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International Journal of Marine Science 2014, Vol.4, No.28, 253-258
http://ijms.biopublisher.ca
254
the caudal fin. Fish specimens were fixed in 10%
formalin and stored in 70% ethanol. Measurements
were made with dial calipers to the nearest 0.1 mm.
The
specimens were deposited in the fish collection of
the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Ministry
of
Fisheries Wealth, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman,
catalogue number OMMSTC 1235-1237.
2 Results
Opisthognathus muscatensis
Boulenger, 1888
Robust jawfish
(Figure 2; Table 1).
Figure 2
Opisthognathus muscatensis
: OMMSFC 1235, 260
mm TL, Basrah, Iraq
Table 1 Morphometric and meristic data of
Opistognathus
muscatensis
from the Arabian Gulf coasts of Iraq (TL, total; HL,
head length; SL standard length; all measurements in millimeters)
Morphometric/ meristic data
Total length
290
-
420
Standard length (% in TL)
252
-
364(85
-
87)
Head length (% in SL)
77
-
111(30
-
31)
Eye diameter (% in HL)
6
-
8.6(8
-
8.5)
Preorbital length (% in HL)
9
-
13(11.7
-
11.9)
Posorbital length (% in HL)
15
-
22(19
-
19.8)
Predorsal fin length (% in SL)
72
-
104(28
-
28.9)
Postdorsal fin length (% in SL)
222
-
320(88
-
88.9)
Prepectoral fin length (% in SL)
73
-
105(29
-
29.9)
Preanus length (% in SL)
104
-
150(41
-
41.4)
Preanal fin length (% in SL)
143
-
206(56
-
569)
Postanal fin length (% in SL)
233
-
336(92
-
92.5)
Maximum body depth (% in SL)
61
-
88(24
-
24.6)
Caudal peduncle depth (% in SL)
20
-
29(8
-
8.5)
Pectoral fin length (% in SL)
43
-
62(17
-
17.5)
Meristic characters
Dorsal fin spines
11
Dorsal fin rays
15
Anal fin spines
3
Anal fin rays
15
Pectoral fin rays
19
-
22
Number of gill rakers
13
-
17+23
-
29
662
[type locality: Muscat, Oman, Gulf of Oman, Arabian
Sea, north-western Indian Ocean]; Smith-Vaniz
1986:727, Goren & Dor 1994:57, Randall 1995:302,
Al-Abdessalaam, 1995, Carpenter et al. 1997:206,
Manilo & Bogorodsky 2003:S105, Heemstra & Heemstra
2004:376, Smith-Vaniz 2009:82, Smith-Vaniz 2010:39,
41, Smith-Vaniz et al. 2012:24.
Materials examined
10 specimens, 230-260 mm TL, OMMSTC 1235,
Iraqi marine waters, 29 °47 ' 55.71 '' N 48°43' 32.9 ''
E, 20
th
Mar. 2012.
Description
The range of the total length of the 10 specimens of
O.
muscatensis
was 290-420 mm. The morphometric and
meristic characters (Table 1) appeared to be higher
and similar to those by Randall (1995), but the range
of total length is higher.
O. muscatensis
has the following set of characters:
broad maxilla not approaching opercle. Nostril short
without cirrus, pale blue body with irregular
yellowish-brown blotches reaching body dorsal side
becoming black, dorsal fin with dark spot, and cheek
with blackish streak.
Distribution
Froese and Pauly (2013) stated that
O. muscatensis
is
distributed in the Western Indian Ocean, from Durban,
South Africa to Mahé Island, Seychelles. In the
Arabian Gulf area, Carpenter et al. (1997) reported it
from the western coasts of the gulf, and Froese and
Pauly (2013) reported it from the coasts of Iranian
side of the gulf. Carpenter et al. (1997) did not state
from which country they obtained this species.
Therefore, its presence on the Arabian side of the gulf
remained as unconfirmed. Consequently, our record is
considered the first to the Iraqi marine waters and
confirms its presence in the Arabian side of the gulf.
Trachinotus baillonii
(Lacepède, 1801)
Small spotted dart
(Figure 3; Table 2).
Caesiomorus baillonii
Lacepède, 1801: 92, 93, Pl. 3
(Figure 1) [Locality not stated is Fort Dauphin, near
Tôlanaro, southeastern Madagascar].