Karalla dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1835)

Abraham, K. J., Joshi, K. K. & Murty, V. S. R., 2011, Taxonomy of the fishes of the family Leiognathidae (Pisces, Teleostei) from the West coast of India, Zootaxa 2886 (1), pp. 1-18 : 9

5. Karalla dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1835)

(Plate I, Fig. 5; Tables 1–3)

Equula dussumieri Valenciennes 1835 , in Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 10: 77.

Material examined. 30 specimens (8 females, 13 males, 9 indeterminate) of 71–130 mm TL ( Cochin, Neendakara ) .

Description. D.VIII, 16; P. ii, 14–15, i – iii; V. I, 5; A. III, 14; C. 15; Ll. 51–60.

As percent of standard length: Total length 131.31–137.84 (134.70); fork length 115.05–118.97 (116.58); predorsal 35.71–38.46 (37.14); preanal 46.43–53.54 (50.27); dorsal base 55.26–58.21 (56.81); anal base 40.40–45.61 (43.37); head 29.82–34.21 (31.74); dorsal height 17.54–26.87 (23.65); anal height 14.55–20.55 (18.00); pectoral 19.18–23.29 (20.91); depth 43.21–49.49 (46.97).

As percent of head length: Snout 23.53–34.48 (29.49); eye 30.77–40.91 (34.07); head height 76.92–88.24 (81.01).

Body oblong, moderately compressed, dorsal and ventral profiles equally convex. Dorsal profile elevated and curved behind occipital profile and separated from it by a gentle concavity. Snout blunt. Mouth small and when protracted directed downwards. Commencement of gape of mouth below lower margin of eye. Mandibles slightly concave inferiorly. Teeth small, numerous, villiform, in each jaw. Two small spines on top of the head, opposite the front border of the eye. Pre-opercle with its lower margins finely serrated. Lateral line begins with a concavity and runs less convex than the dorsal profile, extending beyond the end of the soft dorsal and anal fins, but stops just short of the base of the caudal fin. Ventrals do not quite reach the anals, stopping just short. Ventrals with a strong spine and a large axillary scale. Caudal forked with rounded lobes.

Color. Abdomen silvery, back brownish. Sides of body with dark, narrow, wavy vertical lines descending from the back to a little beyond lateral line, often fading on keeping in formalin. An elongate yellow spot on belly below pectoral fin. Base of pectoral fin dark.

Distribution. It is known from off Cochin, Quilon, Tuticorin, Pamban, Mandapam, Kakinada, and Visakhapatnam. It is most dominant in southern Tamilnadu, in the Gulf of Mannar off Mandapam, Tuticorin and Pamban.