182: CAESIONIDAE (FUSILIERS)
Preserved: dark above, pale below, yellow line indistinct,
but tips of C always black. Attains 17 cm; rare, solitary,
round coral reefs in about 20 m. Seychelles and western
Indian Ocean islands; east African coast to 20 o S.
Family No. 183: SPARIDAE
by J.L.B. Smith and M.M. Smith
Seabreams
Seebrasse
Body oblong to ovate, compressed. Caudal fin more or
less forked; dorsal fin with 10-13 spines and 8-15 soft-rays; 3
anal spines; last ray of dorsal and anal fins usually double
(split to its base). Preopercle margin smooth. Scales usually
feebly ctenoid; cheeks and opercles scaly (cheeks naked in
Gymnocrotaphus). Teeth conical or incisiform; molars
present in some species; no teeth on vomer, palatines or
tongue. This family is characterised by a groove in the outer
end of the premaxilla, into which the maxilla fits.
Sparids occur in temperate and tropical waters of all
oceans, and are usually concentrated along the shore in
fairly shallow water. Some enter and live in estuaries, while
a few penetrate deeper water. They are important as food,
and several are fine sporting fishes: some species attain a
great size. The young are often quite different from the
adult in shape and markings, sometimes more strikingly and
vividly coloured.
Many species have been found to be hermaphroditic;
some have male and female gonads developed simultaneously; others change sex from males to females (prot androus), or go from females to males (protogynous) as they
get larger.
With 22 genera in 4 subfamilies containing 41 species,
southern Africa is rich in Sparids, 25 species or subspecies
being found nowhere else (another 4 reach Madagascar
and/or Mauritius). Some ofthem are abundant, and among
our best-known fishes.
KEY TO SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA
la Distinct, separate group of enlarged teeth in front of
each jaw ........................................................................ 2
1 b No group of enlarged teeth in front of each jaw .. . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2a Jaws with bluntly rounded molars posteriorly; front teeth
with 4-9 enlarged conical canines or compressed incisors
............................... (Subfamily SPARINAE) ................... 4
2b No molars; jaws with enlarged canines in front, smaller
conical teeth behind .......... (Subfamily DENTICINAE) .......... 12
3a Outer teeth small, conical; inner teeth small molars
............................... (Subfamily PAGELLINAE) ............. 15
3b Outer teeth compressed, incisiform ... (Subfamily BOOPSINAE) ... 17
580
SPARINAE
(Carnivores, eating mostly crustaceans, molluscs and small fish)
4a Head between eyes not scaly .............................................. 5
4b Head between eyes wholly scaly .......................................... 8
5a 4-6 enlarged teeth in front of upper jaw.................... ............. 6
5b 8-12 enlarged incisors in front of upper jaw .................. Diplodus
6a LL 43-50; 2nd A spine distinctly longer than
3rd ............................................................. Acanthopagrus
6b LL 55-61; 2nd and 3rd A spines subequal .............................. 7
7a 4-8 front teeth about equal; P longer than
head ............................................................ Rhabdosargus
7b Middle pair of teeth very large; P shorter than
head .................................................................. Sparodon
8a No scales on preopercie flange; at least one D spine longer
than head ............................................................. Argyrops
8b Preopercie flange at least partly scaly; no D spine longer
than head (except in Chrysoblephus lophus) ........................... 9
9a D spines 13, short; LL 71-73 ................................. Porcostoma
9b D spines 11 or 12; LL 49-68 ............................................... 10
lOa Soft D not scaly; hind margin of preorbital
undulate, not covered by scales; LL 56-59 .............. Pterogymnus
lOb Soft D scaly at base; hind margin of preorbital covered by
scales ........................................................................... 11
11a Adults dull greyish; soft D blackish; scales
above LL much smaller than those below ................ Cymatoceps
11 b Adults pink or red, soft D not blackish; scales
above LL about equal to those below .................. Chrysoblephus
DENTICINAE (Piscivorous)
12a First and 2nd D spines short, 3rd abruptly longer ....... Cheimerius
12b No D spines elongate ....................................................... 13
13a D spines 11; lower GR short, stubby, 9-11 ....................... Petrus
13b D spines usually 12; lower GR normal, 12-20 ........................ 14
14a Head length equal to body depth; hind
nostril circular ................................................... Argyrozona
14b Head length less than body depth; hind
nostril oval ...................................................... Polysteganus
PAGELLINAE (Carnivorous on small invertebrates)
15a Interorbital scaly; 12 D spines .................................... Pagel/us
15b Interorbital naked; 11 D spines .......................................... 16
16a Body silvery, usually with dark crossbars;
eye diameter much less than snout length ............... Lithognathus
16b Body bronzy, no dark crossbars; eye
diameter greater than snout length ......................... Boopsoidea
Preserved: dark above, pale below, yellow line indistinct,
but tips of C always black. Attains 17 cm; rare, solitary,
round coral reefs in about 20 m. Seychelles and western
Indian Ocean islands; east African coast to 20 o S.
Family No. 183: SPARIDAE
by J.L.B. Smith and M.M. Smith
Seabreams
Seebrasse
Body oblong to ovate, compressed. Caudal fin more or
less forked; dorsal fin with 10-13 spines and 8-15 soft-rays; 3
anal spines; last ray of dorsal and anal fins usually double
(split to its base). Preopercle margin smooth. Scales usually
feebly ctenoid; cheeks and opercles scaly (cheeks naked in
Gymnocrotaphus). Teeth conical or incisiform; molars
present in some species; no teeth on vomer, palatines or
tongue. This family is characterised by a groove in the outer
end of the premaxilla, into which the maxilla fits.
Sparids occur in temperate and tropical waters of all
oceans, and are usually concentrated along the shore in
fairly shallow water. Some enter and live in estuaries, while
a few penetrate deeper water. They are important as food,
and several are fine sporting fishes: some species attain a
great size. The young are often quite different from the
adult in shape and markings, sometimes more strikingly and
vividly coloured.
Many species have been found to be hermaphroditic;
some have male and female gonads developed simultaneously; others change sex from males to females (prot androus), or go from females to males (protogynous) as they
get larger.
With 22 genera in 4 subfamilies containing 41 species,
southern Africa is rich in Sparids, 25 species or subspecies
being found nowhere else (another 4 reach Madagascar
and/or Mauritius). Some ofthem are abundant, and among
our best-known fishes.
KEY TO SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA
la Distinct, separate group of enlarged teeth in front of
each jaw ........................................................................ 2
1 b No group of enlarged teeth in front of each jaw .. . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2a Jaws with bluntly rounded molars posteriorly; front teeth
with 4-9 enlarged conical canines or compressed incisors
............................... (Subfamily SPARINAE) ................... 4
2b No molars; jaws with enlarged canines in front, smaller
conical teeth behind .......... (Subfamily DENTICINAE) .......... 12
3a Outer teeth small, conical; inner teeth small molars
............................... (Subfamily PAGELLINAE) ............. 15
3b Outer teeth compressed, incisiform ... (Subfamily BOOPSINAE) ... 17
580
SPARINAE
(Carnivores, eating mostly crustaceans, molluscs and small fish)
4a Head between eyes not scaly .............................................. 5
4b Head between eyes wholly scaly .......................................... 8
5a 4-6 enlarged teeth in front of upper jaw.................... ............. 6
5b 8-12 enlarged incisors in front of upper jaw .................. Diplodus
6a LL 43-50; 2nd A spine distinctly longer than
3rd ............................................................. Acanthopagrus
6b LL 55-61; 2nd and 3rd A spines subequal .............................. 7
7a 4-8 front teeth about equal; P longer than
head ............................................................ Rhabdosargus
7b Middle pair of teeth very large; P shorter than
head .................................................................. Sparodon
8a No scales on preopercie flange; at least one D spine longer
than head ............................................................. Argyrops
8b Preopercie flange at least partly scaly; no D spine longer
than head (except in Chrysoblephus lophus) ........................... 9
9a D spines 13, short; LL 71-73 ................................. Porcostoma
9b D spines 11 or 12; LL 49-68 ............................................... 10
lOa Soft D not scaly; hind margin of preorbital
undulate, not covered by scales; LL 56-59 .............. Pterogymnus
lOb Soft D scaly at base; hind margin of preorbital covered by
scales ........................................................................... 11
11a Adults dull greyish; soft D blackish; scales
above LL much smaller than those below ................ Cymatoceps
11 b Adults pink or red, soft D not blackish; scales
above LL about equal to those below .................. Chrysoblephus
DENTICINAE (Piscivorous)
12a First and 2nd D spines short, 3rd abruptly longer ....... Cheimerius
12b No D spines elongate ....................................................... 13
13a D spines 11; lower GR short, stubby, 9-11 ....................... Petrus
13b D spines usually 12; lower GR normal, 12-20 ........................ 14
14a Head length equal to body depth; hind
nostril circular ................................................... Argyrozona
14b Head length less than body depth; hind
nostril oval ...................................................... Polysteganus
PAGELLINAE (Carnivorous on small invertebrates)
15a Interorbital scaly; 12 D spines .................................... Pagel/us
15b Interorbital naked; 11 D spines .......................................... 16
16a Body silvery, usually with dark crossbars;
eye diameter much less than snout length ............... Lithognathus
16b Body bronzy, no dark crossbars; eye
diameter greater than snout length ......................... Boopsoidea