click for previous page CARAN Scom 3 1983 FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS FAMILY: CARANGIDAE FISHING AREA 51 (W. Indian Ocean) Scomberoides tala (Cuvier, 1832) OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: Chorinemus tala Cuvier, 1832 Chorinemus hainanensis Chu & Cheng, 1958 VERNACULAR NAMES: FAO : En - Barred queenfish Fr - Sauteur carsia Sp - Jurel carsia NATIONAL: DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS: Body oblong to elliptical, strongly compressed; snout and nuchal profile nearly straight. Upper lip joined to snout at midline by a bridge of skin (frenum), except crossed by a shallow groove in very young; upper jaw extends slightly beyond margin of eye in adults; lower jaw with 2 rows of teeth separated by a shallow groove, scales on midbody adults with teeth in inner row distinctly larger than those in outer row; gillrakers (excluding rudiments) 1 to 3 upper, 7 to 11 lower and 11 to 15 total on first gill arch. Two separate dorsal fins, the first with 6 or 7 short spines, depressible into a shallow groove on dorsal midline, followed by 1 spine and 19 to 21 soft rays; anal fin with 2 detached spines followed by 16 to 19 soft rays; posterior soft dorsal- and anal-fin rays consisting of semidetached finlets; bases of anal and second dorsal fins about equal in length; height of second dorsal-fin lobe 14.6 to 18.0% of fork length in specimens larger than 15 cm fork length; pelvic fins about equal in length or shorter than pectoral fins. Lateral line only slightly irregular, weakly to moderately convex above pectoral fin, becoming straight posteriorly. No scutes; scales on midbody below lateral line partially embedded and lanceolate. No caudal peduncle grooves. Vertebrae 10 + 16. Colour: in life, head and body greenish-grey dorsally, grey to silvery below; sides of adults with 4 to 8 vertically elongate plumbeous blotches, most of which intersect lateral line. Dorsal and anal fins dusky to dark and uniformly pigmented; pectoral fin yellow sand pelvic fin white in adults. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA: Scomberoides commersonnianus: upper jaw extends well beyond posterior margin of eye, especially in large adults; adults with inner and outer row teeth in lower jaw sub- equal in height (versus inner row teeth dis- tinctly longer than teeth in outer row); and spots on body, if present, large oval blotches. S. lysar: and S. tol: total gillrakers on first gill arch 21 to 27 (versus 11 to 15); lobe of dorsal fin abruptly dark on distal half (not uniformly pigmented); and dorsal fin lobe shor- ter, 7.7 to 11.2% of fork length in specimens larger than 15 cm fork length (versus 14.4 to 19.8%). S. commersonnianus S. tala Other species of Carangidae: upper lip not joined to snout at midline by a bridge of skin and posterior soft dorsal and anal fin rays not consisting of semidetached finlets; additionally many carangids differ in having at least the posterior straight part of the lateral line with scutes. S. commersonnianus S. tala teeth on lower jaw SIZE: Maximum: largest specimen examined 62 cm fork length. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR: S. lysan In the Indian Ocean known only from Sri Lanka, where it is relatively common, but probably also occurs on the west coast of India. Elsewhere, known from the east coast of India, Andaman Islands, Gulf of Thailand, Malay- sia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and the Solomon Islands. An inshore species whose biology is poorly known. S. tala Adults feed primarily on other fish. PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS: Coastal waters throughout its range. CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION: Separate statistics are not reported for this species. Caught with drift setnets, gilinets, seines and on hook and line. Marketed mostly fresh. As is true of all members of the genus, the spines of the first dorsal and anal fins are venomous (especially the latter) and capable of inflicting painful stings. CARAN Scom 4 1983 FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS FAMILY: CARANGIDAE FISHING AREA 51 (W. Indian Ocean) Scomberoides tol (Cuvier, 1832) OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: Chorinemus tol Cuvier, 1832 VERNACULAR NAMES: FAO : En - Needlescaled queenfish Fr - Sauteur leurre Sp - Jurel saltarín NATIONAL: DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS: Body oblong to elliptical, strongly compressed; dorsal and ventral profiles nearly equal, snout pointed with dorsal profile of head and nape slightly concave. Upper lip joined to snout at midline by a bridge of skin (frenum), except crossed by a shallow groove in very young; upper jaw extends to posterior margin of pupil in adults; lower jaw with 2 rows of teeth separated by a shallow groove, adults with teeth in inner row equal in size to those in outer row; gillrakers (excluding rudiments) 4 to 7 upper, 17 to 20 lower and 21 to 26 total on first gill arch. Two separate dorsal fins, the first with 6 or 7 short spines, depressible into a shallow groove on dorsal midline, followed by 1 spine and 19 to 21 soft rays; anal fin with 2 detached spines followed by 18 to 20 soft rays; posterior soft dorsal- and anal-fin rays consisting of semidetached finlets; bases of anal and second dorsal fins about equal in length; height of second dorsal-fin lobe 7.7 to 11.2% of fork length in specimens larger than 15 cm fork length; pelvic fins about equal in length or shorter than pectoral fins. Lateral line only slightly irregular, weakly to moderately convex above pectoral fin, becorring straight posteriorly. No scutes; scales on midbody below lateral line partially embedded and lanceolate. No caudal peduncle grooves. Vertebrae 10+16. Colour: in life, body bluish dorsally, white ventrally; adults with 5 to 8 oval or vertically oblong black blotches, the first 4 or 5 of which intersect lateral line (blotches faint or absent in young). Distal half of dorsal fin lobe abruptly and heavily pigmented; anal fin lobe usually immaculate, white in life. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA: Scomberoides lysan: scales on midbody below lateral line lanceolate (versus slender and needlelike); in adults, upper jaw extends to posterior margin of eye; and spots on body, if present, in a double series above and below lateral line, occasionally con- nected by narrow isthmus. S. commersonniarius and S. tala: total gillrakers on first gill S. lysan S. tol arch 8 to 15 versus 21 to 27); lobe of scales on midbody dorsal fin uniformly pigmented (not abruptly dark on distal half); and dorsal fin lobe longer, 14.4 to 19.8% of fork length in specimens larger than 15 cm fork length (versus 7.7 to 11.2%). Other species of Cararigidae: upper lip not joined to snout at midline by a bridge of skin arid posterior soft dorsal and anal fin rays not consisting of semidetached finlets; addi- tionally many carangids differ in having at least the posterior straight part of the lateral S. lysan S. tol line with scutes. SIZE: Maximum: largest specimen examined 47 cm fork length. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR: S. tala Broadly distributed throughout most of the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia and eastward to Fiji. Usually found in small schools near the surface in coastal waters. Feeds primarily on fish; young use specialized S. tol juvenile dentition to aggressively remove scales and epi- dermal tissue from other fishes. PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS: Major catches are obtained in India at depths of 15 to 18 m. CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION: Separate statistics are not reported for this species. Caught with drift setnets, gillnets, seines and on hook and line. Marketed mostly fresh. As a true of all members of the genus, the spines of the first dorsal and anal fins are venomous (especially the latter) and capable of inflic- ting painful stings. CARAN Selar 2 1983 FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS FAMILY: CARANGIDAE FISHING AREA 51 (W. Indian Ocean) Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch, 1793) OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: Trachurops crumenophthalmus (Bloch, 1793) VERNACULAR NAMES: FAO : En - Bigeye scad Fr - Sélar coulisou Sp - Chicharro ojón NATIONAL: DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS. small papilla Body elongate and moderately compressed, with lower profile slightly more convex than upper. Eye very large, shorter than snout length and with a well developed adipose eyelid completely covering gill eye except for a vertical slit centred on pupil; upper jaw moderately arch broad at end and extending to below anterior margin of pupil; teeth small and recurved, upper jaw with a narrow band, tapering poste- riorly; lower jaw with an irregular single row; gillrakers (including rudiments) 9 to 12 upper, 27 to 31 lower on first gill arch. Shoulder girdle (cleithrum) margin with a deep furrow, a large papilla imme- diately above it and a smaller papilla near upper edge. Dorsal fin with 8 spines, followed by 1 spine and 24 to 27 soft rays; anal fin with 2 spines separated from rest of fin, followed by 1 spine and 21 to 23 gill soft rays: dorsal and anal fins without a detached terminal finlet: filaments pectoral fins shorter than head. Scales moderately small and cycloid large papilla (smooth to touch), covering body except for a small area behind pectoral fins, scutes relatively small, maximum height contained 2.1 furrow to 2.9 times in eye diameter; chord of the curved part of lateral line contained 0.7 to 1.2 times in straight part (to caudal fin base); scales in curved part of lateral line 48 to 56; 0 to 4 scutes in curved part; gill chamber straight part with 0 to 11 anterior scales and 29 to 42 scutes; total after lifting opercle scales and scutes in lateral line (excluding caudal scales) 84 to 94.