Argyrops spinifer ( Forsskål, 1775 ), Forsskal, 1775

Siddiqui, Pirzada Jamal, Amir, Shabir Ali & Masroor, Rafaqat, 2014, The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records, Zootaxa 3857 (1), pp. 71-100 : 79

Argyrops spinifer ( Forsskål, 1775)

Common name: King Soldierbream

Local names: Dhand (Sindh); Malelak (Balochistan) ( Figures 5 & 15 V; Table 1 )

Pagrus ciliaris von Bonde, 1923: 19, Pl. 5 (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, southwestern Indian Ocean). Sparus spinifer Forsskål, 1775: 32 , xi (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea.)

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other sparid species by the following combination of characters: body deep and compressed, its depth 49.4–53.4% of SL; head large, 30.5–34% of SL. Profile of head very steep, the section between the eyes and the mouth being almost straight, interorbital scaly; first two dorsal spines very short; third to seventh spines flexible, flattened and prolonged into long filaments (these spines elongate and filamentous in juveniles to young, get shorter with age, reaching sometimes beyond caudal fin).

Description. Dorsal rays XII, 10; anal rays III,8; pectoral rays 15; lateral line scales 49–53; gill rakers small 15–16, ten on lower arch ( Figure 15 Z); Body deep and compressed, its depth 1.9–2.0 in SL; anterio-dorsal profile of head steep with a slight bump before eye (mainly in large adult male, developing a grotesque hump on nape); eye moderate in size, orbit diameter 9.2–10.2% of SL; mouth slightly oblique; upper jaw length 12.1–14.4% of SL; maxilla reaching to vertical through front border of eye; front of upper and lower jaws with four canine teeth; side of each jaws (upper and lower) with two to three rows of molars; the first three teeth in outer row of upper jaw (just after the canine) are blunt conical teeth, becoming molariform posteriorly. Scales on upper part of head extending in a triangular prolongation to between eyes ( Figure 5 b) cheeks with 5–6 transvers row of scales; preoperculum with 5 transverse rows of scales; first anal spine less than half length of 2nd, which is sub equal to 3rd anal spine and less then snout length. Pectoral-fins length longer than head length; pelvic-fins with the first ray produced and near to head length; caudal fin weakly forked.

Color of fresh specimens. Head and body silvery pink with gold-lines (scales centres golden and pinkish, edges silvery); snout and nape area more pinkish; operculum with silvery and pinkish shade; pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal fins are light pinkish and hyaline, some black streaks in anal-fins. Diffused red spot in axil of pectoral-fin. Overall the body color is pinkish-red, especially the head, while the flanks and underside are paler or white.

Distribution. Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Indonesia, north to South China Sea and south to northern Australia. This species has been reported from Pakistan ( Bianchi, 1985; Hoda, 1988; Jalil & Khalil-Uddin, 1981) and can presumably be found in wider range in Iran, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Remarks. Heemstra and Heemstra (2004) reported XI–XII, 10–11 dorsal-fin rays and 4–6 canine teeth on anterior portions of both jaws in this species. Weber and De Beaufort (1936) recorded XI,10 dorsal-fin rays, six smaller canines in the lower jaw and 2nd to 5th dorsal spine prolonged into long filaments. Contrary to Weber & Beaufort (1936), our specimens have XII, 10 dorsal-fin rays and 4 canine teeth in both jaws, and third to seventh dorsal spines prolonged into long filaments.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Details of dentition (A-Y) and gill rakers (Z & Z 1) in species of family Sparidae from Pakistan; Acanthopagrus catenula, A) upper jaw & B) lower jaw; A. berda, C) upper jaw & D) lower jaw; A. arabicus, E) upper jaw & F) lower jaw; A. sheim, G) upper jaw & H) lower jaw; Sparidentex hasta, I) upper jaw & J) lower jaw; Sparidentex jamalensis., K) upper jaw & L) lower jaw; Crenidens indicus, M) upper jaw & N) lower jaw; Diplodus capensis, O) upper jaw & P) lower jaw; Q) upper and lower jaws of Diplodus omanensis; Rhabdosargus sarba, R) upper jaw & S) lower jaw; Rhabdosargus haffara, T) upper jaw & U) lower jaw; V) upper and lower jaws of Agryrops spinifer; W) upper and lower jaws of Cheimerius nufar; Pagellus affinis, X) upper jaw & Y) lower jaw; Z) Argyrops spinifer, showing comparatively small gill rakers; and Z 1) Cheimerius nufar, showing elongated fan-like gill rakers.

FIGURE 5. a) Argyrops spinifer, MUFS 39739 (formerly CEMB- P 201200102), 199.4 mm SL, WWFH, Karachi. First two dorsal spines minute, third to sixth somewhat elongated, b) scales on upper part of head, extending in a triangular prolongation to between eyes (A. spinifer 218 mm SL, WWFH, Karachi).