185: LETHRINIDAE (EMPERORS)
D X,1O; A III,1O; P 14 inner base scaleless; GR (6-7)+(5-7); LL
41-47(42-43 pored). C slightly forked with rounded lobes. Body depth
1.9-2.2 in SL. Six canines in front of upper jaw, 4 in lower jaw with teeth in
narrow villiform inner band. Nostrils close-set, hind one slit-like, ending
close to eye.
Body silvery yellowish grey above, lighter below, scale
margins darker; indistinct crossbars on body; single fins
olive-to yellow-orange. Attains 55 cm. Indo-West Pacific to
about 22°S on Mozambique coast (and probably will be
found in Natal) on outer edge of continental shelf from
140 to 180 m.
Family No. 186: NEMIPTERIDAE
by B.C. Russell
Butterfly breams,
spinecheeks
Vlinderbrasse,
stekelwange
Body oblong or elongate. Dorsal fin continuous, with
10 spines and 9 or 10 soft-rays; dorsal and anal fins in a
shallow basal groove. Jaw teeth small, villiform, in narrow
bands; enlarged anterior canines present or absent; no teeth
on palate. Scales ctenoid, covering body and most of head.
Caudal fin forked or emarginate; upper lobe sometimes
with filament. Branchiostegals 6; vertebrae 10°14.
Nemipterids are common in shallow tropical reef areas
and offshore waters to 100 m. Feed on benthic invertebrates. Good eating; species of Nemipterus taken in commercial trawls. Widespread in tropical Indo-West Pacific.
Four genera (Pentapodus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 has yet
to be found in our area); at least 40 species, 6 in our area.
Family classification treated by Johnson, 1980.
KEY TO GENERA
1a Suborbital with distinct backwardly directed
spine below eye; no canines in jaws ............................. Seoiopsis
1b Suborbital spine weak or absent; canines
present or absent .............................................................. 2
2a Suborbital spine weak; canines absent; 4-6
transverse scale rows on preopercle ....................... Paraseoiopsis
2b Suborbital spine absent; small canines
anteriorly, at least in upper jaw; 3 transverse
scale rows on preopercle ........................................ Nemipterus
Genus Nemipterus Swainson, 1839
Numerous species, not easy to distinguish; 2 species (1
probably in error) reported from our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a V reaching to or beyond vent; D membrane
not incised between the spines; body pinkish,
silvery below; 4-5 narrow, oblique yellowish
bands beneath LL; A bluish, with 3 irregular
yellow bands ................................................... N. bipunctatus
600
1b V not reaching vent; D membrane distinctly
incised between the spines; body pinkish,
silvery below; 7-8 pink saddles on dorsal part
of body; diffuse pale reddish spot below origin
of LL .................................................................. N. peronii
186.1 Nemipterus bipunctatus
(Ehrenberg, 1830)
PLATE6?
Butterfly bream
Vlinderbras
Dentex bipunctatus Ehrenberg, in Cuv. & Val., 1830: 247 (Djedda, Red
Sea). Synagris bleekeri Day, 1875: 92, PI. 24, Fig. 1 (Madras, India).
Nemipterus mulloides Smith, 1939: 219, Fig. 2 (Delagoa Bay; name preoccupied by Dentex mulloides Bleeker). Nemipterus deiagoae Smith,
1941: 450 (replacement name for N. mulloides Smith); Smith, SFSA No.
672*.
D X,9; A III,?; P 16; LL 48-50; 4 scale rows between LL and 1st D
spine; GR 5+ 10. Depth 3.3-3.5. D spines 3-10 subequal to soft Drays. C
forked.
Attains 25 cm. Widespread in tropical Indian Ocean and
Persian Gulf, south to Delagoa Bay.
186.2 Nemipterus peronii
(Valenciennes, 1830)
Notched butterfly bream
Gekerfde vlinderbras
Dentex peronii Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1830: 245, PI. 154 (locality not given). Dentex (Heterognathodon) smithii Steindachner, 1868: 978,
PI. 3, Fig. 1 ("Cape of Good Hope"). Nemipterus smithii: Smith, SFSA
No. 673.
D X,9; A IlI,7; P 16-17; LL 46-50; 3 scale rows between LL and 1st D
spine. Depth 3.2-4.1; middle D spines longer than others; 6th spine about
twice length of 1st spine and distinctly longer than soft Drays. C forked.
Attains 25 cm. Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka to
Taiwan and Australia; not yet recorded from east coast of
186.2 Nemipterus peronii: top: length not given, holotype of N. smithii (after
Steindaehner, 1868); bottom: 15.5 em (after Russell & Allen, 1984).
D X,1O; A III,1O; P 14 inner base scaleless; GR (6-7)+(5-7); LL
41-47(42-43 pored). C slightly forked with rounded lobes. Body depth
1.9-2.2 in SL. Six canines in front of upper jaw, 4 in lower jaw with teeth in
narrow villiform inner band. Nostrils close-set, hind one slit-like, ending
close to eye.
Body silvery yellowish grey above, lighter below, scale
margins darker; indistinct crossbars on body; single fins
olive-to yellow-orange. Attains 55 cm. Indo-West Pacific to
about 22°S on Mozambique coast (and probably will be
found in Natal) on outer edge of continental shelf from
140 to 180 m.
Family No. 186: NEMIPTERIDAE
by B.C. Russell
Butterfly breams,
spinecheeks
Vlinderbrasse,
stekelwange
Body oblong or elongate. Dorsal fin continuous, with
10 spines and 9 or 10 soft-rays; dorsal and anal fins in a
shallow basal groove. Jaw teeth small, villiform, in narrow
bands; enlarged anterior canines present or absent; no teeth
on palate. Scales ctenoid, covering body and most of head.
Caudal fin forked or emarginate; upper lobe sometimes
with filament. Branchiostegals 6; vertebrae 10°14.
Nemipterids are common in shallow tropical reef areas
and offshore waters to 100 m. Feed on benthic invertebrates. Good eating; species of Nemipterus taken in commercial trawls. Widespread in tropical Indo-West Pacific.
Four genera (Pentapodus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 has yet
to be found in our area); at least 40 species, 6 in our area.
Family classification treated by Johnson, 1980.
KEY TO GENERA
1a Suborbital with distinct backwardly directed
spine below eye; no canines in jaws ............................. Seoiopsis
1b Suborbital spine weak or absent; canines
present or absent .............................................................. 2
2a Suborbital spine weak; canines absent; 4-6
transverse scale rows on preopercle ....................... Paraseoiopsis
2b Suborbital spine absent; small canines
anteriorly, at least in upper jaw; 3 transverse
scale rows on preopercle ........................................ Nemipterus
Genus Nemipterus Swainson, 1839
Numerous species, not easy to distinguish; 2 species (1
probably in error) reported from our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a V reaching to or beyond vent; D membrane
not incised between the spines; body pinkish,
silvery below; 4-5 narrow, oblique yellowish
bands beneath LL; A bluish, with 3 irregular
yellow bands ................................................... N. bipunctatus
600
1b V not reaching vent; D membrane distinctly
incised between the spines; body pinkish,
silvery below; 7-8 pink saddles on dorsal part
of body; diffuse pale reddish spot below origin
of LL .................................................................. N. peronii
186.1 Nemipterus bipunctatus
(Ehrenberg, 1830)
PLATE6?
Butterfly bream
Vlinderbras
Dentex bipunctatus Ehrenberg, in Cuv. & Val., 1830: 247 (Djedda, Red
Sea). Synagris bleekeri Day, 1875: 92, PI. 24, Fig. 1 (Madras, India).
Nemipterus mulloides Smith, 1939: 219, Fig. 2 (Delagoa Bay; name preoccupied by Dentex mulloides Bleeker). Nemipterus deiagoae Smith,
1941: 450 (replacement name for N. mulloides Smith); Smith, SFSA No.
672*.
D X,9; A III,?; P 16; LL 48-50; 4 scale rows between LL and 1st D
spine; GR 5+ 10. Depth 3.3-3.5. D spines 3-10 subequal to soft Drays. C
forked.
Attains 25 cm. Widespread in tropical Indian Ocean and
Persian Gulf, south to Delagoa Bay.
186.2 Nemipterus peronii
(Valenciennes, 1830)
Notched butterfly bream
Gekerfde vlinderbras
Dentex peronii Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1830: 245, PI. 154 (locality not given). Dentex (Heterognathodon) smithii Steindachner, 1868: 978,
PI. 3, Fig. 1 ("Cape of Good Hope"). Nemipterus smithii: Smith, SFSA
No. 673.
D X,9; A IlI,7; P 16-17; LL 46-50; 3 scale rows between LL and 1st D
spine. Depth 3.2-4.1; middle D spines longer than others; 6th spine about
twice length of 1st spine and distinctly longer than soft Drays. C forked.
Attains 25 cm. Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka to
Taiwan and Australia; not yet recorded from east coast of
186.2 Nemipterus peronii: top: length not given, holotype of N. smithii (after
Steindaehner, 1868); bottom: 15.5 em (after Russell & Allen, 1984).