157: TRIGLIDAE (GURNARDS)
Heemstra, 1982: 292. Lepidotrigla natalensis Gilchrist & Thompson,
1914: 76 (off Tugela River in 40 fms); Smith, SFSA No. 1078*. Lepidotrigla stigmapteron Fowler, 1934: 487, Fig. 46 (Durban).
D VIII-IX+ 15-17; A 15-16; P 11 +3; lower GR 7-9 plus rudiments; LL
57-64. Head 2.7-3.3 in SL; eye 3.1-3.8 in head; interorbital width 1.5-1.8 in
eye. Preorbitals with 4-6 spines in front. P 1.2-1.4 in head, reaches above
3rd-6th A rays.
Attains 18 cm. Durban northwards to India in 70 - 120 m.
157.4 Lepidotrigla faurei: 16 cm (off Natal).
157.5 Lepidotrigla multispinosa
Smith, 1934
Spiny gurnard
Stekel-knorhaan
Lepidotrigla multispinosus Smith, 1934: 326 (Natal?); Smith, SFSA No.
1079*; Richards & Saksena, 1977: 220; Heemstra, 1982: 292.
D VIII-IX+ 15-16; A 16-17; P 11+3; LL59-64. Head 2.9-3.1 in SL; eye
3.3-4.0 in head; interorbital width 1.4-1.6 in eye. Preorbitals with 10-12
small spines in front. P 1.2-1.4 in head, reaching vertical at 4th A ray.
Attains 16 cm. Natal, Kenya and Mozambique in 230 -
295m.
157.5 Lepidotrigla multispinosa: 12.5 cm SL (off Natal).
Genus Trig/a Linnaeus, 1758
Cleithral spine reaches vertical at base of 6th D spine;
opercular spine reaches well past opercular margin; horizontal ridge present on preopercle; scales very small,
ctenoid. One species in our area.
Smith (SFSA No. 1081) included Trigla hirundo Linnaeus
in the southern African fauna, based on the record of
Schnakenbeck (1931) from Walvis Bay. The specimens in
question were probably Chelidonichthys capensis, which
Schnakenbeck (incorrectly) considered a synonym of Trigla
hirundo. According to Richards (1968), T. hirundo is a
488
synonym of C. lucerna (Linnaeus), a species not known
south of Cape Verde.
Lyre gurnard
157.6 Trigla lyra
Linnaeus, 1758
Lier-knorhaan
Trigla lyra Linnaeus, 1758: 300 ("Mari Britannica"); Smith, SFSA No.
1080; Richards, 1968: 82'; Trunov & Malevany, 1974; Heemstra, 1982:
292.
D IX-X+15-16; A 15-16; P 12+3; GR 7 plus rudiments; vertebrae
31-32. Head 2.8-3 .0 in SL; eye 3.6-4.5 in head; interorbital width 0.9-1.5 in
orbit. P reaches above 3rd to 6th A rays.
Attains at least 47 cm, perhaps 60 cm. A common eastern
Atlantic and Mediterranean species, its southern limit
appears to be Walvis Bay; occurs in 100 - 480 m.
157.6 Trigla lyra: 25.5 cm SL (after Richards, 1968).
Genus Trig/oporus Smith, 1934
Body covered by a complex system of branching tubules;
LL scales with several spines; opercular spine barely
exceeds margin of operculum; no ridge on preopercle.
Heemstra (1982) recognises 2 subspecies; adult T. lastoviza
lastoviza (Bonnaterre) ofthe eastern Atlantic (south to Angola) have longer P (40-46% SL, reaching past vertical at
8th A ray), larger eye (bony orbit diameter 8-10% SL) and
longer cleithral spines (6-7% SL).
157.7 Trigloporus lastoviza africanus
Smith, 1934
PLATE 31
African gurnard
Afrikaanse knorhaan
Trigla (Trigloporus) africana Smith, 1934: 334, PI. 23 (Port Alfred);
Richards & Saksena, 1980. Trigloporus africanus: Smith, SFSA No. I08S*.
Trigloporus lastoviza africanus: Heemstra, 1982: 293.
D X+ 15-17; A 15-17; P 10+3; GR 6-8 plus rudiments; vertebrae 35; LL
67-70, each scale with 2-5 spines. Head 3.5- 3.7 in SL; eye 3.8-4.1 in head,
7.0-7.6% SL; cleithral spine length 3.7-5.3% SL; interorbital width
1.2-1.4 in eye; P 1.0-1.3 times head length, 28-37% SL, not reaching past
vertical at 4th A ray.
Attains 22 cm. Known only from St. Sebastian Bay to
Port Alfred in 35 - 150 m.
Heemstra, 1982: 292. Lepidotrigla natalensis Gilchrist & Thompson,
1914: 76 (off Tugela River in 40 fms); Smith, SFSA No. 1078*. Lepidotrigla stigmapteron Fowler, 1934: 487, Fig. 46 (Durban).
D VIII-IX+ 15-17; A 15-16; P 11 +3; lower GR 7-9 plus rudiments; LL
57-64. Head 2.7-3.3 in SL; eye 3.1-3.8 in head; interorbital width 1.5-1.8 in
eye. Preorbitals with 4-6 spines in front. P 1.2-1.4 in head, reaches above
3rd-6th A rays.
Attains 18 cm. Durban northwards to India in 70 - 120 m.
157.4 Lepidotrigla faurei: 16 cm (off Natal).
157.5 Lepidotrigla multispinosa
Smith, 1934
Spiny gurnard
Stekel-knorhaan
Lepidotrigla multispinosus Smith, 1934: 326 (Natal?); Smith, SFSA No.
1079*; Richards & Saksena, 1977: 220; Heemstra, 1982: 292.
D VIII-IX+ 15-16; A 16-17; P 11+3; LL59-64. Head 2.9-3.1 in SL; eye
3.3-4.0 in head; interorbital width 1.4-1.6 in eye. Preorbitals with 10-12
small spines in front. P 1.2-1.4 in head, reaching vertical at 4th A ray.
Attains 16 cm. Natal, Kenya and Mozambique in 230 -
295m.
157.5 Lepidotrigla multispinosa: 12.5 cm SL (off Natal).
Genus Trig/a Linnaeus, 1758
Cleithral spine reaches vertical at base of 6th D spine;
opercular spine reaches well past opercular margin; horizontal ridge present on preopercle; scales very small,
ctenoid. One species in our area.
Smith (SFSA No. 1081) included Trigla hirundo Linnaeus
in the southern African fauna, based on the record of
Schnakenbeck (1931) from Walvis Bay. The specimens in
question were probably Chelidonichthys capensis, which
Schnakenbeck (incorrectly) considered a synonym of Trigla
hirundo. According to Richards (1968), T. hirundo is a
488
synonym of C. lucerna (Linnaeus), a species not known
south of Cape Verde.
Lyre gurnard
157.6 Trigla lyra
Linnaeus, 1758
Lier-knorhaan
Trigla lyra Linnaeus, 1758: 300 ("Mari Britannica"); Smith, SFSA No.
1080; Richards, 1968: 82'; Trunov & Malevany, 1974; Heemstra, 1982:
292.
D IX-X+15-16; A 15-16; P 12+3; GR 7 plus rudiments; vertebrae
31-32. Head 2.8-3 .0 in SL; eye 3.6-4.5 in head; interorbital width 0.9-1.5 in
orbit. P reaches above 3rd to 6th A rays.
Attains at least 47 cm, perhaps 60 cm. A common eastern
Atlantic and Mediterranean species, its southern limit
appears to be Walvis Bay; occurs in 100 - 480 m.
157.6 Trigla lyra: 25.5 cm SL (after Richards, 1968).
Genus Trig/oporus Smith, 1934
Body covered by a complex system of branching tubules;
LL scales with several spines; opercular spine barely
exceeds margin of operculum; no ridge on preopercle.
Heemstra (1982) recognises 2 subspecies; adult T. lastoviza
lastoviza (Bonnaterre) ofthe eastern Atlantic (south to Angola) have longer P (40-46% SL, reaching past vertical at
8th A ray), larger eye (bony orbit diameter 8-10% SL) and
longer cleithral spines (6-7% SL).
157.7 Trigloporus lastoviza africanus
Smith, 1934
PLATE 31
African gurnard
Afrikaanse knorhaan
Trigla (Trigloporus) africana Smith, 1934: 334, PI. 23 (Port Alfred);
Richards & Saksena, 1980. Trigloporus africanus: Smith, SFSA No. I08S*.
Trigloporus lastoviza africanus: Heemstra, 1982: 293.
D X+ 15-17; A 15-17; P 10+3; GR 6-8 plus rudiments; vertebrae 35; LL
67-70, each scale with 2-5 spines. Head 3.5- 3.7 in SL; eye 3.8-4.1 in head,
7.0-7.6% SL; cleithral spine length 3.7-5.3% SL; interorbital width
1.2-1.4 in eye; P 1.0-1.3 times head length, 28-37% SL, not reaching past
vertical at 4th A ray.
Attains 22 cm. Known only from St. Sebastian Bay to
Port Alfred in 35 - 150 m.