Four new records of shore fishes for the Red Sea, with notes on Parupeneus heptacanthus and Diodon liturosus
Author
Bogorodsky, Sergey V.
Author
Randall, John E.
Author
Golani, Daniel
text
Zootaxa
2011
3057
49
60
journal article
46190
10.5281/zenodo.202769
1a6aaa5d-bedf-4b53-a838-85ae097587bb
1175-5326
202769
Alepes vari
(
Cuvier, 1833
)
Figure 3
Caranx vari
Cuvier
in
Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1833
: 48
(
type
locality,
Pondicherry
,
India
).
Alepes vari
Smith-Vaniz
in
Carpenter & Niem, 2000
: 2690
, fig. (western Pacific to east coast of Africa).
FIGURE 3
.
Alepes vari
, underwater photograph, Hanish Islands, Yemen (J. E. Randall).
Diagnosis.
Dorsal-fin rays VIII + I,24–27; anal-fin rays II + I,20–23; scales in curved part of lateral line 42–50 (of which 0–2 posteriorly are scutes); straight part of lateral line with 0–7 scales and 48–69 scutes; gill rakers (including rudiments) 9–12 + 23–26; body moderately elongate, the depth about 3.0–
3.5 in
fork length; maxilla nearly straight posteriorly; supramaxilla relatively large with an anterior, spine-like projection; last ray of second dorsal and anal fins subequal to penultimate ray; bluish silver dorsally, silvery on side and ventrally, with a diffuse blackish blotch posteriorly on opercle at level of eye; posterior margin of caudal fin blackish. Largest specimen,
56 cm
TL.
Distribution.
Ranges from the southern Red Sea and Arabian Gulf in continental waters of south Asia to northwestern and northern
Australia
, throughout the Indo-Malayan region, and north to Okinawa.
Remarks.
The Red Sea record is based on the underwater photograph of
Figure 3
taken by the second author at the Hanish Islands,
Yemen
(13° 45ʹ N, 42° 45ʹ E). The identification as
Alepes vari
was confirmed by William F. Smith-Vaniz. This carangid fish is usually seen in shallow coastal waters, including mangrove areas, often in small groups. It feeds mainly on the larger crustaceans of the zooplankton and small fishes.