Studies on the Biology and Fishery of the Fishes of the green Chirocentrus Cuvier I. Taxonomy

Abstract

The dorsal fin colouration is largely blackish in C. dorab (Forskal) and whitish in C. nudus Swlinson ; depth at orbit is narrow being 8.4-9.5 as petcent of standard length ( SL) in C. dorab tnd deeper (10.3-11.9 SL) in C, nudus ; and the pactoral fin is shorter (1 1.6-13.1 , I , SL) in C. dorab and longer (14.8- 7 . 8 SL) in C. nudus. These characters help to distinguish the two species only in fish above 150mm SL. But they could be distinguished irrespective o f the size of the fish from the gener.11 morphology of the pterotic (squan~osal) namely, presence of two short spines in C. dorab and their absence in C. nttdu Furthermore, the two species differ also in the extension of the maxilla beyond. the border of preopercle, and in the morphology of the otolith (sagitta) and the air bladde;. The twa species are widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. C. nudus is generally more abandent than C. dorab in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar