2a D origin before or (in large specimens) directly
over P origin ; no scales on top of head forward
of the eyes ..... ........ ... ...... .... ..... .... ...... ... ..... ... ..... ....... Psenes
2b D origin behind or (in small specimens) directly
over P origin ; scales on top of head extend
forward of the eyes .. .......... ... ... ........ ....... ... ...... ... ... ... ...... ... 3
3a A I-III,14-25; an oval patch of teeth on the tongue .. ....... Cubiceps
3b A I-II,24-29; no teeth on tongue ......... .................. .. .. ... Nomeus
Genus Ariomma Jordan & Snyder, 1904
Two low fleshy keels on each side of C base. About 8
species; 2 in our area. Elongate species revised by Horn
(1972).
KEY TO SPECIES
la Body depth 1.8-2.4 in SL; colour silvery or bluish,
sometimes with spots ; LL 39-49 ...... ................ .... ........ A. indica
Ib Body depth 3.3-5.0 in SL; colour uniform , dark blue,
brown or blackish ; LL 50-65 ...... ...... .. ...... .. .. .......... A. melanum
Indian driftfish
255.1 Ariomma indica
(Day, 1870)
Indiese dryfvis
Psenes indicus Day , 1870: 690 (Madras); Smith , SFSA No. 852*; 1949:
846; Silas & Prasad , 1970: 184* . Psenes africanus Gilchrist & von Bonde,
1923: 8, PI. 18, Fig. 1 (off Durban). Psenes regulus (non Poey): Smith,
1961: 158*. Ariomma indica: Haedrich , 1967: 93.
D X-XIII,13-16; A III,14-16; P 21-24; LL 39-49; GR about 8+(14-16) ;
vertebrae 30-31. Head 2.5-3 .1. Ridge over eye prominent. Vertical distance from top of eye to mid-dorsal line 4 times or more in head length .
Pale blue or silvery, sometimes almost white, rarely with
spots or other pattern ; inside of opercle black. Attains 25
255.1 Ariomma indica: top: 17 cm (off South Africa); bottom: 4 cm holotype of
Psenes regulus (Algoa Bay).
255: NOMEIDAE (DRIFTFISHES)
cm. Taken in trawls over muddy bottoms in 60 - 300 m.
Mossel Bay eastwards to southern Japan.
Brown driftfish
255.2 Ariomma me/anum
(Ginsburg, 1954)
Bruin dryfvis
Cubiceps melanus Ginsburg, 1954: 260 (Gulf of Mexico off Mississippi
Delta). Ariomma melana: Haedrich, 1967: 94. Ariomma melanum : Horn,
1972: 545*.
D XI/I,14-17; A III ,13-16; P 21-23 ; LL 50-65; GR about 10+(19-20);
vertebrae 30-31. Head 2.8-3.3. Interorbital scales extend forward to
anterior edge of eye . Peritoneum dark, with few melanophores. Subdermal canal system highly developed .
Colour uniformly dark, although in life the fish may have
a silvery cast. Attains 25 cm. Taken in bottom trawls in
200 - 600 m. Tropical west African coast south to Angola;
stray specimens may be expected in our area, also known
from Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico to New York.
255.2 Ariomma melanum: 13.5 cm SL (after Horn, 1972).
Genus Cubiceps Lowe, 1843
About 6 species; 4 in our area. Recent revision by Butler
(1979). The genus is still in need of work, especially as
regards its distinction from Psenes .
KEY TO SPECIES
(modified from Butler, 1979)
l a Teeth on roof of mouth in broad knobby patches .. .. .. .. .... .... ... ... 2
Ib Teeth on roof of mouth in single rows or absent .. .. ........ .. ..... .. .. 3
2a D X-XIII ,15-17; A II,14-16; V origin behind
D origin and P base .......... ...... .. .. .... ............. .. . C. pauciradiatus
2b D XIII ,23-27; A III ,19-24; V origin under D origin
and end of P base ..... ...... .... .... .................. .. .. .... ... C. caeruleus
3a Upper procurrent Crays 7-10 .. .... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... ... ...... . C. baxteri
3b Upper procurrent Crays 11-12 .. .. .. ... ............ ... ... .. ... C. capensis
Black fathead
255.3 Cubiceps baxteri
McCulloch, 1923
Swart vetkop
Cubiceps baxteri McCulloch, 1923: 15, PI. 1 (Lord Howe Id., Australia); Butler, 1979: 228* . Cubiceps caeruleus (non Regan): Haedrich,
847
over P origin ; no scales on top of head forward
of the eyes ..... ........ ... ...... .... ..... .... ...... ... ..... ... ..... ....... Psenes
2b D origin behind or (in small specimens) directly
over P origin ; scales on top of head extend
forward of the eyes .. .......... ... ... ........ ....... ... ...... ... ... ... ...... ... 3
3a A I-III,14-25; an oval patch of teeth on the tongue .. ....... Cubiceps
3b A I-II,24-29; no teeth on tongue ......... .................. .. .. ... Nomeus
Genus Ariomma Jordan & Snyder, 1904
Two low fleshy keels on each side of C base. About 8
species; 2 in our area. Elongate species revised by Horn
(1972).
KEY TO SPECIES
la Body depth 1.8-2.4 in SL; colour silvery or bluish,
sometimes with spots ; LL 39-49 ...... ................ .... ........ A. indica
Ib Body depth 3.3-5.0 in SL; colour uniform , dark blue,
brown or blackish ; LL 50-65 ...... ...... .. ...... .. .. .......... A. melanum
Indian driftfish
255.1 Ariomma indica
(Day, 1870)
Indiese dryfvis
Psenes indicus Day , 1870: 690 (Madras); Smith , SFSA No. 852*; 1949:
846; Silas & Prasad , 1970: 184* . Psenes africanus Gilchrist & von Bonde,
1923: 8, PI. 18, Fig. 1 (off Durban). Psenes regulus (non Poey): Smith,
1961: 158*. Ariomma indica: Haedrich , 1967: 93.
D X-XIII,13-16; A III,14-16; P 21-24; LL 39-49; GR about 8+(14-16) ;
vertebrae 30-31. Head 2.5-3 .1. Ridge over eye prominent. Vertical distance from top of eye to mid-dorsal line 4 times or more in head length .
Pale blue or silvery, sometimes almost white, rarely with
spots or other pattern ; inside of opercle black. Attains 25
255.1 Ariomma indica: top: 17 cm (off South Africa); bottom: 4 cm holotype of
Psenes regulus (Algoa Bay).
255: NOMEIDAE (DRIFTFISHES)
cm. Taken in trawls over muddy bottoms in 60 - 300 m.
Mossel Bay eastwards to southern Japan.
Brown driftfish
255.2 Ariomma me/anum
(Ginsburg, 1954)
Bruin dryfvis
Cubiceps melanus Ginsburg, 1954: 260 (Gulf of Mexico off Mississippi
Delta). Ariomma melana: Haedrich, 1967: 94. Ariomma melanum : Horn,
1972: 545*.
D XI/I,14-17; A III ,13-16; P 21-23 ; LL 50-65; GR about 10+(19-20);
vertebrae 30-31. Head 2.8-3.3. Interorbital scales extend forward to
anterior edge of eye . Peritoneum dark, with few melanophores. Subdermal canal system highly developed .
Colour uniformly dark, although in life the fish may have
a silvery cast. Attains 25 cm. Taken in bottom trawls in
200 - 600 m. Tropical west African coast south to Angola;
stray specimens may be expected in our area, also known
from Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico to New York.
255.2 Ariomma melanum: 13.5 cm SL (after Horn, 1972).
Genus Cubiceps Lowe, 1843
About 6 species; 4 in our area. Recent revision by Butler
(1979). The genus is still in need of work, especially as
regards its distinction from Psenes .
KEY TO SPECIES
(modified from Butler, 1979)
l a Teeth on roof of mouth in broad knobby patches .. .. .. .. .... .... ... ... 2
Ib Teeth on roof of mouth in single rows or absent .. .. ........ .. ..... .. .. 3
2a D X-XIII ,15-17; A II,14-16; V origin behind
D origin and P base .......... ...... .. .. .... ............. .. . C. pauciradiatus
2b D XIII ,23-27; A III ,19-24; V origin under D origin
and end of P base ..... ...... .... .... .................. .. .. .... ... C. caeruleus
3a Upper procurrent Crays 7-10 .. .... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... ... ...... . C. baxteri
3b Upper procurrent Crays 11-12 .. .. .. ... ............ ... ... .. ... C. capensis
Black fathead
255.3 Cubiceps baxteri
McCulloch, 1923
Swart vetkop
Cubiceps baxteri McCulloch, 1923: 15, PI. 1 (Lord Howe Id., Australia); Butler, 1979: 228* . Cubiceps caeruleus (non Regan): Haedrich,
847