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MALAC

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FISHING AREA 51
(W. Indian Ocean)

MALACANTHIDAE

Blanquillos, sand tilefishes

(May include Branchiostegidae in recent literature)

Body elongate, fusiform or cylindrical; body depth 12 to 26% of standard length (usually 16%). No predorsal
ridge on head; snout blunt or pointed; nostrils paired, the posterior one enclosed in a thin cutaneous tube with a
flap; preopercular margin smooth or serrated (in Hoplolatilus), if serrated it may have an enlarged spine at its
angle; opercle with a single sharp spine; gill membranes free from isthmus; mouth terminal to slightly inferior;
jaws with canine teeth and patches of villiform teeth near the anterior portions of both jaws; no teeth on roof of
mouth, or tongue, but well developed pharyngeal teeth; total number of gillrakers on first arch 6 to 29. Dorsal and
anal fins long and continuous; the sum of dorsal and anal fin bases amounts to between 80 and 135% of the
standard length; dorsal fin with 1 to 10 thin spines and either 13 to 34 or 43 to 60 soft rays; anal fin with 1 or 2
spines and either 12 to 20, 37 to 40, or 46 to 55 soft rays; caudal fin rounded, truncate or forked, with 17 principal
rays. Scales ctenoid (rough) over most of body, cycloid (smooth) in head region. Pored lateral line scales 89 to
181; vertebrae usually 10 to 14 (11 to 14 in subgenus Asymmetrurus).

The Malacanthidae include 2 genera, 2 subgenera and 10 species (4 species in area 51). They are small to
medium-sized fishes, occurring in relatively shallow water (10 to 150 m; usually less than 50 m), and are burrow-
dwelling or mound-building fishes. The elongate malacanthids usually inhabit these burrows or mounds in pairs.
They enter the burrows head first one after the other when alarmed. The concealed nature of malacanthids'
habitat generally preclude them from large-scale landings. However, these fishes are excellent eating and do
appear in local markets.
 - 2 -

FAO Sheets MALACANTHIDAE Fishing Area 51

SIMILAR FAMILIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

Coryphaenidae: dorsal fin extending forward to

nape.

Labridae: prominent nipping canine teeth. Coryphaenidae

Branchiostegidae: a predorsal ridge present; body

robust, its depth 21 to 36% (usually 27%) of standard
length (25 to 29%, usually 18% in Malacanthidae); opercu-
lar spine soft and blunt.

KEY TO GENERA OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

1a. Preopercular edge smooth; dorsal fin

elements 47 to 64; anal fin elements 38
to 56; gillrakers 6 to 20; pored lateral
line scales 116 to 181 .......................... Malacanthus Labridae (Decodon)

personal teeth
1b. Preopercular edge serrate, may have ridge
enlarged spine at angle; dorsal fin ele-
ments 22 to 38; anal fin elements 14 to
21; gillrakers 16 to 28; pored lateral
line scales 89 to 140 .....….................... Hoplolatilus

LIST OF SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA: Branchiostegidae

Code numbers are given for those species for which Identification Sheets are included

Malacanthus brevirostris Guichenot, 1848 MALAC Malac 2

Malacanthus latovittatus (Lacepède, 1802) MALAC Malac 3

Hoplolatilus fronticinctus Günther, 1887

Hoplolatilus oreni Clark & Ben-Tuvia, 1973

Prepared by J.K. Dooley, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, USA
 MALAC Malac 2

1983
FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS
FAMILY: MALACANTHIDAE FISHING AREA 51
(W. Indian Ocean)

Malacanthus brevirostris Guichenot, 1848

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: Malacanthus hoedtii Bleeker, 1859

Malacanthus parvipinnis Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875
Dikellorhynchus incredibilis Smith, 1956

VERNACULAR NAMES:
FAO : En - Quakerfish (= Shortnose sand tilefish. INFOPESCA II)
Fr - Matajuel nez court
Sp - Matajuelo nato
NATIONAL:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS:

Snout short (29 to 37% of head length); jaws reaching backward barely to under pupil; a stout sharp
opercular spine; dorsal fin with 1 to 3 (usually 2) thin spines and to 53 to 60 soft rays; anal fin with 1 spine, and 46
to 55 soft rays; pored lateral line scales 146 to 181.

Colour: upper body brownish-green, lower body white; dorsal fin with a narrow edge of yellow, the membrane
faint pink, anal fin without markings and transparent; upper and lower portions of caudal fin light yellow, separated
by a central white portion bordered by 2 dark bands; iris deep blue with a little gold above.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

Malacanthus latovittatus: a broad dark band

from opercle to tip of caudal fin; 3 or 4 (usually 4)
dorsal fin spines and 43 to 47 soft rays; (1 to 3
(usually 2) spines and 53 to 60 soft rays in M.
brevirostris); jaws do not reach under eye.

SIZE: Malacanthus latovittatus

Maximum: 30 cm; common to 25 cm.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR:

Within the area, known from the Red Sea, east coast of
Africa, Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius. Also found in the
Eastern Indian Ocean and the Western Central Pacific, along
most of Indonesia, the Philippine Islands, and north to Okinawa,
throughout the Pacific Islands, south to Queensland, Australia
and Lord Howe Island and eastward to Central America.
Bottom-dwelling, in 5 to 33 m depth; inhabits burrows in
pairs, often beneath the ledges of large rocks, when frightened
dives into the borrow head first.

PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS:

Shallow water, common in coral rubble or sand bottoms

adjacent to reefs.

CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION:

Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Probably caught mostly by hook and line and traps.
Found in local markets throughout the region.
 MALAC Malac 3

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FAMILY: MALACANTHIDAE FISHING AREA 51

(W. Indian Ocean)

Malacanthus latovittatus (Lacepéde, 1802)

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: Malacanthus urichthys Fowler, 1904

Oceanops latovittata Jordan & Seale, 1906

VERNACULAR NAMES:
FAO : En - Blue blanquillo
Fr - Matajuel bleu
Sp - Matajuelo azul
NATIONAL:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS:

Snout long (37 to 47% of head length); jaws reaching posteriorly only to below anterior nostril well in front
of eye; opercle with a stout, sharp spine; dorsal fin with 4 (rarely 3) spines and 43 to 47 soft rays; anal fin with 1
spine, and 37 to 40 soft rays. Pored lateral line scales 116 to 132.

Colour: upper body olive grey to blue-violet, ventral portion whitish; a broad black stripe running the length
of the body. Dorsal fin grey-brown basally, with a pale band along dorsal margin; anal and pelvic fins white;
pectorals bluish; caudal fin with ventral 3/4 black surrounding a small white rectangular area; head blue, iris
yellow; juvenile colour distinctly different; resembles the labrid Labroides dimidiatus, a cleaner wrasse.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

Malacanthus brevirostris: no broad dark body

stripe; dorsal fin with 1 to 3 (usually 2) spines and
53 to 60 soft rays (4 spines, rarely 3, and 43 to 47
soft rays in M. lattovittatus); jaws reaching to
under anterior edge of pupil.
Cheilio inermis (Family Labridae): no sharp
opercular spine; no dark body stripe; dorsal fin with
9 spines and 13 rays; anal fin with 2 spines and 12
rays (1 spine and 37 to 40 anal rays in M. latovit- Malacanthus brevirostris
tatus).
Labroides dimidiatus (Family Labridae): a
small species, growing only to about 10 cm; no sharp
opercular spine.

SIZE:

Maximum: 38 cm standard length; common to Cheilio inermis

35 cm.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR:

Within the area, this species is known from the Red Sea,
Kenya, Mozambique, Aldabra Island, Madagascar, Seychelles,
Réunion, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Also found in Indonesia,
Micronesia, the Philippines, north to the Ryukyu Islands
(Okinawa) and Tanabe Bay, Japan, throughts Melanesia, New
Guinea and New Caledonia to the Hawaiian Islands; apparently
not extending as far south as New Zealand.
Inhabits burrows in sand and rubble bottoms near reefs in
shallow water, common in coral rubble or sand bottoms adja-
cent to reefs.

PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS:

Shallow water (6 to 10 m) near the fringes of reefs.

CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION:

Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Caught by hook and line and in traps.
Marketed fresh.
 MEGAL

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FISHING AREA 51
(W. Indian Ocean)

MEGALOPIDAE

Tarpons

A single species in the area; see species sheet for:

Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet, 1782) MEGAL Megal 1

Prepared by P.J.P. Whitehead, Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), London SW7 5BD, UK
 MEGAL Megal 1

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FAMILY: MEGALOPIDAE FISHING AREA 51

(W. Indian Ocean)

Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet,1782)

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: None

VERNACULAR NAMES:
FAO: En - Indo-Pacific tarpon
Fr - Tarpon indo-pacifique
Sp - Tarpon indo-pacifico
NATIONAL:

gular
DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS: plate

Body moderately deep; eye large; lower jaw projecting; a gularplate present
between arms of lower jaw; branchiostegal rays numerous, 26 or 27. Fins lacking
spines; dorsal fin origin at about midpoint of body, last dorsal fin ray filamentous;
anal fin origin a little behind dorsal fin base. Scales large, 30 to 40 on lateral line.
Colour: back blue/green, flanks silvery.
branchiostegal
rays
underside of head
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:

Species of Clupeidae: lateral line and gularplate

absent; scutes along belly in most species. no lateral line

Elops machnata and Chanos chanos: scales smaller;

last dorsal fin ray not filamentous. Furthermore, qular-
plate absent and only 4 branchiostegal rays in Chanos
chanos.
Clupeidae
SIZE: scutes

Maximum: 55 cm; common to 30 cm.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR:

Throughout whole area. Elsewhere in the Eastern

Indian Ocean and Western Central Pacific, westward to Elops machnata
Hawaii.
A coastal pelagic species, entering lagoons and
estuaries.

Feeds on fishes; also crustaceans.

PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS:

Caught throughout the area, but no special fishery Chanos chanos

(except as a sport fish).

CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION:

Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Caught with gillnets, seines and trawls.
Marketed fresh and dried salted.

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