Leiognathus equulus ( Forsskål, 1775 )

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 : 6-8

4. Leiognathus equulus ( Forsskål, 1775)

(Plate I, Fig. 4; Tables 1–3)

Scomber equula Forsskål, 1775 , Descr. Animal, p.75

Material examined. 30 specimens (6 females, 23 males, 1 indeterminate) of 79–126 mm TL ( Cochin, Neendakara ) .

Description. D.VIII, 16–17; P. ii, 15–17, i – iii; V. I, 5; A. III, 13–14; C. 15; Ll. 54–64.

As percent of standard length: Total length 134.88–142.68 (137.73); fork length 115.12–120.73 (117.40); predorsal 37.21–43.75 (40.17); preanal 48.84–54.88 (51.45); dorsal base 50.72–56.18 (53.54); anal base 40.00–45.00 (42.58); head 31.40–35.94 (33.50); dorsal height 22.09–27.78 (24.70); anal height 18.99–22.22 (20.48); pectoral 20.00–26.09 (23.22); depth 53.45–60.00 (56.80).

As percent of head length: Snout 28.57–35.71 (32.18); eye 31.25–37.93 (35.20); head height 88.89–104.35 (95.21).

Body oblong, deep and compressed. Dorsal profile more convex than the ventral profile; gently elevated from the occipital region to form a strongly humped back. Snout blunt. Mouth with thick lips. Mouth pointing downwards when protracted. Commencement of gape of mouth below lower border of eye. Lower margin of lower jaw strongly concave. Teeth small, numerous, villiform, in each jaw. Two small spines on top of the head, opposite front border of the eye. Pre-opercle with its lower margin slightly concave and serrated. Lateral line, conspicuous, concave at first, later on becomes convex, but less convex than the dorsal profile, and extends almost up to the base of the caudal fin. Ventrals do not reach the origin of the anal fin and has a prominent axillary scale, and a strong spine. Caudal fin not deeply forked and with rounded lobes.

Color. Body silvery, back grayish. Close set fine vertical bands descend from back to about mid height, clearly seen in fresh specimens, but fade on preservation in formalin. Membrane between anal spines yellowish. Snout dotted black. Pectoral fin axil faintly dusky. Posterior margin of caudal lobes pale yellow and dusky.

Distribution. Along Bombay, Mangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Quilon, Cape Comorin, Mandapam, Rameswaram, Kilakarai, Pamban, Madras, Porto Novo, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada. Also found in Godavary estuary and Chilka Lake.