Rastrelliger brachysoma

• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Habitat
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes
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Overview:

Family: Mackerels, tunas, bonitos; Found in estuarine habitats with slightly reduced salinities and in areas where surface temperature range between 20¦ and 30¦C, forming schools of equally sized individuals. Batch spawning is believed to extend from March through September (Ref. 9684). Feeds chiefly on microzooplankton with a high phytoplankton component. Marketed fresh, frozen, canned, dried salted and smoked.

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms:

1. Rastrelliger brachysomus (Bleeker, 1851)
2. Rastrelliger neglectus (van Kampen, 1907)
3. Rastrilleger brachysoma (Bleeker, 1851)
4. Scomber brachypomus Bleeker, 1851
5. Scomber brachysoma Bleeker, 1851
6. Scomber neglectus van Kampen, 1907

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Group expert : Collette B.B., Data last modified by FishBase 16-Dec-1999

Physical Description

Family Scombridae:

Distribution: tropical and subtropical seas. Body elongate and fusiform, moderately compressed in some genera. Snout pointed, premaxilla beaklike, free from nasal bones which are separated by the ethmoid bone; mouth large; teeth in jaws strong, moderate, or weak; no true canines; palate and tongue may bear teeth. The 2 dorsal fins separate and depressible into grooves with 5-12 finlets behind second dorsal and anal fins; first dorsal fin with 9-27 rays, origin well behind the head. Pectoral fins high on body. Pelvic fins moderate or small with 6 fin rays, placed below the pectoral fins. Caudal fin deeply forked with supporting caudal rays completely covering hypural plate. At least 2 small keels on each side of caudal fin base, a larger keel in between on caudal peduncle in more advanced species. Lateral line simple. Vertebrae 31-66. Body covered with small to moderate scales or a scaly corselet developed (area behind head and around pectoral fins covered with large thick scales) and rest of body naked or covered with tiny scales. Gill membranes not united to isthmus. Thunnus and close relatives with a specialized vascular system for heat exchange; the evolution of this and related adaptations for endothermy are discussed in Brock et al. 1993, Science 260:210-214. Primarily swift, epipelagic predators; some species occur in coastal waters, others far from shore. Mackerels (Scomber and Rastrelliger) filter plankton with their long gill rakers. Spanish mackerels, bonitos and tunas feed on larger prey, including small fishes, crustaceans and squids. The main predators of smaller scombrids are other predacious fishes, particularly large tunas and billfises. Dioecious and most display little or no sexual dimorphism in structure or color pattern. Females of many species attain larger sizes than maels. Batch spawning of most species takes place in tropical and subtropical waters, frequently inshore. Eggs are pelagic and hatch into planktonic larvae. Among the most important of commercial and sport fishes. Thunninae=ISSCAAP 36; Scombrinae=ISSCAAP 37. Also Ref. 50681.

The family Scombridae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Perciformes. It contains 15 genera and 51 species. It may be found in Marine and Brackish environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is thunniform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be very active. Members of this family have been dated back to the lower Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period. Etymology of this family name: Latin, scomber = mackerel. 1841

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

Indo-West Pacific

Pacific Ocean: Andaman Sea to Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Habitat

Biome

Brackish water, saltwater. Pelagic.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Rastrelliger:

There are approximately 11 species and subspecies in this genus: R. brachysoma (Indian Mackerel) · R. brachysomas · R. chrysozona · R. chryzosonus · R. faughni (Faughn's Mackerel) · R. kanagruta · R. kanagurata · R. kanaguria · R. kanagurta (Chub Mackerel) · R. kanagurtas · R. sp (Balinese Halfbeak)

Members of the genus Puntius:

There are approximately 210 species and subspecies in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: P. guganio · P. sealei · P. binotatus · P. fasciatus · P. sarana · P. filamentosus · P. ticto · P. rhomboocellatus · P. fasciatus · P. filamentosus · P. amara · P. amarus (Pait) · P. ambassis · P. ambhibius · P. amblycephalus · P. amblyrhynchus · P. amphibia · P. amphibius (Scarlet Banded Barb) · P. anchisporus · P. aphya · P. apogon · P. arenatus (Arenatus Barb) · P. armatus · P. arulius (Aruli Barb) · P. arulius arulius · P. arulius tambraparniei · P. asoka (Asoka Barb) · P. assimilis · P. aurotaeniatus · P. bandula (Bandula Barb) · P. banksi · P. bantolanensis · P. baoulan (Baolan) · P. bennetti · P. bimaculatus (Redside Barb) · P. binotatus (Common Barb) · P. binotatus banksi · P. binotatus palavanensis · Barbonymus altus · P. bramoides · P. brevis (Swamp Barb) · P. bula · P. burmanicus · Barbus walkeri · P. sophore · P. cataractae · P. chalakkudiensis · P. chelynoides (Dark Mahseer) · P. chola (Chola Barb) · P. clavatus clavatus · P. clemensi (Bagangan) · P. collingwoodi · P. compressiformis · P. conchonius (Red Barb) · P. conchonius khagariansis · P. coorgensis · P. crescentus · P. cumingii (Cuming's Barb) · P. cummingi · P. daruphani tweediei · P. deccanensis (Deccan Barb) · P. denisonii (Denison Barb) · P. didi · P. disa (Disa) · P. dorsalis (Cauvery Barb) · P. dorsimaculatus (Blackline Barb) · P. dunckeri (Bigspot Barb) · P. endecanalis · P. erythropterus · P. everetti (Clown Barb) · P. everettii · P. exclamatio · P. fasciatus (Melon Barb) · P. fasciatus fasciatus · P. fasciatus pradhani · P. filamentosus (Black Spot Barb) · P. flavifuscus (Katapa-Tapa) · P. foerschi · P. fraseri (Dharna Barb) · P. gelius (Dwarf Barb) · P. gemellus · P. ginotatus · P. goniotus · P. guganio (Barb) · P. halei · P. hemictenus · P. herrei · P. hexagonolepis · P. hexazona · P. hexazonus · P. hypselonotus · P. immaculatus · P. jacobusboehlkei · Hypselobarbus pulchellus · P. joaquinae · P. johorensis (Melon Barb) · P. kannikattiensis · P. katolo (Katolo) · P. kuchingensis · P. lanaoensis (Kandar)

Bibliography

• Collette, B.B. and C.E. Nauen (1983). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 2(125). 137 p.
• Collette, Bruce B., Carol Reeb, and Barbara A. Block / Barbara A. Block and E. Donald Stevens, eds. 2001. Systematics of the Tunas and Mackerels (Scombridae). Fish Physiology, vol. 19: Tuna: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution. Academic Press. San Diego, California, USA. 1-33. ISBN: 0-12-350443-0.
• Collette, Bruce B., and Cornelia E. Nauen 1983. Scombrids of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Tunas, Mackerels, Bonitos and Related Species Known to Date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis, no. 125, vol. 2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy. 137. ISBN: 92-5-101381-0.
• David, G. (1985). Pêche de subsistance et milieu naturel: les mangrove de Vanuatu et leur intérêt halieutique. Notes et documents d'océanographie. Mission ORSTOM de Port-Vila, 13: 67 p. multigr.
• Duong, T.T. (2001). Mot so loai ca thuong gap o bien Viet Nam (Viet Nam's Common Marine Fishes Catalogue). Ministry of Fisheries of Viet Nam - Fisheries Information Center of Viet Nam.
• Kailola, P.J. (1991). The fishes of Papua New Guinea: a revised and annotated checklist. Vol. III. Gobiidae to Molidae. Research Bulletin No. 41, Research Section, Dept. of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Papua New Guinea. 153 p.
• Kapoor, D., R. Dayal and A.G. Ponniah (2002). Fish biodiversity of India. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, India.775 p.
• Kimura, S. (1995). A check list of the marine fishes collected around northern Palawan and Calauit islands, Philippines. p. 158-167. In Pawikan Conservation Project - PAWB, DENR, Philippines and Toba Aquarium, Japan. Dugongs Dugong dugon (Mülle
• Myers, R.F. (1999). Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
• Robins, Richard C., Reeve M. Bailey, Carl E. Bond, James R. Brooker, Ernest A. Lachner, et al. 1991. World Fishes Important to North Americans Exclusive of Species from the Continental Waters of the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society Special Publication, no. 21. American Fisheries Society. Bethesda, Maryland, USA. 243. ISBN: 0-913235-54-7.
• Shiino, Sueo M. 1976. List of Common Names of Fishes of the World, Those Prevailing among English-speaking Nations. Science Report of Shima Marineland, no. 4. Shima Marineland. Kashikojima, Shima, Mie, Japan. 262.
• Wass, R. C. (1984). An annotated checklist of the fishes of Samoa. Natl. Ocean. Atmos. Adminis. Tech. Rept., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rept. Fish. (781).