Adults uniformly dark leaden to bluish black; juveniles
with 6-7 wide, dark bands with pale interspaces. Tongue,
roof and floor of mouth white or cream coloured, rest of
mouth blue black. Attains 48 cm. Apparently an oceanic
species; at surface, pelagic and benthic, usually in small
schools. In Indian Ocean only known from Algoa Bay and
Tanzania; elsewhere from scattered localities circumtropically.
210.54 Uraspis secunda: 32.5 em FL.
Family No. 211: CORYPHAENIDAE
by M.M. Smith
Dolphinfish
Dorades
Elongate compressed body with small cycloid scales;
dorsal fin from nape almost to caudal fin with no finlets;
caudal fin deeply forked; pelvic fins well developed; bands
of teeth on jaws, vomer and palatines.
Only one genus with 2 large colourful species; worldwide
tropical fishes of the open ocean, but sometimes caught
near land. Swift predators feeding on fish and squid, often
follow ships and congregate balow floating objects. Flesh
highly esteemed. Revised by Gibbs & Collette, 1959.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Greatest body depth in adults more than 25 %
SL; Drays 52-59; tooth patch on tongue almost
square ; P equals 12 head length .... .... ... .. ...... .. .. ......... C. equise/is
C. equiselis
C. hippurus
Ib Greatest body depth in adults less than 25%
SL; Drays 58-66; tooth patch on tongue oval; P
more than 12 head length ...... .. .. ...... ......... .. .. ..... .. .. .. C. hippurus
211.1 Coryphaena equiselis
Linnaeus, 1758
Pompano dolphinfish
Pompano-dorade
Coryphaena Equise/is Linnaeus, 1758: 261 (open ocean) . Gibbs &
Collette , 1959* .
212: RACHYCENTRIDAE (COBIAS)
D 52-59; A 23-29; P 18-21 ; vertebrae 33; LL 160-200; GR young
(1-2)+(10-11), adults 0+(8-10).
The pompano dolphinfish is much rarer than, but so similar to, C. hippurus that it has probably been confused with
that species . Not definitely known from our area, but probably occurs here. Attains 75 cm. Adults appear to be more
strictly oceanic than C. hippurus.
211.1 Coryphaena equise/is: 50 em (after Collette, 1984).
211.2 Coryphaena hippurus
Linnaeus, 1758
PLATE 83
Dolphinfish
Dorade
Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758: 261 (open ocean) ; Smith, SFSA
No. 872*; Gibbs & Collette , 1959*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 134*; van der
Eist, 1981: 163* .
D 58-67 ; A 25-30; P 17-20; vertebrae 31 ; LL 200-280; GR young
(1-2)+(6-11), adults 0+(8-9). Head profile of male starts developing a
bony crest after length 30 cm, becoming vertical in large fish (200 cm).
Colour gorgeous, as illustrated; juveniles with light tips
to C. Juveniles pelagic but often drift into estuaries, where
their cryptic colouring provides good camouflage in the seaweeds. Attains 2 m and 39.5 kg. One of the famous game
fishes of the world, known throughout all tropical and subtropical waters to 35°S , with occasional large adults being
caught off the Cape south coast. Often caught trolling in
open tropical waters, as very partial to flying fish.
Family No. 212: RACHYCENTRIDAE
by M.M. Smith
Cobia
Kobia
Body elongate, subcylindrical, with minute scales; head
broad, depressed; mouth large with bands of fine teeth in
jaws, on palate bones and tongue. Gasbladder absent;
vertebrae 12+ 13. This family contains a single genus,
Rachycentron Kaup, 1826 and one species.
661
with 6-7 wide, dark bands with pale interspaces. Tongue,
roof and floor of mouth white or cream coloured, rest of
mouth blue black. Attains 48 cm. Apparently an oceanic
species; at surface, pelagic and benthic, usually in small
schools. In Indian Ocean only known from Algoa Bay and
Tanzania; elsewhere from scattered localities circumtropically.
210.54 Uraspis secunda: 32.5 em FL.
Family No. 211: CORYPHAENIDAE
by M.M. Smith
Dolphinfish
Dorades
Elongate compressed body with small cycloid scales;
dorsal fin from nape almost to caudal fin with no finlets;
caudal fin deeply forked; pelvic fins well developed; bands
of teeth on jaws, vomer and palatines.
Only one genus with 2 large colourful species; worldwide
tropical fishes of the open ocean, but sometimes caught
near land. Swift predators feeding on fish and squid, often
follow ships and congregate balow floating objects. Flesh
highly esteemed. Revised by Gibbs & Collette, 1959.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Greatest body depth in adults more than 25 %
SL; Drays 52-59; tooth patch on tongue almost
square ; P equals 12 head length .... .... ... .. ...... .. .. ......... C. equise/is
C. equiselis
C. hippurus
Ib Greatest body depth in adults less than 25%
SL; Drays 58-66; tooth patch on tongue oval; P
more than 12 head length ...... .. .. ...... ......... .. .. ..... .. .. .. C. hippurus
211.1 Coryphaena equiselis
Linnaeus, 1758
Pompano dolphinfish
Pompano-dorade
Coryphaena Equise/is Linnaeus, 1758: 261 (open ocean) . Gibbs &
Collette , 1959* .
212: RACHYCENTRIDAE (COBIAS)
D 52-59; A 23-29; P 18-21 ; vertebrae 33; LL 160-200; GR young
(1-2)+(10-11), adults 0+(8-10).
The pompano dolphinfish is much rarer than, but so similar to, C. hippurus that it has probably been confused with
that species . Not definitely known from our area, but probably occurs here. Attains 75 cm. Adults appear to be more
strictly oceanic than C. hippurus.
211.1 Coryphaena equise/is: 50 em (after Collette, 1984).
211.2 Coryphaena hippurus
Linnaeus, 1758
PLATE 83
Dolphinfish
Dorade
Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758: 261 (open ocean) ; Smith, SFSA
No. 872*; Gibbs & Collette , 1959*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 134*; van der
Eist, 1981: 163* .
D 58-67 ; A 25-30; P 17-20; vertebrae 31 ; LL 200-280; GR young
(1-2)+(6-11), adults 0+(8-9). Head profile of male starts developing a
bony crest after length 30 cm, becoming vertical in large fish (200 cm).
Colour gorgeous, as illustrated; juveniles with light tips
to C. Juveniles pelagic but often drift into estuaries, where
their cryptic colouring provides good camouflage in the seaweeds. Attains 2 m and 39.5 kg. One of the famous game
fishes of the world, known throughout all tropical and subtropical waters to 35°S , with occasional large adults being
caught off the Cape south coast. Often caught trolling in
open tropical waters, as very partial to flying fish.
Family No. 212: RACHYCENTRIDAE
by M.M. Smith
Cobia
Kobia
Body elongate, subcylindrical, with minute scales; head
broad, depressed; mouth large with bands of fine teeth in
jaws, on palate bones and tongue. Gasbladder absent;
vertebrae 12+ 13. This family contains a single genus,
Rachycentron Kaup, 1826 and one species.
661