The fish Elops machnata in South Africa
- Fraser, Thomas H, Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1973-08
- Subjects: Elopidae -- South Africa , Elops -- Indian Ocean , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69652 , vital:29563 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 11 , Introduction: The status of the species of Elops present in the Indian Ocean along the southern part of Africa has been uncertain in recent times. Two names have been applied - Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766 and Elops machnata (Forsskål, 1775) by numerous workers up to the present despite three revisions of Elops concluding that only one species, E. machnata, occurs in the western Indian Ocean (Regan, 1909; Bertin, 1944; Whitehead, 1962). These workers also demonstrated that Elops saurus is fotmd only in the western Atlantic Ocean and can be separated 100% of the time from E. machnata by vertebral counts (73-82 in E. saurus and 60-66 in E. machnata). Why, then, have workers persisted in using both names but not exclusively one or the other? There appear to be two reasons: 1. Some workers regard Elops to consist of one world-wide tropical species (in which case E. saurus is the oldest valid name). 2. The inadequate material upon which Regan, Bertin and Whitehead based their conclusions about the species of Elops. The first idea does not appear to be tenable with the evidence presented in the three species revisions and I regard it as erroneous. The second reason is real. We lack the basic information on geographic variation, if any, for the Indian Ocean population. Regan (1909) examined two specimens, Bertin (1944) an unknown number and Whitehead (1962) seven specimens. Whitehead (1965:231) indicates some doubt about the South African population and its status relative to the West African species E. senegalensis Regan, 1909. Furthermore, both Whitehead (1965) and Losse (1968) suggest that E. machnata and E. hawaiensis Regan, 1909 possibly may be subspecies of the same species, but indicate present data to be inadequate. This paper documents meristic and morphometric variation of 39 Elops mostly taken in South African estuaries as a first step toward understanding variation of the southern-most population in the Indian Ocean. South of Durban, South Africa, Elops machnata frequents the coastal waters only during the warmer months and is known to reach Mossel Bay. No species of Elops has been reported along the colder south western coast of southern Africa. The size range examined is large, 30 mm-900 mm SL (or to 6,9 kg), but does not include the maximum recorded size in South Africa of 13,7 kg. Losse's (1968) data for central East Africa are of nearly comparable size range and provide a useful comparison.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973-08
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1973-08
- Subjects: Elopidae -- South Africa , Elops -- Indian Ocean , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69652 , vital:29563 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 11 , Introduction: The status of the species of Elops present in the Indian Ocean along the southern part of Africa has been uncertain in recent times. Two names have been applied - Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766 and Elops machnata (Forsskål, 1775) by numerous workers up to the present despite three revisions of Elops concluding that only one species, E. machnata, occurs in the western Indian Ocean (Regan, 1909; Bertin, 1944; Whitehead, 1962). These workers also demonstrated that Elops saurus is fotmd only in the western Atlantic Ocean and can be separated 100% of the time from E. machnata by vertebral counts (73-82 in E. saurus and 60-66 in E. machnata). Why, then, have workers persisted in using both names but not exclusively one or the other? There appear to be two reasons: 1. Some workers regard Elops to consist of one world-wide tropical species (in which case E. saurus is the oldest valid name). 2. The inadequate material upon which Regan, Bertin and Whitehead based their conclusions about the species of Elops. The first idea does not appear to be tenable with the evidence presented in the three species revisions and I regard it as erroneous. The second reason is real. We lack the basic information on geographic variation, if any, for the Indian Ocean population. Regan (1909) examined two specimens, Bertin (1944) an unknown number and Whitehead (1962) seven specimens. Whitehead (1965:231) indicates some doubt about the South African population and its status relative to the West African species E. senegalensis Regan, 1909. Furthermore, both Whitehead (1965) and Losse (1968) suggest that E. machnata and E. hawaiensis Regan, 1909 possibly may be subspecies of the same species, but indicate present data to be inadequate. This paper documents meristic and morphometric variation of 39 Elops mostly taken in South African estuaries as a first step toward understanding variation of the southern-most population in the Indian Ocean. South of Durban, South Africa, Elops machnata frequents the coastal waters only during the warmer months and is known to reach Mossel Bay. No species of Elops has been reported along the colder south western coast of southern Africa. The size range examined is large, 30 mm-900 mm SL (or to 6,9 kg), but does not include the maximum recorded size in South Africa of 13,7 kg. Losse's (1968) data for central East Africa are of nearly comparable size range and provide a useful comparison.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973-08
Evolutionary significance of Holapogon, a new genus of cardinal fishes (Apogonidae), with a redescription of its type-species, Apogon maximus
- Fraser, Thomas H, Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1973-04
- Subjects: Holapogon , Holapogon maximus , Fishes -- Classification , Fishes -- Indian Ocean
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69640 , vital:29562 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 10 , A new genus is erected for Apogon maximus, a deep water cardinal fish occurring off the coast of southern Arabia in the Indian Ocean. Holapogon is a primitive genus near the ancestor which gave rise to all the living Apogoninae. The type-species, Apogon maximus Boulenger, 1887, is redescribed and aspects of its anatomy are investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973-04
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1973-04
- Subjects: Holapogon , Holapogon maximus , Fishes -- Classification , Fishes -- Indian Ocean
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69640 , vital:29562 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 10 , A new genus is erected for Apogon maximus, a deep water cardinal fish occurring off the coast of southern Arabia in the Indian Ocean. Holapogon is a primitive genus near the ancestor which gave rise to all the living Apogoninae. The type-species, Apogon maximus Boulenger, 1887, is redescribed and aspects of its anatomy are investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1973-04
A new species of the klipfish genus Springeratus (Clinidae) from the Indian Ocean
- Fraser, Thomas H, Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1972-11
- Subjects: Klipfish , Springeratus , Fishes -- Classification , Fishes -- Geographical distribution , Fishes -- Indian Ocean
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69630 , vital:29561 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 9 , Klipfishes of the subfamily Clininae are among the dominant intertidal fishes in southern Africa. Except for a few tropical clinine members such as Clinus xanthosoma Bleeker, Clinus ekloniae McKay and Petraites roseus (Gunther), these diverse temperate forms seem to be replaced by members of the Blenniidae in the intertidal zone of the tropical Indo-Pacific. Klipfishes have not been collected often in the tropical IndoPacific, but often enough to indicate a distribution for C. xanthosoma from Japan through the Philippines to Indonesia and Ceylon. In a recent publication Shen (1971 b) has brought our knowledge of C. xanthosoma up to date and described a new genus, Springeratus to house this species. The status of C. halei has been and still remains uncertain since Day described it in 1888. While collecting fishes at Mauritius, an undescribed intertidal clinid was obtained. This population of live-bearing klipfish contributes to our understanding of the zoogeography and possible relationships of Australian and southern African Clininae. Penrith (1969: r 14) hypothesized sea-weed transport of a clinid ancestor from Australia to South Africa. The Mauritian species favours her hypothesis as well as casting some doubt on the validity of Springeratus as a genus different from Clinus (sensu Penrith, 1969).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1972-11
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1972-11
- Subjects: Klipfish , Springeratus , Fishes -- Classification , Fishes -- Geographical distribution , Fishes -- Indian Ocean
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69630 , vital:29561 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 9 , Klipfishes of the subfamily Clininae are among the dominant intertidal fishes in southern Africa. Except for a few tropical clinine members such as Clinus xanthosoma Bleeker, Clinus ekloniae McKay and Petraites roseus (Gunther), these diverse temperate forms seem to be replaced by members of the Blenniidae in the intertidal zone of the tropical Indo-Pacific. Klipfishes have not been collected often in the tropical IndoPacific, but often enough to indicate a distribution for C. xanthosoma from Japan through the Philippines to Indonesia and Ceylon. In a recent publication Shen (1971 b) has brought our knowledge of C. xanthosoma up to date and described a new genus, Springeratus to house this species. The status of C. halei has been and still remains uncertain since Day described it in 1888. While collecting fishes at Mauritius, an undescribed intertidal clinid was obtained. This population of live-bearing klipfish contributes to our understanding of the zoogeography and possible relationships of Australian and southern African Clininae. Penrith (1969: r 14) hypothesized sea-weed transport of a clinid ancestor from Australia to South Africa. The Mauritian species favours her hypothesis as well as casting some doubt on the validity of Springeratus as a genus different from Clinus (sensu Penrith, 1969).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1972-11
The deepwater fish Scombrosphyraena oceanica from the Caribbean Sea: with comments on its possible relationships
- Fraser, Thomas H, Fourmanoir, P, Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Fourmanoir, P , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1971-07
- Subjects: Scombrosphyraena oceanica , Deep-sea fishes -- Caribbean Sea , Fishes -- Classification , Fishes -- Caribbean Sea , Marine fishes
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69619 , vital:29559 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 8 , The fish Scombrosphyraena oceanica is recorded from the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. A redescription is given. This genus is tentatively placed in the Percichthyidae. The family Scombropidae is shown to be an artificial grouping.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1971-07
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Fourmanoir, P , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1971-07
- Subjects: Scombrosphyraena oceanica , Deep-sea fishes -- Caribbean Sea , Fishes -- Classification , Fishes -- Caribbean Sea , Marine fishes
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69619 , vital:29559 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 8 , The fish Scombrosphyraena oceanica is recorded from the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. A redescription is given. This genus is tentatively placed in the Percichthyidae. The family Scombropidae is shown to be an artificial grouping.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1971-07
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