Striped bonito
249.9 Sarda orientalis
(Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
PLATE 131
Gestreepte bonito
Pelamys orientalis Temminck & Schlegel, 1844: 99, PI. 52 (Japan).
Sarda orientalis: Smith, SFSA No. 832*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 75*; Collette & Chao, 1975: 603; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 52*.
D XVIII-XIX+15-16+6-9 finlets; A 14-15+6-7 finlets; P 24-26; GR
(2-3)+(7-10) = 9-13; vertebrae (23-25)+(20-22) = 44-45. Depth 4.2-4.9;
head 3.3-3.5; P 8.8-10.4. Jaw teeth conical, moderately large, 13-19 on
each side of upper, 11-15 on each side of lower jaw; 8-19 teeth on
palatines, none on vomer. Swimbladder absent. Body covered with small
cycloid scales behind well-developed corselet.
Five to 10 dark, slightly oblique stripes running forward
and downward across back. Attains 102 cm FL, and at least
11 kg. The all-tackle angling record is a 10.65 kg fish taken
in 1975 at Seychelles. Epipelagic, neritic. Cape St. Francis
northwards to Natal coast; widespread in Indo-Pacific, but
distribution not continuous.
249.10 Sarda sarda
(Bloch, 1793)
PLATE 131
Atlantic bonito
Atlantiese bonito
Scomber sarda Bloch, 1793: 44, PI. 334 (Europe). Sarda sarda: Smith,
SFSA No. 833*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 75*; Collette & Chao, 1967: 607*;
Collette & Nauen, 1983: 53*
D XXI-XXIII+15-18+7-9 finlets; A 15-16+6-7 finlets; P 23-24; GR
(5-7)+(13-15) = 18-22; vertebrae (27-28)+(25-26) = 52-54. Depth
4.1-4.9; head 3.7-3.9; P 7.7-9.2. Jaw teeth conical, moderately large, 17-24
on each side of upper, 13-19 on each side of lower jaw. Teeth present on
palatines (8-21), sometimes on vomer. Swimbladder absent. Body
covered with small cycloid scales behind well-developed corselet.
Five to 10 slightly oblique dark stripes running forward
and downward on dorsal part of body. Attains 85 cm FL and
8 kg; the all-tackle angling record is a 7.6 kg fish taken in
1980 at Puerto Rico. Epipelagic, neritic. Abundant off
Angola and northern Namibia. Large schools frequently
appear in coastal waters between Cape Point and Mossel
Bay during summer months. Range extends apparently seasonally to Port Alfred, and perhaps as far as Durban; tropical and temperate coasts of Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean
and Black seas.
249.10 Sarda sarda: head to show teeth and no cartilaginous crests on tongue.
249: SCOMBRIDAE (TUNAS , MACKERELS & BONITOS)
Genus Scomber Linnaeus, 1758
Three species; 1 in our area.
249.11 Scomber japonicus
Houttuyn, 1782
PLATE 131
Mackerel
Makriel
Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782: 331 (Japan); Smith, SFSA No.
839*; de Jager et aI., 1963: 13; Smith, 1964: 179*; Smith & Smith, 1966:
94*; Baird, 1977: 347; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 56*. Scomber capensis
Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 56 (Cape of Good Hope). Scomber gigas
Fowler, 1935: 378, Fig. 16 (Durban).
D IX-X + 12+5 finlets; A 1+ 12+5 finlets; P 19-21; GR (12-15)+(27-34)
= 39-46; vertebrae 14+17 = 31. Depth 4.8-6.8; head 3.6-4.0; P 8.1-9.3.
Jaw teeth fine and conical, 50-70 on each side of upper, 35-50 on each side
of lower jaw. Two patches of teeth on vomer; double row of teeth
anteriorly on palatines changing to 1 row posteriorly. Swimbladder
present; 12-15 interneural bones under 1st D. Space between rear end of
D groove and origin of 2nd D subequal to D groove.
Attains 50 cm FL. Epipelagic and demersal to depths of
250 - 300 m. Fairly common about the Cape, becoming
scarcer toward Natal. Cosmopolitan in warm waters.
249.11 Scomber japonicus: pelvic fin and single interpelvic process.
Genus Scomberomorus Lacepede, 1802
The Gulf of Guinea S. tritor (Cuvier) was thought to
occur in our area under this name or as S. maculatus (Mitchill, 1815) (see Smith, SFSA No. 842*), but its range stops in
Angola. Eighteen species; 2 in our area; swimbladder present in both.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a LL curving abruptly downward below 2nd D;
GR 3-6; body of adults crossed by many narrow
bars ............................................................... S. commerson
1 b LL straight or gradually descending posteriorly;
G R 12-15; body with various combinations of spots and
lines, but without narrow vertical bars ................................... 2
2a Body marked with broken lines and some small
spots; A 19-22 ................................................. S. plurilineatus
2b Body marked with about 3 rows of vertically
elongated spots; A 17-20 ............................................. S. tritor
(Angola northward)
835
249.9 Sarda orientalis
(Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
PLATE 131
Gestreepte bonito
Pelamys orientalis Temminck & Schlegel, 1844: 99, PI. 52 (Japan).
Sarda orientalis: Smith, SFSA No. 832*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 75*; Collette & Chao, 1975: 603; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 52*.
D XVIII-XIX+15-16+6-9 finlets; A 14-15+6-7 finlets; P 24-26; GR
(2-3)+(7-10) = 9-13; vertebrae (23-25)+(20-22) = 44-45. Depth 4.2-4.9;
head 3.3-3.5; P 8.8-10.4. Jaw teeth conical, moderately large, 13-19 on
each side of upper, 11-15 on each side of lower jaw; 8-19 teeth on
palatines, none on vomer. Swimbladder absent. Body covered with small
cycloid scales behind well-developed corselet.
Five to 10 dark, slightly oblique stripes running forward
and downward across back. Attains 102 cm FL, and at least
11 kg. The all-tackle angling record is a 10.65 kg fish taken
in 1975 at Seychelles. Epipelagic, neritic. Cape St. Francis
northwards to Natal coast; widespread in Indo-Pacific, but
distribution not continuous.
249.10 Sarda sarda
(Bloch, 1793)
PLATE 131
Atlantic bonito
Atlantiese bonito
Scomber sarda Bloch, 1793: 44, PI. 334 (Europe). Sarda sarda: Smith,
SFSA No. 833*; Smith & Smith, 1966: 75*; Collette & Chao, 1967: 607*;
Collette & Nauen, 1983: 53*
D XXI-XXIII+15-18+7-9 finlets; A 15-16+6-7 finlets; P 23-24; GR
(5-7)+(13-15) = 18-22; vertebrae (27-28)+(25-26) = 52-54. Depth
4.1-4.9; head 3.7-3.9; P 7.7-9.2. Jaw teeth conical, moderately large, 17-24
on each side of upper, 13-19 on each side of lower jaw. Teeth present on
palatines (8-21), sometimes on vomer. Swimbladder absent. Body
covered with small cycloid scales behind well-developed corselet.
Five to 10 slightly oblique dark stripes running forward
and downward on dorsal part of body. Attains 85 cm FL and
8 kg; the all-tackle angling record is a 7.6 kg fish taken in
1980 at Puerto Rico. Epipelagic, neritic. Abundant off
Angola and northern Namibia. Large schools frequently
appear in coastal waters between Cape Point and Mossel
Bay during summer months. Range extends apparently seasonally to Port Alfred, and perhaps as far as Durban; tropical and temperate coasts of Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean
and Black seas.
249.10 Sarda sarda: head to show teeth and no cartilaginous crests on tongue.
249: SCOMBRIDAE (TUNAS , MACKERELS & BONITOS)
Genus Scomber Linnaeus, 1758
Three species; 1 in our area.
249.11 Scomber japonicus
Houttuyn, 1782
PLATE 131
Mackerel
Makriel
Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782: 331 (Japan); Smith, SFSA No.
839*; de Jager et aI., 1963: 13; Smith, 1964: 179*; Smith & Smith, 1966:
94*; Baird, 1977: 347; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 56*. Scomber capensis
Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 56 (Cape of Good Hope). Scomber gigas
Fowler, 1935: 378, Fig. 16 (Durban).
D IX-X + 12+5 finlets; A 1+ 12+5 finlets; P 19-21; GR (12-15)+(27-34)
= 39-46; vertebrae 14+17 = 31. Depth 4.8-6.8; head 3.6-4.0; P 8.1-9.3.
Jaw teeth fine and conical, 50-70 on each side of upper, 35-50 on each side
of lower jaw. Two patches of teeth on vomer; double row of teeth
anteriorly on palatines changing to 1 row posteriorly. Swimbladder
present; 12-15 interneural bones under 1st D. Space between rear end of
D groove and origin of 2nd D subequal to D groove.
Attains 50 cm FL. Epipelagic and demersal to depths of
250 - 300 m. Fairly common about the Cape, becoming
scarcer toward Natal. Cosmopolitan in warm waters.
249.11 Scomber japonicus: pelvic fin and single interpelvic process.
Genus Scomberomorus Lacepede, 1802
The Gulf of Guinea S. tritor (Cuvier) was thought to
occur in our area under this name or as S. maculatus (Mitchill, 1815) (see Smith, SFSA No. 842*), but its range stops in
Angola. Eighteen species; 2 in our area; swimbladder present in both.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a LL curving abruptly downward below 2nd D;
GR 3-6; body of adults crossed by many narrow
bars ............................................................... S. commerson
1 b LL straight or gradually descending posteriorly;
G R 12-15; body with various combinations of spots and
lines, but without narrow vertical bars ................................... 2
2a Body marked with broken lines and some small
spots; A 19-22 ................................................. S. plurilineatus
2b Body marked with about 3 rows of vertically
elongated spots; A 17-20 ............................................. S. tritor
(Angola northward)
835