Spotted Yellowfin Seabream

description

Description. Body deep, compressed; head 31 – 37 % of SL, eye moderate in size, orbit diameter 7.9 – 9.4 % of SL; dorsal profile of head steep and convex ascending sharply from just above eye; snout pointed; mouth slightly oblique, lips thick; maxilla reaching vertical at rear edge of pupil, longer than orbit diameter; upper-jaw length 12.8 – 14.6 % of SL; lower jaw slightly included; four to six incisor like teeth (canines like in adults) in upper and lower jaws; three to five rows of well-developed molariform teeth in each side of both jaws, smaller anteriorly and larger posteriorly; four to five transverse rows of scales on cheek; preopercular flange lacking scales, posterior margin weakly serrated; low scaly sheath on bases of soft dorsal and anal-fin ray; dorsal-fin spines strong, first one is smaller (6.5 – 8 % of SL), 4 th one is longer (16 – 20.2 % of SL); first anal-fin spine short (5.1 – 7.3 % of SL), 2 nd analfin spine heavy and long (17.1 – 22 % of SL), 3 rd anal-fin spine thin and shorter (12.6 – 16.5 % of SL) than 2 nd anal-fin spine; pectoral-fin tip nearly reaching level with first anal-fin spine base vertically, its length greater than head length; first pelvic-fin

The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all congeners of Acanthopagrus by the following combination of characters: Body relatively deep and thicker, its depth 42 – 45 % and width at pectoral base 16 – 20 % of SL. Dorsal-fin rays XI – XII, 10 – 11 (mostly XI, 11); anal-fin rays III, 8; pored lateral line scales 42 – 44; scale rows above and below lateral line 4 ½ – 5 ½ and 11 ½ – 12 ½; scale rows between the fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 4 ½; no scales on preopercular flange; gill rakers 16 – 18 whereas 9 – 10 on the lower limb; 2 nd anal-fin spine (2 AS) longer than 3 rd anal-fin spine, its ratio (2 AS / 3 AS) 1.2 – 1.6 (mean 1.4); least infraorbital depth 4.9 – 6.9 % of SL; two to three black blotches just beneath inter-radial membranes between dorsal-fin rays, upper dorsal-fin membrane usually with darker margin; pelvic and anal-fins yellow; black streaks usually present on inter-radial membranes between yellow anal-fin rays; weak diffuse dark blotch at origin of lateral line.

The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records

discussion

Remarks. One of the specimens (AMS B. 8280, 124 mm SL, from Sind, Pakistan) in Iwatsuki (2013) was identified as A. arabicus and erroneously listed in the description of A. sheim in the “ other specimens ” in the same publication. Acanthopagrus sheim can be easily mistaken for Acanthopagrus arabicus for its nearly identical appearance, scalation and morphometric proportions, but the local fishermen of Sindh coast consider them of different types. A. sheim is locally known as Chaann and A. arabicus is called Nehra. There are also some color variations in this species compared to the specimens listed by Iwatsuki (2013).

The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records

distribution

Distribution. Acanthopagrus sheim is only known from The Gulf and Pakistan. This species is very likely to occur in Iran and India.

The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records