RECORDS OF SIX SPECIES OF CARANGIDS

FROM THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF INDIA

P. V. SREENIVASAN
Vizhinjam Research Centre of C.M.F.R. Institute, Vizhinjam*.

ABSTRACT
The occurrence of six species of fishes of the family Carangidae, namely,
Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier and Valenciennes), Caranx •williamsi Smith, Caran-
goides jordani Nichols, Carangoides gilberti Jordan and Scale, Carangoides uii
Wafciya and Carangoides talamparoides Sleeker are recorded for the first time
from Indian waters. They are briefly described and their systematic positions
discussed.

INTRODUCTION

Fishes of the family Carangidae are widely distributed along both the
coasts of India and form about 2% of the total marine fish landings of this
country. At Vizhinjam area, along the south west coast of India, there exists a
prosperous fishery for carangids which form 15-16% of the total annual catch.
In the fishery 40 species have been recorded of which six species, viz., Decapte-
rus macarellus (Cuvier and Valenciennes), Caranx williamsi Smith, Carangoides
jordani Nichols, Carangoides gilberti Jordan and Seale, Carangoides uii Wakiya
and Carangoides talamparoides Bleeker which were hitherto not recorded from
Indian seas form the basis of this account.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Materials were collected from Vizhinjam and nearby landing centres from
different units operated. The number of specimens examined differed for each
species because of their varied occurrence. The morphometric measurements and
meristic counts were taken according to the methods followed by Williams
(1958) and Berry (1959), and the body proportions are given in hundredths
of standard length (unless and otherwise mentioned).
In the case of D. macarellus, four females, one with immature and three
with ripe gonads were encountered. Since no information on the maturity of this
species is available, a brief study was also made on these material. The measur-
ing and counting of ova were done adopting the methods followed by Antony

* Present address: Porto Novo Field Centre of C.M.F.R.I., Porto Novo 608502.
42 SREENIVASAN

Raja (1967 and 1972). 600 ova (100 each from anterior, middle and posterior
regions of right and left lobes) from each ovary were measured using a micro-
meter in which one microdivision equals 0.0196 mm. For further analysis ova
above 7 m.d. only were considered.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES
1. Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) (Fig. 1)
Caranx macarellus Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1833. Hist. mt. Poiss., 9: 30 (4).
Type locality: Martinique.
Decapterus macarellus Berry, 1968. Contr. Tropic Atl. Fish. Lab., 78: 162.

FIG. 1. Decapterus macarellus.

Material: 10 specimens of size range from 297 mm to 379 mm in total length

(259 mm to 320 mm in standard length and 293 mm to 342 mm
in fork length). Two specimens were collected on 31-12-1970 and
eight specimens on 18-2-1974 all from drift net landings.
Dl VIII; D2 I 31-35; A II + I 26-29; P I 22-23;
L.l. scales|scutes 90-104|24-29 (total 116-129);
Gillrakers 10-12 + 35-41 (total 47-53).
Head 25.35-27.19; eye 5.86-6.38; snout 8.61-9.41; postorbital 10.91-
12.07; maxillary 7.62-8.11; interorbital, 6.82-7.38; pectoral fin 15.59-18.88;
pelvic fin 9.42-12.08; maximum height of first dorsal fin 11.59-13.44; height of
second dorsal 8.51-10.32; height of anal 7.46-8.21; height of head 12.32-13.42;
depth at pelvic 18.97-20.28; depth at first anal spine 20.00-22.07; lateral line
straight 31.46-37.75 and lateral line curved 39.01-49.42.
Body elongate, more or less roundish; head pointed; eye less than inter-
orbital; maxillary terminates before front border of eye; posterior margin of
maxillary bone descending in a forward angle; supramaxillary bone posteriorly
becoming narrow; teeth wanting on both the jaws, on vomer and palatines; a
narrow band of teeth on tongue; posterior straight part of lateral line with about
55-56 scales of which posterior 25-29 scutes.
 NEW RECORDS OF CARANGIDS FROM INDIA 43

Colour: In fresh condition, dark greenish above, silvery below; vertical

fins silvery with dusky edges; pel vies and pectoral silvery; a dark opercular spot
present. In preservation, body dark above, pale below; fins pale, opercular spot
present.
Distribution: Warm waters of Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Remarks
Rao (1966), who reviewed the works on the different species of the
genus Decapterus Bleeker recorded in India, established that Decapterus dayi
Wakiya (= Decapterus kiliche (Cuvier and Valenciennes)) is the only species
occurring in the Indian waters. It is of interest to note that two more species,
Decapterus macarellus (C. & V.) and Decapterus lajang Bleeker (whose occur-
rence was earlier observed by Shri S. Reuben along Andhra coast, Personal
Communication) also occur at Vizhinjam. Among these three species D. dayi
forms a regular fishery, while stray numbers of D. lajang and rarely D. macarel-
lus occur at this landing centre.
Notes on the ovaries
The maturing ovary (Stage III) was flat and yellow in colour, occupying
i of the body cavity and containing two types of eggs, transparent ova with
visible nuclei and yellow-yolked opaque ova. The size of ova ranged from 1-25
m.d. with two modes one at 7-8 m.d. and second at 19-20 m.d. (Fig. 2) repre-
senting the immature and maturing stock respectively. The ripe ovary (Stage
VI) was occupying the entire body cavity, more or less cylindrical whitish yellow
in colour due to pale translucent eggs visible through the thin ovary wall. Besides

<^ "^ ~
CN (N <^
ova diameter (m.d.)
FIG. 2. Ova-diameter-frequency polygon at stage III and stage VI of i). macarellus.
44 SREENIVASAN

the two types of ova found in stage III, another set of large translucent eggs
with bright yellow oil-globule of size ranging 8-11 m.d. were observed. The total
size of the ova was found to be ranging from 1 to 50 m.d. with three modes at
7-8 m.d., 19-20 m.d. and 39-40 m.d. (Fig. 2), the last mode representing the
spawning stock and in this batch of ova the total number of them ranging from
59,500 to 90,000 in fish of total length 322-330 mm.
2. Caranx williamsi Smith** (Fig. 3)
Caranx {Caranx) sansun (non Forskal) Williams, 1956. Fish. Publ. London,
6: 28 Pis. 6 & 7. Type locality: Kenya.
Caranx williamsi Smith, 1968. Occ. Pap., Rhodes Univ. Dept. IchthyoL, 15:
173-184. PI. 38 A & B. Type locality: Durban.

FIG. 3. Caranx •williamsi.

Material: Numerous specimens ranging from 78 mm to 591 mm in total length

(62 mm to 490 mm in standard length) (9 specimens measured in
detail) from boat seine, shore seine and drift net catches. Off
Vizhinjam and Colachel.
Dl VIII; D2 I 20-21; A II + I 16; P I 19-20; L.l. scutes 35-38;
Gillrakers 7 + 18-19 (total 25-26).
Head 26.80-33.87; eye 5.36-11.39; snout 7.83-9.67; postorbital 14.52-
15.05; interorbital 8.45-9.67; suborbital 3.92-4.03; maxillary 11.54-13.71; height
of first dorsal fin 9.48-14.52; second dorsal fin 14.02-19.35; height of anal
13.81-17.74; pectoral fin 33.40-34.65; pelvic fin 11.54-15.32; caudal fin 23.50-
29.03; lateral line curved 31.95-32.26; lateral line straight 44.53-45.16; depth
at posterior part of orbit 25.34-32.26; depth at second dorsal 29.69-40.32; and
caudal peduncle width 3.30-4.03.
The species were subsequently collected from Porto Novo by Shri K. Venkataramani.
 NEW RECORDS OF CARANOmS FROM INDIA 45

Head slightly longer than high; eye longer than snout in young, shortens
with growth; cleft of mouth at level of lower margin of eye in young, but well
below in larger specimens; maxillary extends to middle of eye in young, and
reaches posterior edge with age; villiform teeth in upper jaw in band with outer
enlarged row of conical teeth; in lower jaw in single series; teeth also present on
vomer, palatines and tongue; soft dorsal lobe 1.7 to 1.9 in head; scales present
on pre-operculum and upper portion of operculum on head; ventral thoracic
region naked except for a patch of scales before pelvics, shape of naked area
and that of patch of scales variable; curved part of lateral line 1.3 in straight
part; about 110 scales present on lateral line of which 35-38 are well developed
scutes on entire straight part.
Colour: In fresh condition, body bright yellow above and yellowish
green below; first dorsal dusky; distal third of second dorsal and upper caudal
lobe black, rest of fins yellow. In formalin-preserved specimens: body pale,
dorsal, anal and caudal dusky, pectoral and pelvic pale; tips of dorsal and upper
caudal lobe dark.
Remarks
Smith (1968) while establishing the identity of Caranx sansun (Forskal)
maintained that this name should be considered a nomen dubium since the type
specimen described by Forskal is no longer available and the original descrip-
tion is of litde diagnostic value. He further emphasized that 'no worker who
has applied the name C. sansun Forskal to any fish has been able to justify the
use of that name, which can in effect be no more than pure guess work'. For
this statement he cites as examples the C. sansun of Ruppell (1828) and Day
(1878) which was described to have completely scaled breast and C. sansun of
Klunzinger (1871), Wakiya (1924), Weber and de Beaufort (1931), Munro
(1955) and Williams (1956) which was to have ventrally naked breast. Besides
clarifying the identity of various species hitherto confused under the name
C. sansun, he described two new species, which also have been referred pre-
viously to the same species. These two species, Caranx williamsi and C. celetus
have ventrally naked breasts, but they differ in their fin formulae, giUraker
counts and in the height of soft dorsal lobe (C. williamsi: D2 rays 20-21; A
II + I 16; G.R. 7 + 18-19 and lobe of soft dorsal 1.7-1.8 in head; v* C. celetus:
D2 rays 22-23; A II + I 18-19; G.R. 8-9 + 18-20 and lobe of soft dorsal 1.3-
1.4 in head).

From Indian seas, two different types of C. sansun were described first
type by Day (1878) with scaly breast and the second by Munro (1955) with
ventrally naked breast. Smith (1968) considers the former species to be con-
specific with Caranx jorsteri (Cuvier and Valenciennes) and the latter with C.
celetus Smith. Thus the third species C. williamsi has not been reported from the
seas around India. According to Smith, C. williamsi is 'apparendy rather rare'
46 SREENIVASAN

and 'so far known certainly only from the Western Indian Ocean'. Large speci-
mens of this species locally known as 'Velavu Parah' are at times caught in huge
shoals in shore seines along south west coast of India.
Distribution: East and South Africa and Arabian sea.
3. Carangoides jordani Nichols (Fig. 4)
Carangoides jordani Nichols, 1922. Amer. Mus. Nov., 50: 2. Type locality:
Hawaiian Islands.

FIG. 4. Carangoides jordani.

Material: One specimen measuring 178 mm in standard length (228 mm in

total length) from Vizhinjam from hooks and line, collected on
8-5-1972.
Dl VIII; D2 I 31; A II + I 24; P I 23.
L.l. scutes 29; Gillrakers 9 + 22 (total 31).
Head 29.78; eye 7.87; snout 10.11; interorbital 9.55; postorbital 12.92;
suborbital 3.37; maxillary 12.36; height of first dorsal fin 6.74; height of second
dorsal fin 26.97; height of anal fin 26.40; pelvic fin 13.48; pectoral fin 31.46;
caudal fin 32.02; lateral line curved 42.57; lateral line straight 41.01; depth at
posterior part of orbit 24.16; depth at first dorsal 37.05; depth at second dorsal
39.33; and least depth of caudal peduncle 4.49.
Head as long as high; eye situated mainly in anterior part of head; cleft
of mouth commences at level of lower edge of eye; villiform teeth in bands on
jaws, the outer row slightly enlarged; minute teeth also on vomer, palatines and
tongue; scaleless area of thoracic region reaches to about upper third of distance
between ventral profile and base of pectoral, also extends up to pelvic base; head
naked except for a patch of scales on cheek and postorbital part; anterior part
of lateral line flatly arched; of 152 scales on lateral line, 29 are scutes present
on posterior part of straight portion.
 NEW RECORDS OF CARANGIDS FROM INDIA 47

Colour: In preserved condition, upper crest of head black; body greyish

dark above, pale below; spinous dorsal black; elevated lobes of dorsal and anal
black, rest of fins pale; dusky opercular spot present.
Remarks
C. jordani and the following species, Carangoides gilberti Jordan and
Scale were synonymised with Carangoides ferdau (Forskal) by Fowler (1928)
and this synonymy was followed by later authors like Weber and de Beaufort
(1931) and Williams (1958). But Woods (1953) found some of the synonyms
of C. ferdau given by Fowler can be of separate species and considered C gil-
berti and also Carangoides laticaudis AUeyne and Macleay as distinct species
while for C. jordani he gave subspecific rank under C. ferdau. But recently C.
jordani was given full specific rank by Smith, M. M. (1972). A comparison of
characters of C. jordani, C. gilberti, C. ferdau and other related species as given
in Table 1, shows that they can be of separate species, distinct from one another.
From Indian seas. Day (1878) reported C. ferdau, which agree well with that
of Forskal, while the species described by Munro (1955) as C. ferdau resembles
C. laticaudis. Therefore, C. jordani and C. gilberti are reported here as new re-
cords to this area. It is also of interest to note that in the case of C. jordani, this
species retains same characters in spite of its occurrence in widely separated
localities in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

TABLE 1. Distinguishing characters of Carangoides jordani Nichols

and C. gilberti Jordan and Seale from other related species.

00 •*.*

3 '"'OO
.a og >. -
U !/3 •" C s «i w ca
1 5 £ ;g >« OS

•3 S o
u es
Dorsal rays 24-28 29-30 30 31 30-33
Anal rays 22 22-26 25 25 24-26
Giilrakers * 7 - 8 + 18 - 19 18 on lower 8-9 + 22-23 9 + 22 7-8 + 17-19
total 25 - 27 limb total 31 total 31 total 25 - 27
Depth in 3.67-^.25 3.25 ,. 4.75 2.87-3.06
total length
Soft dorsal strongly not falcate. strongly strongly strongly
lobe falcate. falcate. falcate. falcate.
Patch of scales absent. absent. present absent. absent
before pelvic fin

* (after Smith, M.M., 1972).

48 SREENIVASAN

Distribution: Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Ocean and Arabian Sea.

4. Carangoides gilberti Jordan and Scale (Fig. 5)
Caranx gilberti Jordan and Scale, 1905. Bull. U.S. Bur. Fisheries, 25: 234.
Fig. 29. Type locality: Pago Pago, Tutuila, Samoa Island.

FIG. 5. Carangoides gilberti.

Material: 12 specimens ranging in size from 142 mm to 345 mm in standard

lengfli (188 mm to 431 mm in total length) collected from drift net
catches. Off Vizhinjam and Poonthura.
Dl VII; D2 I 30-33; A II + I 24-26; L.l. scutes 25-28; P I 23-24;
Gillrakers 7-8 + 17-19 (total 25-27).
Head 26.38-31.69; eye 6.67-9.16; snout 9.25-10.56; postorbital 12.75-
14.08; preorbital 6.38-7.04; interorbital 9.86-10.00; suborbital 3.52-6.52; maxil-
lary 10.72-13.03; third dorsal spine 4.06-4.93; second dorsal lobe 21.45-34.51;
anal lobe 18.84-34.51; pectoral fin 33.80-38.26; pelvic fin 11.30-15.49; caudal
fin 33.04-36.62; depth at occiput 25.51-32.16; depth at first dorsal origin 37.42-
39.86; depth at second dorsal 40.94-46.15; lateral line curved 48.99-52.81 and
lateral line straight 27.46-27.83.
Cleft of mouth well below eye level; jaws subequal, maxillary extending
below the front border of pupU; villiform teeth in bands on both the jaws, the
outer slightly larger than inner; teeth also present on vomer, palatines and ton-
gue; thoracic region not scaled; the upper margin of this scaleless region extends
 NEW RECORDS OF CARANGIDS FROM INDIA 49

much less than half way to pectoral base; its posterior end is above the ventral
profile curving sharply to the pelvic base; lateral line scarcely arched straighten-
ing below 21st to 22nd dorsal ray.
Colour: Body silvery, upper crest dark; first dorsal dusky; tip of second
dorsal lobe black; dorsal, and anal grayish with slightly paler margins; pectoral,
pelvic and caudal pale; five to six vertical faint dark bands present in the smaller
specimens but absent in larger specimens. A small narrow opercular spot pres-
ent. Few yellow spots present above and below the lateral line in fresh condition
but disappear on preservation.
Distribution: Pacific and Indian Oceans.
5. Carangoides uii Wakiya (Fig. 6)
Caranx (Citula) uii Wakiya, 1924. Ann. Carnegie Mus., 15: 172. Type lo-
cality: Japan.
Carangoides uii Smith, M. M. 1972. Occ. Pap., The J.L.B. Smith Institute of
Ichthyology, 18: 233.

't ' *i
Fio. 6. Carangoides uii.
Material: Numerous specimens ranging from 61 mm to 154 mm in standard
length (72 mm to 200 mm in total length) (7 specimens measured
in detail) from Vizhinjam and Colachel, from boat seine, shore
seine and hooks and line.
50 SREENIVASAN

Dl VIII; D2 I 20-22; A II + I 17-18; P I 20;

L.l. scutes 19-25; Gillrakers 8 + 15-16 total 23-25.
Head 30.52-32.82; eye 10.49-11.04; snout 9.16-10.40; postorbital 12.21-
12.59; interorbital 9.09-10.15; suborbital 4.30-4.90; maxillary 12.97-14.06
height of first dorsal fin 13.64-14.06; height of second dorsal fin 53.14-58.51
height of anal fin 27.34-29.37; pectoral fin 37.01-39.68; pelvic fin 11.89-14.06
caudal fin 32.47-33.59; depth at posterior part of orbit 38.46-40.26; depth at
first dorsal 50.00-50.38; depth at second dorsal 51.95-53.15; lateral line curved
42.57-47.40; and lateral line straight 30.72-34.73.
Head higher than long; eye diameter greater than snout and interorbital;
cleft of mouth just below level of eye; teeth minute, in narrow villiform bands
on jaws, vomer, palatines and on tongue; scaleless area of breast constricted
close below pectoral base, hind-margin area with a forward arch extending up
to a little behind base of pelvic; head naked, except for a triangular patch of
scales on pre-operculum and uppermost region of operculum; anterior curved
part of lateral line straightens below 13th to 14th dorsal ray; totally about 110
scales present on lateral line inclusive of 19-25 feeble scutes which occur in
posterior part of straight lateral line; anterior rays of dorsal and anal fins strongly
elevated and produced; pectoral falcate; pelvic reaches anal fin in smaller speci-
mens but only up to vent in older forms.

Colour: In fresh condition, body bluish green above, silvery below; six
vertical bands on body, conspicuous in young, obscure in older forms; first
dorsal dark, produced dorsal rays black, rest of dorsal yellow; pectoral and anal
silvery; pelvic blackish in young, silvery in adult; caudal yellowish green, dusky

en
FIG. 7. Shape of the naked thoracic region of (left) C. uii and (right) C. ciliarius.
 NEW RECORDS OF CARANGIDS FROM INDIA 51

at tip; pectoral axil black; a black opercular spot present. In formalin preserved
state: body dark above, pale below; vertical bands fade; first dorsal and produc-
ed dorsal rays dark and rest of fins pale; opercular spot persistent.
Remarks
This species shows very close similarity to Carangoides ciliarius Ruppell
(formerly known as Carangoides armatus Forskal, vide Smith, M. M. 1973),
but they differ in number of gillrakers, fin counts and in the shape of scaleless
area of the thoracic region, viz., D2 rays 20-22; A rays 17-18; Gillrakers 8 +
15-16 totally 23-25; and the upper margin of scaleless area with a forward arch
below pectoral runs to behind pelvic base (Fig. 7) in C. uii; vs D2 rays 19-21;
A rays 16-17; Gillrakers 12 + 22-23 totally 34-36; and the upper margin of
scaleless area without a forward arch runs straight to behind pelvic base (Fig.
7) in C. ciliarius. Both the species more or less equally found in stray numbers
in the fish catches of Vizhinjam area.
6. Carangoides talamparoides Bleeker (Fig. 8)
Carangoides talamparoides Bleeker, 1852. Makrellacht. Visschen. Verh. Batav.
Gen., 24: 92. Type Locality: East Indies.

MiliiiliiJuia.l..

FIG. 8. Carangoides talamparoides (the breast area is inked to show the extension of
scaleless area).
52 SREENIVASAN

Material: Two specimens of size 96 mm in total length (84 mm in fork length

and 75 mm in standard length) and 126 mm in total length (108
mm in fork length and 98 mm in standard length) collected on
10-6-1973 and 30-7-1973, respectively, from boatseine at Vizhinjam.
Dl VIII; D2 22; A II + I 17-18; P I 19; L.l. scales|scutes 82-85|22-24;
Gillrakers 8 + 21-22 (total 29-30).
Head 35.72-36.00; eye 11.22-12.00; snout 12.00-13.26; postorbital
13.26-13.33; interorbital 9.18-9.33; suborbital 5.33-6.12; maxillary 15.31-17.33
height of first dorsal fin 13.33-14.28; height of second dorsal fin 25.33-33.30
height of anal fin 22.67-26.53; pectoral fin 36.00-36.73; pelvic fin 14.26-16.00
lateral line straight 26.67-28.75; height of head 38.77-42.67; depth at pelvic fin
52.04-53.33; and height at first anal spine 54.08-56.00.
Head higher than long; eye equal to snout in smaller specimen but slightly
smaller in larger specimen; villiform teeth in bands in each jaw, on vomer, pala-
tines and on tongue; entire thoracic region naked across from pectoral base to
inner pelvic ray when the fin depressed; the area front and above pectoral base
not naked in larger individual while a triangular area above pectoral naked in
the smaller; the hinder margin of the naked area from pectoral base runs behind
without any anterior forward curve to the middle of depressed pelvic fin and
again from vent a narrow strip naked up to anal; lateral line straightens below
15th dorsal ray; posterior part 1.3-1.4 in head; feeble scutes difficult to demarcate
cover about three fourth of the straight part.
Colour: Body in fresh condition silvery, five to six vertical black bands present
on the body; first dorsal dusky, rest of the fins silvery; black opercular spot
present; in preserved condition in formalin, body turns pale yellowish, vertical
bands disappear; fins pale; opercular spot distinct.
Remarks
In discussing the identity of Carangoides malabaricus (Bloch and Schnei-
der), Smith (1967) made the following statement regarding Carangoides talam-
paroides Bleeker, a species found in the synonymy of C. malabaricus. ' . . . . . .
Bleeker (1852 : 91) described C. talamparoides, which like *C. tdamparah has
been almost unanunously relegated to the synonymy of **'C. malabaricus'
C. talamparoides Bleeker may be a valid species. Its chief distinction from C.
tdamparah rests at present on gillraker count, which if established as the sole
basis indicates subspecific rank. Unfortunately the type of C. talamparoides is
almost in a state of disintegration, so that no details of scaling can be determined,
nor can any certain information on that character be got from the longpreserved
small (105 mm) specimen No. 6098. If this is a valid species (or subspecies)

C. talamporah: a junior synonym of C. malabaricus (Bloch and Schneider).

** C. malabaricus: misidentifled name of C. coeruleopinnatus (Ruppel).
 NEW RECORDS OF CARANGIDS FROM INDIA 53

it possibly does not occur west of the East Indies. We found no comparable
specimens in the western Indian Ocean, nor can any certain confirmatory data
be traced in the literature of the Indian Ocean (though that is far from decisive).
A full diagnosis of and the validity of C. talamparoides can be pronounced only
when specimens in good condition become available for examination'. The mate-
rial collected at Vizhinjam shows that C. talamparoides closely resembles C. co-
eruleopinnatus in having equal body depth, strongly falcate dorsal and anal lobes,
elevated nape and in not having naked area above pectoral at least in the speci-
men of 126 mm. On the other hand, it also resembles C. malabaricus in having
naked area extending up to anal fin, but with a gap from base of inner pelvic
ray to vent in both the specimens and above pectoral also in the 96 mm specimen.
In the characters like total number of gillrakers and the shape of naked area of

SUB-OBBIT*L IN EYE
^\\\\\'^\\\\m\^^mm\^\\\m1

18 2..0 2:2
SNOUT IN EVC

0;8 , I.O I :2
ANAL LOSE IN HEAC
^ ^
OS 1.-2 I -6 2 0
OOBSAL LOBE IN MEAD
ivmmvmwMBi
f 1
0-7 1:1 I .5 1-9
PECTORAL IN
HEAD v\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\vm\\vm\\\\m\\\\\\\\\\^^^^^

0:9 10 II 1.-2
EYE IN HEAD

r •— 1
2.-7 , 2; 9 3:1
PRE- PELVIC IN f t
ymwwmmm'a
24 2-6 2;fl
PRE-SPINOUS DORSAL
DISTANCE IN F L ! • •
en
2.3 2.4 2-5 2-6
DEPTH IN F L

1:8 2i2 2-4

HCAO IN FORK LENSTM

3-0
• 3-2 3:4
I 1 C. M A l A i A f t l C U S M ^* TALAMPAROIDES
a m C COCMULEOPIMNATUt

FIG. 9. Ranges in some moiiphometric characters of C talamparoides, C. malabaricus

and C. coeruleopinnatus.
54 SREENIVASAN

breast, this species occupies an intermediate position between the above two
species. Therefore, Dr William F. Smith-Vaniz suggests in a personal communi-
cation that these two specimens may be hybrids of C. malabaricus and C. co-
eruleopinnatus. But since there is absence of overlap between the ranges of many
characters between the present two specimens and specimens of the same size
belonging to the other two species as given in Fig. 9 and in Table 2, they are
TABLE 2. Some meristic counts to distinguish Carangoides talamparoides,
C. malabaricus and C. coeruleopinnatus.
Characters C, talamparoides C. malabaricus C. coeruleopinnatus
Fork length 84 nun and 108 mm 82 mm to 110 mm 74 mm to 106 mm
(of the specimens examined)
Dorsal rays 22 22 21 — 22 22 — 23
Anal rays 18 17 17 — 18 18 — 19
Pectoral rays I 19 I 19 I 18—19 I 20
L.l. straight 12|22 12|24 7-8125 — 26 17 — 20-116 — 18
scales|scutes
Gillrakers 8 + 21 8 + 22 10 — 11+24 — 25 6 — 8 + 16 — 18
total 29 — 30 total 34 — 36 total 22 — 26

considered here as separate species. Moreover, the characters which distinguish

C. coeruleopinnatus and C. malabaricus, viz., the shape of nape, the length of
dorsal and anal lobes, extension of scaleless area of thoracic region and number
of gillrakers are also found to separate C. talamparoides from them, giving further
evidence for its distinct identity. It also differs from them in having slightly long
and pointed head, broader suborbital, longer snout, comparatively longer pectoral
and in slightly longer distance from snout to the origins of spinous dorsal and
pelvic fin (Fig. 10).

FIG. 10. Shape of head, dorsal and anal fins and scaleless area of (A) C. coeruleopinnatus
(B) C. talamparoides (C) C. malabaricus.

Distribution: East Indies and south west coast of India.

 NEW RECORDS OF CARANGIDS FROM INDIA 55

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am thankful to Dr E. G. Silas, Director, Central Marine Fisheries Re-

search Institute, Cochin and to Dr S. Z. Qasim and Dr R. V. Nair, former
Directors for their encouragement. I am also thankful to Dr K. V. Sekharan,
Senior Fishery Scientist of this Institute for his corrections in the manuscript.
My thanks are also due to Dr M. D. K. Kuthalingam, Officer-in-charge of this
Substation for his guidance. I also thank Mrs. Margaret M. Smith, Director,
J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Mr. William F. Smith-Vaniz of Philadel-
phia Academy of Sciences and Shri S. Reuben of this Institute for their kind
help in identifying the specimens.

REFERENCES

ANTONY RAJA, B. T . 1967. Some aspects of spawning biology of Indian oil sardine,
Sardinella longiceps Val. Indian J. Fish.. (1964) 11(A) (1): 45-120.
ANTONY RAJA, B . T . 1972. Fecundity fluctuations in Indian oil-sardine Sardinella longi-
ceps Valenciennes. Indian J. Fish., 18 (1 & 2 ) : 84-89.
BERRY, H . FREDERICK. 1959. Young jack-crevalles (Caranx species) of the South Eastern
Atlantic coast of United States. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv. Fish. Bull., 59 (152):
417-535.
DAY, F . 1878. The Fishes of India, William Dawsons & Ltd., London. 1958. 1 & 2.
778 pp. 198 Pis.
FOWLER, H . W . 1928. The fishes of Oceania. Mem. B.P. Bishop Mus., 10: 150.
*KLUNZINGER, C . 1871. Verh. Zool. hot. Ges. Wien., 21:441-668.
MUNRO, S. R. IAN, 1955. TIxe Marine and Freshwater Fishes of Ceylon, Canberra. 351
pp. 56 Pis.
RAO, K. SRINIVASA. 1966. The occurrence of Decapterus dayi Wakiya in the Arabian
Sea off Bombay, with a taxonomic note. /. mar. hiol. Ass. India, 8 (2): 350-353.
*RUPPELL, W. P. 1828. Atlas Reise Nordl. Afrika. Fische der rothen Meeres., 141 p.
Frankfurt-am-(Main.
SMITH, J. L. B. 1967. The identity of Scomber malabaricus Bloch-Schneider, 1801. Occ.
Pap. Rhodes Univ. Dept. Ichthyol., 13: 143-155.
SMITH, J. L . B. 1968. Studies in Carangid fishes No. 4. The identity of Scomber sansun
Forsskal, 1775. Occ. Pap., Rhodes Univ. Dept. Icluhyol, 15: 173-184.
SMITH, M . MARGARET. 1972. Key to the Western Indian Ocean species of the genus
Carangoides Bleeker 1851 with a description of Carangoides nitidus Smith. Occ.
Pap., The J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, 18: 229-239.
SMITH, M . MARGARET. 1973. Identity of Caranx armatus (Pisces: Carangidae). Copeia,
2: 352-355.

Not referred to in origina].

56 SREENIVASAN

*WAKIYA, y . 1924. The Carangoid fishes of Japan. Ann. Carnegie Mus., 15 (2 & 3):
139-244. Pis. 15-38.
WEBER, MAX AND L . F . D E BEAUFORT. 1931. The Fislies of the Indo-Australian Archi-
pelago, E. J. Brill Ltd., Leidsn, 6. 448 pp. 81 flgs.
WILLIAMS, F . 1956. Preliminary survey of the pelagic fishes of East Africa. Fish. Publ.
London, 8: 68 pp. 15 Pis.
WILLIAMS, F . 1958. Fishes of the family Carangidae in the British East African waters.
Ann. Mag. mt. Hist., (13) 1: 369-430, pis. 6-16.

WOODS, P. LOREN. 1953. Family: Carangidae: Jacks, {in Fishes of Marshall and Mari-
anas Islands ed Schultz et at.) U.S. not. Mus. Bull., 202: 519-520.