247: GEMPYLIDAE (SNAKE MACKERELS)
247.6 Rexea promelheoides: 17.5 em (S. Mozambique).
Body blue dorsally, silvery below. Attains about 40 cm.
Japan, Indonesia, and northern Australia; in our area, a
specimen caught in 450 - 550 m off Bazaruto Id., Mozambique (Smith, 1968) and another taken in a bottom trawl off
Maputo (Parin & Bekker, 1972); common in 200 - 500 m off
Kenya.
Genus Ruvettus Cocco, 1829
One species.
Oilfish
247.7 Ruvettus pretiosus
Cocco, 1829
Olievis
Ruvettus pretiosus Cocco, 1829: 21 (Messina); Smith, SFSA No. 861*;
1968: 13*; Parin & Bekker, 1973: 460. Ruvettus delagoensis Gilchrist &
von Bonde, 1924: 16 (off Delagoa Bay, Mozambique); Winterbottom,
1974: 7.
D XIII-XV/15-18 + 2; A 15-18 + 1; P 13-15; V 1,5. Depth about 6 in
adult and 4 in juveniles. Belly keeled between V and anus. LL single,
obscure. Scales minute, cycloid, interspersed with rows of sharp bony
tubercles.
Attains 2 m. The oily flesh may cause diarrhoea unless it
is grilled to remove the oil. Tropical and temperate parts of
all oceans, in 200 - 500 m.
247.7 Ruvettus preliosus: 25 em SL (S. Mozambique).
247.9 Thyrsiloides marleyi: 46 em (Algoa Bav).
828
Genus Thyrsites Lesson, 1831
Whitley (1951) mistakenly substituted Leionura Bleeker,
1860 as the valid generic name of T. atun.
Snoek
247.8 Thyrsites atun
(Euphrasen, 1791)
PLATE 128
Snoek
Scomber atun Euphrasen, 1791: 315 (Cape of Good Hope). Thyrsites
atun: Smith, SFSA No. 863*; Parin & Bekker, 1972: 143*; Haigh, 1972:
55*; van der Elst, 1981: 172*.
D XVIII-XXI/l0-12 + 5-7; A II-III,8-11 + 5-7; P 14-15; V 1,5. Body
compressed. Depth about 8 in SL.
Attains 2 m. Mesopelagic in cold waters of the southern
hemisphere to depths of 200 m or more; often migrating to
surface water at night. Feeds on wide variety of pelagic
fishes, crustaceans (chiefly euphausiids) and cephalopods.
Flesh tasty, eaten fresh or smoked and salted. An important
commercial fish in southern Australia, New Zealand,
southern South America and especially in South Africa.
Genus Thyrsitoides Fowler, 1929
Mimasea Kamohara, 1936 is a junior synonym. One
species.
Black snoek
247.9 Thyrsitoides mar/eyi
Fowler, 1929
Swart snoek
Thyrsitoides marleyi Fowler, 1929: 256, Fig. 2 (Natal, South Africa);
Smith, 1937: 189; SFSA No. 866*; Forster, Badcock, Longbottom, Merrett & Thomson, 1970: 295*.
D XVII-XIXlI,12-13 + 4-6; A II,11-12 + 4-6; P 13-15; V 1,5. Body compressed; depth about 9 in SL. A cartilaginous projection at tip of each jaw.
About 195 scales in upper branch of LL and about 315 in lower branch.
247.6 Rexea promelheoides: 17.5 em (S. Mozambique).
Body blue dorsally, silvery below. Attains about 40 cm.
Japan, Indonesia, and northern Australia; in our area, a
specimen caught in 450 - 550 m off Bazaruto Id., Mozambique (Smith, 1968) and another taken in a bottom trawl off
Maputo (Parin & Bekker, 1972); common in 200 - 500 m off
Kenya.
Genus Ruvettus Cocco, 1829
One species.
Oilfish
247.7 Ruvettus pretiosus
Cocco, 1829
Olievis
Ruvettus pretiosus Cocco, 1829: 21 (Messina); Smith, SFSA No. 861*;
1968: 13*; Parin & Bekker, 1973: 460. Ruvettus delagoensis Gilchrist &
von Bonde, 1924: 16 (off Delagoa Bay, Mozambique); Winterbottom,
1974: 7.
D XIII-XV/15-18 + 2; A 15-18 + 1; P 13-15; V 1,5. Depth about 6 in
adult and 4 in juveniles. Belly keeled between V and anus. LL single,
obscure. Scales minute, cycloid, interspersed with rows of sharp bony
tubercles.
Attains 2 m. The oily flesh may cause diarrhoea unless it
is grilled to remove the oil. Tropical and temperate parts of
all oceans, in 200 - 500 m.
247.7 Ruvettus preliosus: 25 em SL (S. Mozambique).
247.9 Thyrsiloides marleyi: 46 em (Algoa Bav).
828
Genus Thyrsites Lesson, 1831
Whitley (1951) mistakenly substituted Leionura Bleeker,
1860 as the valid generic name of T. atun.
Snoek
247.8 Thyrsites atun
(Euphrasen, 1791)
PLATE 128
Snoek
Scomber atun Euphrasen, 1791: 315 (Cape of Good Hope). Thyrsites
atun: Smith, SFSA No. 863*; Parin & Bekker, 1972: 143*; Haigh, 1972:
55*; van der Elst, 1981: 172*.
D XVIII-XXI/l0-12 + 5-7; A II-III,8-11 + 5-7; P 14-15; V 1,5. Body
compressed. Depth about 8 in SL.
Attains 2 m. Mesopelagic in cold waters of the southern
hemisphere to depths of 200 m or more; often migrating to
surface water at night. Feeds on wide variety of pelagic
fishes, crustaceans (chiefly euphausiids) and cephalopods.
Flesh tasty, eaten fresh or smoked and salted. An important
commercial fish in southern Australia, New Zealand,
southern South America and especially in South Africa.
Genus Thyrsitoides Fowler, 1929
Mimasea Kamohara, 1936 is a junior synonym. One
species.
Black snoek
247.9 Thyrsitoides mar/eyi
Fowler, 1929
Swart snoek
Thyrsitoides marleyi Fowler, 1929: 256, Fig. 2 (Natal, South Africa);
Smith, 1937: 189; SFSA No. 866*; Forster, Badcock, Longbottom, Merrett & Thomson, 1970: 295*.
D XVII-XIXlI,12-13 + 4-6; A II,11-12 + 4-6; P 13-15; V 1,5. Body compressed; depth about 9 in SL. A cartilaginous projection at tip of each jaw.
About 195 scales in upper branch of LL and about 315 in lower branch.