149: SCORPAENIDAE (SCORPIONFISHES)
with 11-13 rays, lowermost ray free from remainder of fin.
Two genera; Indo-West Pacific.
Genus Apistus Cuvier, 1829
One or 2 species; 1 in our area.
149.1 Apistus carinatus
(Bloch,1801)
Bearded waspfish
Baardman-wespvis
Scorpaena carinata Bloch, 1801: 193. Apistus faurei Gilchrist &
Thompson, 1908: 176. Apistus carinatus: Smith, SFSA No. 1051*; 1957:
84* .
D XIV-XVI,8-1O; A III-IV,6-8; P 11-13. Depth 3-4. Scales small, LSS
65-85 ; 3 barbels on chin .
Bluish grey, belly pale. Large black spot on rear ~ of
spinous D. Attains about 18 cm. Usually trawled at about
15 - 50 m. Natal northwards; coastal areas of Indo-West
Pacific.
149.1 Apistus carinatus: 12.5 em (off Natal).
Subfamily CHORIDACTYLINAE
Body and head nearly naked, without normal scales.
Scattered buried scales on body, usually underlying warts or
tufted lumps; about 13-15 buried LL scales. D XII-XVIII,
5-10; total spines and rays 21-27. A 11,8-13. P usually 12,
lowermost 2 or 3 rays entirely free. Two genera. Subfamily
reviewed by Eschmeyer, Rama Rao & Hallacher (1979).
KEY TO GENERA
(Western Indian Ocean)
la D spines 12-15; lowermost 3 P rays free ... . .... Choridactylus
1b D spines 15-18; lowermost 2 P rays free .. ......... . Inimicus
(8 species; I. filamentosus (Cuvier, 1829) known from Red Sea,
Zanzibar, Reunion, Mauritius and Maldives)
Genus Choridactylus Richardson, 1848
Two species; 1 in our area . C. multibarbus Richardson, 1848
lacking filamentous 1st P ray and having inner side of P
encircled with black, is known from the Red Sea to China
and the Philippines.
464
149.2 Choridactylus natalensis
(Gilchrist, 1902)
PLATE 27
Threestick stingfish
Driestok -steekvis
Choridactylodes natalensis Gilchrist, 1902: 101, PI. 5, Figs. 1-2 (off
Umhlanga River, 22-26 fms); Smith , SFSA No. 1055*. Choridactylus
natalensis: Smith, 1958: 176* .
D XIII-XV,8-1O, total 21-24; A II,8-1O; P 12; LL 13-14. First P ray ends
in a long filament.
Mostly brownish, mottled in brown, pink and yellow.
Attains 14 cm. Taken in trawls in 35 -75 m from Durban to
Mozambique.
149.2 Choridactylus natalensis: 9 em (off Natal).
Subfamily MINOINAE
Scales absent, except for buried LL tubes. D VIII-XII,814; total D spines + rays = 19-24. Two weak A spines; 7-11
A soft-rays. P rays normally 12; lowermost ray free from
rest of fin. Subfamily reviewed by Eschmeyer, Hallacher &
Rama Rao (1979) (see also Amaoka & Kanayama, 1981).
One genus, Minous Cuvier, 1829, with 10 species; 1 in our
area; 4 more in western Indian Ocean probably will be
found in our area (especially M. monodactylus) and are
included in the following key.
KEY TO SPECIES
(Western Indian Ocean)
1a 1st D spine equal to or longer than
2nd spine, well separated from 2nd
spine . ...... . ... M. monodactylus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
(Mauritius, to Red Sea)
1b 1st D spine usually less than Yz length of 2nd and sometimes
extremely small, close to 2nd spine at base ....... ... ..... 2
2a P more than 50% of SL . .... . .. . ... ..... .. .. ...... 3
2b P less than 46% of SL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3a A II,8-11, usually 10; posterior lachrymal spine
points down and back . . .. .... . .... M. inermis Alcock, 1889
(Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea to Burma)
3b A II ,8-9; posterior lachrymal spine points
down and forward. . . . . . . . . . . .. M. longimanus Regan, 1908
(Saya de Malha Bank, 95 - 125 m)
with 11-13 rays, lowermost ray free from remainder of fin.
Two genera; Indo-West Pacific.
Genus Apistus Cuvier, 1829
One or 2 species; 1 in our area.
149.1 Apistus carinatus
(Bloch,1801)
Bearded waspfish
Baardman-wespvis
Scorpaena carinata Bloch, 1801: 193. Apistus faurei Gilchrist &
Thompson, 1908: 176. Apistus carinatus: Smith, SFSA No. 1051*; 1957:
84* .
D XIV-XVI,8-1O; A III-IV,6-8; P 11-13. Depth 3-4. Scales small, LSS
65-85 ; 3 barbels on chin .
Bluish grey, belly pale. Large black spot on rear ~ of
spinous D. Attains about 18 cm. Usually trawled at about
15 - 50 m. Natal northwards; coastal areas of Indo-West
Pacific.
149.1 Apistus carinatus: 12.5 em (off Natal).
Subfamily CHORIDACTYLINAE
Body and head nearly naked, without normal scales.
Scattered buried scales on body, usually underlying warts or
tufted lumps; about 13-15 buried LL scales. D XII-XVIII,
5-10; total spines and rays 21-27. A 11,8-13. P usually 12,
lowermost 2 or 3 rays entirely free. Two genera. Subfamily
reviewed by Eschmeyer, Rama Rao & Hallacher (1979).
KEY TO GENERA
(Western Indian Ocean)
la D spines 12-15; lowermost 3 P rays free ... . .... Choridactylus
1b D spines 15-18; lowermost 2 P rays free .. ......... . Inimicus
(8 species; I. filamentosus (Cuvier, 1829) known from Red Sea,
Zanzibar, Reunion, Mauritius and Maldives)
Genus Choridactylus Richardson, 1848
Two species; 1 in our area . C. multibarbus Richardson, 1848
lacking filamentous 1st P ray and having inner side of P
encircled with black, is known from the Red Sea to China
and the Philippines.
464
149.2 Choridactylus natalensis
(Gilchrist, 1902)
PLATE 27
Threestick stingfish
Driestok -steekvis
Choridactylodes natalensis Gilchrist, 1902: 101, PI. 5, Figs. 1-2 (off
Umhlanga River, 22-26 fms); Smith , SFSA No. 1055*. Choridactylus
natalensis: Smith, 1958: 176* .
D XIII-XV,8-1O, total 21-24; A II,8-1O; P 12; LL 13-14. First P ray ends
in a long filament.
Mostly brownish, mottled in brown, pink and yellow.
Attains 14 cm. Taken in trawls in 35 -75 m from Durban to
Mozambique.
149.2 Choridactylus natalensis: 9 em (off Natal).
Subfamily MINOINAE
Scales absent, except for buried LL tubes. D VIII-XII,814; total D spines + rays = 19-24. Two weak A spines; 7-11
A soft-rays. P rays normally 12; lowermost ray free from
rest of fin. Subfamily reviewed by Eschmeyer, Hallacher &
Rama Rao (1979) (see also Amaoka & Kanayama, 1981).
One genus, Minous Cuvier, 1829, with 10 species; 1 in our
area; 4 more in western Indian Ocean probably will be
found in our area (especially M. monodactylus) and are
included in the following key.
KEY TO SPECIES
(Western Indian Ocean)
1a 1st D spine equal to or longer than
2nd spine, well separated from 2nd
spine . ...... . ... M. monodactylus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
(Mauritius, to Red Sea)
1b 1st D spine usually less than Yz length of 2nd and sometimes
extremely small, close to 2nd spine at base ....... ... ..... 2
2a P more than 50% of SL . .... . .. . ... ..... .. .. ...... 3
2b P less than 46% of SL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3a A II,8-11, usually 10; posterior lachrymal spine
points down and back . . .. .... . .... M. inermis Alcock, 1889
(Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea to Burma)
3b A II ,8-9; posterior lachrymal spine points
down and forward. . . . . . . . . . . .. M. longimanus Regan, 1908
(Saya de Malha Bank, 95 - 125 m)