239: CALLIONYMIDAE (DRAGONETS)
239.5 Draculo celetus: 3 em male and female; left: preopereular spine, right: lower lip to show papillae (Durban).
D I + 11 (soft-rays unbranched); A 12 (all branched); P 19-21. LL with
many dorsal and ventral branches; lines of opposite sides connected
between eyes, on occiput and dorsally on C peduncle. Head 3.0-3.4.
Preopercular spine without antrorse spine at base; main point upcurved; 3
curved points on dorsal margin. In males D spine 3 times eye diameter or
more, in females as long as eye diameter.
Colour: almost uniform buff or darker, with few black
pigment spots. Attains 4-5 cm. Rocky tide pools and shore,
intertidal zone. Known only from eastern Cape Province,
Durban and Inhaca Id.
Genus Paracallionymus Barnard, 1927
Two species; 1 in our area. Paracallionymus fowleri Poll,
1949 with 31-32 branches above and below LL is known
only from northwestern Africa.
239.6 Paracallionymus costatus
(Boulenger, 1898)
PLATE 121
Ladder dragonet
Leer-drakie
Callionymus costatus Boulenger, 1898: 9 (Cape). Paracallionymus costatus: Barnard, 1927: 448*; Smith, SFSA No. 392*; 1963: 558*; Day, Field
& Penrith, 1970: 92.
D IV+9-1O; A 9 (D & A rays unbranched); P 19-21. LL with 33-40 long
branches above and 25-29 smaller branches below. Head 3.3-3.7.
Life colour yellow, fugitive. Female less brightly coloured, with D, black. Attains 15 cm. Endemic in our area,
from Liideritz Bay to Inhaca, mostly in deepish water,
55 - 400 m.
Genus Synchiropus Gill, 1860
Recently revised by Fricke (1981); 26 species, 4 in our
area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Dorsal margin of preopercular spine with 2-5 accessory
spines ................................................................ ....... .. .... 2
1 b Preopercular spine with 1 accessory spine .......... .. .... ... .. .......... 3
2a Preopercular spine with 2 accessory spines; 7-8
soft Drays ...... .. ........ ..................................... S. marmoratus
2b Preopercular spine with 3-5 accessory spines;
9 soft Drays ........................................................ S. postulus
3a A rays unbranched; V with 1 distal dark area........ S. monacanthus
3b A rays branched; V with 2 dark areas .... ..... .......... ..... S. stellatus
239.7 Synchiropus marmoratus
(Peters, 1855)
PLATE 121
Marbled dragonet
Marmer-drakie
Callionymus marmoratus Peters, 1855: 255 (Mozambique); Smith,
SFSA No. 389*. Callionymus perelegans Bianconi, 1859: 263, PI. 9
(Mozambique). Synchiropus marmoratus: Smith, 1963: 561*; Smith,
1980: 176; Fricke, 1981: 73*.
D IV+ 7-8; A6-8(D + A rays branched); P 18-21. LL without branches,
line of opposite side connected across occiput. Head 3.0-3.2. First D high
in males.
Body marbled with grey; P and distal parts of V rose or
red. ("In life, the spinous D blue stripes are so vivid that
despite the black in between, the fin looks blue in both
males and females." - M.M. Smith.) Attains 11 cm
(females) to 13 cm (males). Delagoa Bay northward; abundant in estuarine seaweed.
239.8 Synchiropus monacanthus
Smith,1935
PLATE 121
Deep-water dragonet
Diepwater-drakie
Synchiropus monacanthus Smith, 1935: 187 (Port Alfred); Smith, SFSA
No. 388*; 1963: 559*; Smith, 1980: 176; Fricke, 1981: 61*.
773
239.5 Draculo celetus: 3 em male and female; left: preopereular spine, right: lower lip to show papillae (Durban).
D I + 11 (soft-rays unbranched); A 12 (all branched); P 19-21. LL with
many dorsal and ventral branches; lines of opposite sides connected
between eyes, on occiput and dorsally on C peduncle. Head 3.0-3.4.
Preopercular spine without antrorse spine at base; main point upcurved; 3
curved points on dorsal margin. In males D spine 3 times eye diameter or
more, in females as long as eye diameter.
Colour: almost uniform buff or darker, with few black
pigment spots. Attains 4-5 cm. Rocky tide pools and shore,
intertidal zone. Known only from eastern Cape Province,
Durban and Inhaca Id.
Genus Paracallionymus Barnard, 1927
Two species; 1 in our area. Paracallionymus fowleri Poll,
1949 with 31-32 branches above and below LL is known
only from northwestern Africa.
239.6 Paracallionymus costatus
(Boulenger, 1898)
PLATE 121
Ladder dragonet
Leer-drakie
Callionymus costatus Boulenger, 1898: 9 (Cape). Paracallionymus costatus: Barnard, 1927: 448*; Smith, SFSA No. 392*; 1963: 558*; Day, Field
& Penrith, 1970: 92.
D IV+9-1O; A 9 (D & A rays unbranched); P 19-21. LL with 33-40 long
branches above and 25-29 smaller branches below. Head 3.3-3.7.
Life colour yellow, fugitive. Female less brightly coloured, with D, black. Attains 15 cm. Endemic in our area,
from Liideritz Bay to Inhaca, mostly in deepish water,
55 - 400 m.
Genus Synchiropus Gill, 1860
Recently revised by Fricke (1981); 26 species, 4 in our
area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Dorsal margin of preopercular spine with 2-5 accessory
spines ................................................................ ....... .. .... 2
1 b Preopercular spine with 1 accessory spine .......... .. .... ... .. .......... 3
2a Preopercular spine with 2 accessory spines; 7-8
soft Drays ...... .. ........ ..................................... S. marmoratus
2b Preopercular spine with 3-5 accessory spines;
9 soft Drays ........................................................ S. postulus
3a A rays unbranched; V with 1 distal dark area........ S. monacanthus
3b A rays branched; V with 2 dark areas .... ..... .......... ..... S. stellatus
239.7 Synchiropus marmoratus
(Peters, 1855)
PLATE 121
Marbled dragonet
Marmer-drakie
Callionymus marmoratus Peters, 1855: 255 (Mozambique); Smith,
SFSA No. 389*. Callionymus perelegans Bianconi, 1859: 263, PI. 9
(Mozambique). Synchiropus marmoratus: Smith, 1963: 561*; Smith,
1980: 176; Fricke, 1981: 73*.
D IV+ 7-8; A6-8(D + A rays branched); P 18-21. LL without branches,
line of opposite side connected across occiput. Head 3.0-3.2. First D high
in males.
Body marbled with grey; P and distal parts of V rose or
red. ("In life, the spinous D blue stripes are so vivid that
despite the black in between, the fin looks blue in both
males and females." - M.M. Smith.) Attains 11 cm
(females) to 13 cm (males). Delagoa Bay northward; abundant in estuarine seaweed.
239.8 Synchiropus monacanthus
Smith,1935
PLATE 121
Deep-water dragonet
Diepwater-drakie
Synchiropus monacanthus Smith, 1935: 187 (Port Alfred); Smith, SFSA
No. 388*; 1963: 559*; Smith, 1980: 176; Fricke, 1981: 61*.
773