Redescription of Sardinella sindensis (Day) (Pisces : Cluperoae) with notes to distinguish the species from S. gibbosa (Bleeker)

Abstract

Sardinella sindensis (Day) is redescribed to distinguish it from S. gibbosa (Bleeker) based on the material colleaed for the first time from Vizhinjam (Lat. 08° 23'N Long. 76° 59'E). As the original description is found to be inadequate to differentiate it from S. gibbosa and additional characters such as body depth, perforations on the abdominal scales, shoulder spot and gill rakers are described in the paper. The present record extends the distribution of the species to the southwest coast of India where it form a fishery.