202: LOBOTIDAE (TRIPLETAILS)
region and jaws. Upper jaw slightly protrusible; no supramaxilla . Jaws with outer row of short, closely-set canines
and an inner band of much smaller teeth; vomer, palatines
and tongue toothless. Preopercle coarsely serrate in young,
the serrae decreasing in size but increasing in number with
age. Nostrils round, close together. Branchiostegal rays 6;
membranes narrowly united, free from isthmus. Vertebrae
12 + 12.
One genus, Lobotes Cuvier, 1829, with only 1 species.
Tripletail
202.1 Lobotes surinamensis
(Bloch, 1790)
Driestert
Holocentrus surinamensis Bloch, 1790: 98, PI. 243 (Surinam). Lobotes
surinamensis: Smith, SFSA No. 414*.
D XI-XII ,15-16; A m,1l-12; P 17; LL 43-45 (+ 5 on C); GR (6-7)+(1315) including rudiments. Depth 2.0-2.5, head 2.6-3 .0 in SL; eye 1.0-2.5 in
interorbital width. Soft D, A and C covered with scales.
Adults dark brown or greenish yellow dorsally, silvery
grey below; P pale yellow; other fins darker than body; C
with yellow margin. Attains 15 kg and 100 cm. Found in
tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans, in our area
from Kromme River (Cape St. Francis) northwards. Enters
estuaries and also found well offshore near floating objects.
Juveniles lie on their sides and look remarkably like dead
mangrove leaves . Flesh excellent.
202.1 Lobotes surinamensis: 42 em (Algoa Bay).
Family No. 203: PENTACEROTIDAE
by P.C. Heemstra
Armourheads
Pantserkoppe
Body oblong-oval, compressed. Bones of head mostly
exposed, rugose, covered with small spines and knobs in
small juveniles. Scales ctenoid, small to moderate; lateral
line complete . Mouth small; maxilla not reaching past front
edge of orbit; bands of small teeth on jaws; vomer with or
without teeth; palatines toothless.
622
Recently revised by Hardy (1983), who recognises 12
species in 7 genera; 3 genera in our area. Recorded from
rather deep (to 600 m) water in all oceans.
KEY TO GENERA
1a D IV ,25-27 , the soft-rayed part much longer than
spinous part of fin ...... .. .......................... .. ... .. ..... . Histiopterus
1b D XII-XV.8-12, the spinous part much longer than
soft-rayed part of fin ..... ............. ........ .. ... ........................... 2
2a D XII-Xm,12-13; LL about 50 ..... ..... .. .... ................ Pentaceros
2b D XIV-XV,8-tO; LL 74-86 ........ .. ................. .. Pseudopentaceros
Genus Histiopterus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
Body depth much greater than head length; D high, saillike, with 4 spines; A with 3 spines. Vertebrae 24 or 25.
Monotypic.
203.1 Histiopterus typus
Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
Sailfin armourhead
Seilvin-pantserkop
Histiopterus typus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844: 86, PI. 45 (Nagasaki,
Japan); Hardy, 1983: 179* . Histiopterus spinifer Gilchrist, 1904: 3, PI. 21
(Mossel Bay, South Africa); Smith, SFSA No. 620*; 1964: 569 *.
D IV,25-27; A m,8-tO; P 16-17; LL 60-65; GR (5-7)+(14-17). Body
depth 1.3-1.7 in SL. First 2 D spines short, 3rd and 4th much enlarged,
longer than head, subequal to 1st soft-ray. Second A spine longer and
stronge r than 3rd.
Small juveniles pale, with prominent dark blotches on
body , D, A and V; dark blotches enlarge and coalesce with
age, the body then dark, with more or less distinct narrow,
pale, vertical bands. Attains 35 cm . Cape Agulhas to Natal
in 40 - 400 m; also known from Red Sea, Oman, Japan and
Philippines.
203.1 Histiopterus typus: top: 7.5 em (off Knysna); bottom: 31 em (off South
Africa).
region and jaws. Upper jaw slightly protrusible; no supramaxilla . Jaws with outer row of short, closely-set canines
and an inner band of much smaller teeth; vomer, palatines
and tongue toothless. Preopercle coarsely serrate in young,
the serrae decreasing in size but increasing in number with
age. Nostrils round, close together. Branchiostegal rays 6;
membranes narrowly united, free from isthmus. Vertebrae
12 + 12.
One genus, Lobotes Cuvier, 1829, with only 1 species.
Tripletail
202.1 Lobotes surinamensis
(Bloch, 1790)
Driestert
Holocentrus surinamensis Bloch, 1790: 98, PI. 243 (Surinam). Lobotes
surinamensis: Smith, SFSA No. 414*.
D XI-XII ,15-16; A m,1l-12; P 17; LL 43-45 (+ 5 on C); GR (6-7)+(1315) including rudiments. Depth 2.0-2.5, head 2.6-3 .0 in SL; eye 1.0-2.5 in
interorbital width. Soft D, A and C covered with scales.
Adults dark brown or greenish yellow dorsally, silvery
grey below; P pale yellow; other fins darker than body; C
with yellow margin. Attains 15 kg and 100 cm. Found in
tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans, in our area
from Kromme River (Cape St. Francis) northwards. Enters
estuaries and also found well offshore near floating objects.
Juveniles lie on their sides and look remarkably like dead
mangrove leaves . Flesh excellent.
202.1 Lobotes surinamensis: 42 em (Algoa Bay).
Family No. 203: PENTACEROTIDAE
by P.C. Heemstra
Armourheads
Pantserkoppe
Body oblong-oval, compressed. Bones of head mostly
exposed, rugose, covered with small spines and knobs in
small juveniles. Scales ctenoid, small to moderate; lateral
line complete . Mouth small; maxilla not reaching past front
edge of orbit; bands of small teeth on jaws; vomer with or
without teeth; palatines toothless.
622
Recently revised by Hardy (1983), who recognises 12
species in 7 genera; 3 genera in our area. Recorded from
rather deep (to 600 m) water in all oceans.
KEY TO GENERA
1a D IV ,25-27 , the soft-rayed part much longer than
spinous part of fin ...... .. .......................... .. ... .. ..... . Histiopterus
1b D XII-XV.8-12, the spinous part much longer than
soft-rayed part of fin ..... ............. ........ .. ... ........................... 2
2a D XII-Xm,12-13; LL about 50 ..... ..... .. .... ................ Pentaceros
2b D XIV-XV,8-tO; LL 74-86 ........ .. ................. .. Pseudopentaceros
Genus Histiopterus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
Body depth much greater than head length; D high, saillike, with 4 spines; A with 3 spines. Vertebrae 24 or 25.
Monotypic.
203.1 Histiopterus typus
Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
Sailfin armourhead
Seilvin-pantserkop
Histiopterus typus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844: 86, PI. 45 (Nagasaki,
Japan); Hardy, 1983: 179* . Histiopterus spinifer Gilchrist, 1904: 3, PI. 21
(Mossel Bay, South Africa); Smith, SFSA No. 620*; 1964: 569 *.
D IV,25-27; A m,8-tO; P 16-17; LL 60-65; GR (5-7)+(14-17). Body
depth 1.3-1.7 in SL. First 2 D spines short, 3rd and 4th much enlarged,
longer than head, subequal to 1st soft-ray. Second A spine longer and
stronge r than 3rd.
Small juveniles pale, with prominent dark blotches on
body , D, A and V; dark blotches enlarge and coalesce with
age, the body then dark, with more or less distinct narrow,
pale, vertical bands. Attains 35 cm . Cape Agulhas to Natal
in 40 - 400 m; also known from Red Sea, Oman, Japan and
Philippines.
203.1 Histiopterus typus: top: 7.5 em (off Knysna); bottom: 31 em (off South
Africa).