export earnings (Anon, 1993a). The country's marine fish landings rose from an average of 0.8 million tonnes in 60's through 1.2 million tonnes in 70's and 1.6 million tonnes during 80's to the current production of 2.29 million tonnes. Of the 2.29 million tonnes of marine production in 1992,pelagic resources like sardines, mackerel, Bombay duck, ribbon fish, carangids etc. contributed to 1.19 million tonnes (52%) while the demersal resources such as elasmobranchs, lizard fish, croak­ ers, threadfin bream, goat fish, prawns, cephalopods etc. accounted for 1.1 million tonnes (48%). The south west region with 36.1%, topped in production followed by north west (34.1%), while south east and north east accounted for 23.4 and 5.5% respectively (Anon, 1993b). With the declaration of 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in 1976, India acquired full rights to explore, exploit, manage and conserve the living and non-living resources of nearly two million sq.km. of seas around it. Attempts were made by various workers to estimate the resources potential of the EEZ by resorting to organic production and exploratory survey data (Jones and Banerji, 1973; Silas, 1977; Geoge e_t a_l. 1977; Joseph, 1980, 1985, 1987; Nair and Gopinathan, 1981; Alagaraja, 1989; Desai fl a_l. 1989; Mathew e_t a_l. 1990 and Sudarsan fl a_l. 1990). These estimates showed that the potential marine resources of India ranged between 2.3 to 5.5 million tonnes. As more accurate figures are needed for develop­ mental planning, recently Government of India appointed a working committee for revalidating the fishery potential of the EEZ (Anon, 1991) and the comm­ ittee estimated the resources of the EEZ as 3.92 million tonnes. Of this the demersal stocks form about 1.93 million tonnes, the coastal pelagic stocks share 1.74 million tonnes and the oceanic stocks contributed to the remaining 0.25 million tonnes (Sudarsan, 1993).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Zootaxa, Dupliciporia Lanterna N. Sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae)
    Zootaxa 1707: 60–68 (2008) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2008 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Dupliciporia lanterna n. sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae) from Priacanthus hamrur (Perciformes: Priacanthidae) and additional zoogonids parasitizing fishes from the waters off New Caledonia RODNEY A. BRAY1 & JEAN-LOU JUSTINE2 1Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Équipe Biogéographie Marine Tropicale, Unité Systématique, Adaptation, Évolution (CNRS, UPMC, MNHN, IRD), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, BP A5, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, Nouvelle Calédonie. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The genus Dupliciporia is considered valid based on observation of the type species, and is considered the senior syn- onym of Parasteganoderma and Liliaoralis. The new combinations Dupliciporia cephaloporum (Machida & Araki, 1990) and Dupliciporia cataluphi (Korotaeva, 1994) are formed. A new species, Dupliciporia lanterna, is described from the digestive tract of Priacanthus hamrur from the waters off New Caledonia, South Pacific. Dupliciporia lanterna n. sp. differs from its congeners in its elongate body and its rectilinear vitelline fields. Dupliciporia sp. (=Parastegano- derma sp. of El-Labadi et al. [2006]) from Pristigenys niphonia from the Gulf of Aqaba, is briefly described and figured. Other zoogonids reported from New Caledonian waters are Zoogonus pagrosomi from Lethrinus atkinsoni and Lethrinus genivittatus, Parvipyrum
    [Show full text]
  • Pacific Plate Biogeography, with Special Reference to Shorefishes
    Pacific Plate Biogeography, with Special Reference to Shorefishes VICTOR G. SPRINGER m SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 367 SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoo/ogy Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale monographs that report the research and collections of its various museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world cf science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout the world. Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for format and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian museums or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive review.
    [Show full text]
  • CHECKLIST and BIOGEOGRAPHY of FISHES from GUADALUPE ISLAND, WESTERN MEXICO Héctor Reyes-Bonilla, Arturo Ayala-Bocos, Luis E
    ReyeS-BONIllA eT Al: CheCklIST AND BIOgeOgRAphy Of fISheS fROm gUADAlUpe ISlAND CalCOfI Rep., Vol. 51, 2010 CHECKLIST AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF FISHES FROM GUADALUPE ISLAND, WESTERN MEXICO Héctor REyES-BONILLA, Arturo AyALA-BOCOS, LUIS E. Calderon-AGUILERA SAúL GONzáLEz-Romero, ISRAEL SáNCHEz-ALCántara Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada AND MARIANA Walther MENDOzA Carretera Tijuana - Ensenada # 3918, zona Playitas, C.P. 22860 Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur Ensenada, B.C., México Departamento de Biología Marina Tel: +52 646 1750500, ext. 25257; Fax: +52 646 Apartado postal 19-B, CP 23080 [email protected] La Paz, B.C.S., México. Tel: (612) 123-8800, ext. 4160; Fax: (612) 123-8819 NADIA C. Olivares-BAñUELOS [email protected] Reserva de la Biosfera Isla Guadalupe Comisión Nacional de áreas Naturales Protegidas yULIANA R. BEDOLLA-GUzMáN AND Avenida del Puerto 375, local 30 Arturo RAMíREz-VALDEz Fraccionamiento Playas de Ensenada, C.P. 22880 Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Ensenada, B.C., México Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carr. Tijuana-Ensenada km. 107, Apartado postal 453, C.P. 22890 Ensenada, B.C., México ABSTRACT recognized the biological and ecological significance of Guadalupe Island, off Baja California, México, is Guadalupe Island, and declared it a Biosphere Reserve an important fishing area which also harbors high (SEMARNAT 2005). marine biodiversity. Based on field data, literature Guadalupe Island is isolated, far away from the main- reviews, and scientific collection records, we pres- land and has limited logistic facilities to conduct scien- ent a comprehensive checklist of the local fish fauna, tific studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Larval Fish Dispersal and the East Pacific Barrier
    Larval jish dispersal and the East Pacijic Barrier Jeffrey M. IA~ls (1) The assumplion that Lndo-Pacifie elements of fhe East Pacifie reef ichihyofauna were established and are genetically connected with Central Pacifie conspecifics via pelagic dispersa1 across the East Pacifie Barrier is examined. Indirect evidence fram four areas supports fhe pelagic dispersa1 potential of ihe transpacifk fishes: presence of pelagic eggs, presence of pelagic larval or juvenile stages, size of pelagic stages, and duration of pelagic stages. The common oceanic occurrence of many of these larvae is further indirect support for pelagic dispersa1 potential. However, many non-transpacific reef fishes have similar characteristics. Direct evidence for cross-Barrier pelagic dispersa1 from distributional siudies is weak: a few pelagic staqes of transpacific fishes have been reported within the East Pacifie Barrier, but unequivocal crossings of a major porkon of the Barrier have no1 been documented. The vicariante alternative is supported by some indirect evidence [positions of some islands and submerged ridges, and fossil corals on submerged ridges). However, the East Pacifie coral reefs and fauna may be less than 5,000 years old, which, if true, favours pelagic dispersal. On available evidence, neither the dispersa1 nor the vicariante hypoihesis cari be confirmed or rejected, and some directions for further research are suggesfed. I<EY WORDS: b?sh larvae - Vicariante - Zoogeography - Pacifie (kean. LA DISPERSION ni POISSONSRT BARRIÈRE EST-PACIFIQUE On étudie l’hypothèse selon laquelle des éléments indo-pacifiques de l’ichtyofaune corallienne de l’Est-Pacifique se seraient établis dans cette région par le biais d’une diffusion pélagique à travers la barrière Est-Pacifique et seraient génétiquement relit2 aux éléments conspécifiques du Pacifique central.
    [Show full text]
  • Redalyc.Isopods (Isopoda: Aegidae, Cymothoidae, Gnathiidae)
    Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN: 0034-7744 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica Bunkley-Williams, Lucy; Williams, Jr., Ernest H.; Bashirullah, Abul K.M. Isopods (Isopoda: Aegidae, Cymothoidae, Gnathiidae) associated with Venezuelan marine fishes (Elasmobranchii, Actinopterygii) Revista de Biología Tropical, vol. 54, núm. 3, diciembre, 2006, pp. 175-188 Universidad de Costa Rica San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44920193024 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Isopods (Isopoda: Aegidae, Cymothoidae, Gnathiidae) associated with Venezuelan marine fishes (Elasmobranchii, Actinopterygii) Lucy Bunkley-Williams,1 Ernest H. Williams, Jr.2 & Abul K.M. Bashirullah3 1 Caribbean Aquatic Animal Health Project, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 9012, Mayagüez, PR 00861, USA; [email protected] 2 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 908, Lajas, Puerto Rico 00667, USA; ewil- [email protected] 3 Instituto Oceanografico de Venezuela, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná, Venezuela. Author for Correspondence: LBW, address as above. Telephone: 1 (787) 832-4040 x 3900 or 265-3837 (Administrative Office), x 3936, 3937 (Research Labs), x 3929 (Office); Fax: 1-787-834-3673; [email protected] Received 01-VI-2006. Corrected 02-X-2006. Accepted 13-X-2006. Abstract: The parasitic isopod fauna of fishes in the southern Caribbean is poorly known. In examinations of 12 639 specimens of 187 species of Venezuelan fishes, the authors found 10 species in three families of isopods (Gnathiids, Gnathia spp.
    [Show full text]
  • Updated Checklist of Marine Fishes (Chordata: Craniata) from Portugal and the Proposed Extension of the Portuguese Continental Shelf
    European Journal of Taxonomy 73: 1-73 ISSN 2118-9773 http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2014.73 www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu 2014 · Carneiro M. et al. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Monograph urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9A5F217D-8E7B-448A-9CAB-2CCC9CC6F857 Updated checklist of marine fishes (Chordata: Craniata) from Portugal and the proposed extension of the Portuguese continental shelf Miguel CARNEIRO1,5, Rogélia MARTINS2,6, Monica LANDI*,3,7 & Filipe O. COSTA4,8 1,2 DIV-RP (Modelling and Management Fishery Resources Division), Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Av. Brasilia 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 3,4 CBMA (Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] * corresponding author: [email protected] 5 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:90A98A50-327E-4648-9DCE-75709C7A2472 6 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:1EB6DE00-9E91-407C-B7C4-34F31F29FD88 7 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:6D3AC760-77F2-4CFA-B5C7-665CB07F4CEB 8 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:48E53CF3-71C8-403C-BECD-10B20B3C15B4 Abstract. The study of the Portuguese marine ichthyofauna has a long historical tradition, rooted back in the 18th Century. Here we present an annotated checklist of the marine fishes from Portuguese waters, including the area encompassed by the proposed extension of the Portuguese continental shelf and the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The list is based on historical literature records and taxon occurrence data obtained from natural history collections, together with new revisions and occurrences.
    [Show full text]
  • First Report of Priacanthus Prolixus Starnes, 1988 (Perciformes : Priacanthidae) from the West Bengal Coast
    Rec. zool. Surv. India: Vol. 119(3)/ 289-291, 2019 ISSN (Online) : 2581-8686 DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v119/i3/2019/128807 ISSN (Print) : 0375-1511 Short Communication First report of Priacanthus prolixus Starnes, 1988 (Perciformes : Priacanthidae) from the West Bengal Coast Swarup Ranjan Mohanty1, Anil Mohapatra1* and K. K. Bineesh2 1Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Ganjam - 761002, Odisha, India; [email protected] 2Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre (ANRC), Zoological Survey of India, Haddo, Port Blair - 744 102, Andaman & Nicobar Island, India Abstract Present study reports Priacanthus prolixus Starnes (1988) for the first time from West Bengal coast. The species is reported here on the basis of five specimens were collected from Digha Mohana, West Bengal, and Bay of Bengal. The species is characterized with elongated and laterally compressed body, a unique character of Priacanthidea is head bears large eye, Keywords: scales in lateral line series is about 74-84 and scale rows between dorsal fin origin and lateral line is 10-11. New Record, Priacanthidae, West Bengal Introduction Market and no specific collection site and morphometry has been reported. This paper reports the occurrence The family Priacanthidae (Bigeyes) comprises 5 genera of Priacanthus prolixus Starnes (1988) for first time (Eschmeyer, 2017) and 21 valid species (Eschmeyer and from the West Bengal coast, East coast of India with its Fong, 2017) worldwide. The members of this family are morphometry. characterised by extremely large eye with wide pupils, deep body, rough scales and bright orange red colour (Philip, Material and Methods 1994). The genus Priacanthus represents the maximum numbers of valid species (12 species) in the family Five specimens were collected from Digha Mohana, West (Eschmeyer, 2017).
    [Show full text]
  • Otolith Atlas for the Western Mediterranean, North and Central Eastern Atlantic
    SCIENTIA MARINA 72S1 July 2008, 7-198, Barcelona (Spain) ISSN: 0214-8358 Otolith atlas for the western Mediterranean, north and central eastern Atlantic VICTOR M. TUSET 1, ANTONI LOMBARTE 2 and CARLOS A. ASSIS 3 1 Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas, Departamento de Biología Pesquera, P.O. Box. 56, E-35200 Telde (Las Palmas), Canary Islands, Spain. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Departament de Recursos Marins Renovables, Passeig Marítim 37-49, Barcelona 08003, Catalonia, Spain. 3 Instituto de Oceanografia e Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal. SUMMARY: The sagittal otolith of 348 species, belonging to 99 families and 22 orders of marine Teleostean fishes from the north and central eastern Atlantic and western Mediterranean were described using morphological and morphometric characters. The morphological descriptions were based on the otolith shape, outline and sulcus acusticus features. The mor- phometric parameters determined were otolith length (OL, mm), height (OH, mm), perimeter (P; mm) and area (A; mm2) and were expressed in terms of shape indices as circularity (P2/A), rectangularity (A/(OL×OH)), aspect ratio (OH/OL; %) and OL/fish size. The present Atlas provides information that complements the characterization of some ichthyologic taxa. In addition, it constitutes an important instrument for species identification using sagittal otoliths collected in fossiliferous layers, in archaeological sites or in feeding remains of bony fish predators. Keywords: otolith, sagitta, morphology, morphometry, western Mediterranean, north eastern Atlantic, central eastern Atlantic. RESUMEN: Otolitos de peces del mediterráneo occidental y del atlántico central y nororiental.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishes of the Iranian Gulf
    FISHES OF THE IRANIAN GULF BY H. BLEGVAD ASSISTED BY B. L 0 P P E N T H IN EINAR MUNKSGAARD Contents Ptge PREFACE ........................................................................................................................ 5 THE PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE IRANIAN GULF . ii LIST OF S T A T IO N S .................................................................................................... i6 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS OF THE M A T E R IA L .........................................27 DESCRIPTION OF THE M A TER IA L.................................................... 34 LIST OF NAMES USED BY IRANIAN FISHERMEN .... 222 L I T E R . \ T U R E ...............................................................................................................228 INDEX TO THE SCIENTIFIC N A M E S .............................................................235 PLATES H. Bleg^ad phot. Fig. I . M S "Rashgoo.” Iranian Gulf, 22.3.1937. Preface In 1936 I received through the Danish Foreign Ministry an honour­ able invitation from the Imperial Government of Iran to carr\ out fishery investigations in the Iranian Gulf. The intended aim of the investigations was to work up proposals for a modernization and an im­ provement of tne fishery in the Gulf. .\s early as November, 1936 I left by train for Iran in order to commcncc my work. A Danish North-Sca motor fishing boat of 34 tons was bought by the Iranian Government and went to the Gulf in the same autumn onboard a large steamer together with 3 Danish fishermen. After her arrival at the harbour of Bender Shahpur in the north­ western part of the Gulf the boat, which was named “Rashgoo,” was launched, and the fishery investigations were started. In the summer months of 1937 the boat was laid up in Khorram Shahr in Shatt-el-Arab, under the supervision of one of the crow, while the rest of the crew and I my.scif returned to Denmark.
    [Show full text]
  • Morphological Variations in the Scleral Ossicles of 172 Families Of
    Zoological Studies 51(8): 1490-1506 (2012) Morphological Variations in the Scleral Ossicles of 172 Families of Actinopterygian Fishes with Notes on their Phylogenetic Implications Hin-kui Mok1 and Shu-Hui Liu2,* 1Institute of Marine Biology and Asia-Pacific Ocean Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan 2Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (Accepted August 15, 2012) Hin-kui Mok and Shu-Hui Liu (2012) Morphological variations in the scleral ossicles of 172 families of actinopterygian fishes with notes on their phylogenetic implications. Zoological Studies 51(8): 1490-1506. This study reports on (1) variations in the number and position of scleral ossicles in 283 actinopterygian species representing 172 families, (2) the distribution of the morphological variants of these bony elements, (3) the phylogenetic significance of these variations, and (4) a phylogenetic hypothesis relevant to the position of the Callionymoidei, Dactylopteridae, and Syngnathoidei based on these osteological variations. The results suggest that the Callionymoidei (not including the Gobiesocidae), Dactylopteridae, and Syngnathoidei are closely related. This conclusion was based on the apomorphic character state of having only the anterior scleral ossicle. Having only the anterior scleral ossicle should have evolved independently in the Syngnathioidei + Dactylopteridae + Callionymoidei, Gobioidei + Apogonidae, and Pleuronectiformes among the actinopterygians studied in this paper. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.8/1490.pdf Key words: Scleral ossicle, Actinopterygii, Phylogeny. Scleral ossicles of the teleostome fish eye scleral ossicles and scleral cartilage have received comprise a ring of cartilage supporting the eye little attention. It was not until a recent paper by internally (i.e., the sclerotic ring; Moy-Thomas Franz-Odendaal and Hall (2006) that the homology and Miles 1971).
    [Show full text]
  • Fish Otoliths from the Pre-Evaporitic Early Messinian of Northern Italy: Their Stratigraphic and Palaeobiogeographic Significance
    Facies (2010) 56:399-432 DO1 10.1007/s10347-010-0212-6 Fish otoliths from the pre-evaporitic Early Messinian of northern Italy: their stratigraphic and palaeobiogeographic significance Angela Girone a Dirk Nolf * Oreste Cavallo Received: 13 August 2009 / Accepted: 4 January 2010 / Published online: 9 February 2010 O Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract The study of otolith assemblages from the pre- affinity of the fossil assemblage with the present-day Medi- evaporitic Messinian deposits allows the reconstruction of a terranean neritic fauna, which was already recorded at the fauna of 79 taxa of which 35 could be identified at the spe- genus level for the Rupelian fauna, persists during the Neo- cific level. Three of these are new: Diaphus rubus, Myctop- gene and continues until the Pleistocene. hum coppa, and Uranoscopus ciabatta. The assemblages reflect mainly a neritic environment influenced by the oce- Kepords Fishes . Teleostei . Otoliths . Messinian anic realm. Analysis of the global present-day geographic Appearance . Extinction distribution of 42 of the recognised Messinian genera indi- cates that 88% of these are still living in the Mediterranean, 98% in the Atlantic and 78% in the Indo-Pacific realm. Introduction These results are in good agreement with the evolutionary trends documented for the Oligocene and Miocene teleost During the Late Miocene (Tortonian and Messinian), the fauna, specifically an increase in percentage of genera Tethyan Ocean was ultimately closed as result of synoro- inhabiting the modern Mediterranean, a very high percent- genic collisional tectonism, and its Mesozoic and Cenozoic age of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific genera, and a slight fall of sedimentary sequences were deformed and uplifted along the importance of present-day Indo-Pacific genera from the the emerging Alpine-Himalayan orogenic system.
    [Show full text]
  • Atoll Research Bulletin No. 548
    ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 548 STOMACH CONTENTS AND FEEDING OBSERVATIONS OF SOME EASTER ISLAND FISHES BY LOUIS H. DISALVO, JOHN E. RANDALL, AND ALFREDO CEA ISSUED BY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S.A. DECEMBER 2007 STOMACH CONTENTS AND FEEDING OBSERVATIONS OF SOME EASTER ISLAND FISHES BY LOUIS H. DISALVO,1 JOHN E. RANDALL,2 AND ALFREDO CEA3 ABSTRACT Stomach contents of 42 species in 25 familes of Easter Island shore fishes were examined in comparative terms to determine prey items and feeding behavior at this isolated island outpost in the southeastern Pacific. The island’s impoverished marine fauna and flora have resulted in considerable dietary overlap among the inshore fishes. Some endemic species appear to feed mainly on endemic invertebrates. Some prey species which were found in the fish stomachs, such as the stomatopodOdontodactylus hawaiiensis, the pandalid shrimp Plesionika edwardsi, and several tiny molluscs were previously unrecorded for the island. INTRODUCTION Easter Island (Rapa Nui) lies 3750 km west of the South American continent and 2250 km. East of the Pitcairn Islands. This island represents the most isolated landfall in the South Pacific Ocean along with its small rocky neighbor Salas y Gómez I. 415 km to the east. Although Easter Island is often regarded as part of the Indo-Pacific region, and most of its fauna consist of tropical species (in the case of shore fishes, 32.5%), it lies outside the 20° isotherm (Wells 1957) where seawater temperature and insolation are below that required for the development of structural coral reefs; water temperature can undergo interannual drops unfavorable to tropical organisms and may produce mass mortalities of corals (Wellington et al., 2001).
    [Show full text]