Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Pradhan, J, Ray, D & Balakrishnan, S, 2023, First report on the occurrence of two marine ornamental fishes (Acanthuriformes) from Northern part of the Bay of Bengal, India, Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences 52 (5), pp. 261-264 : 262-263

2. Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name: Moorish Idol

1758. Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, Ed. X. (Systemanaturae per regna trianaturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editiodecima, reformata) Holmiae. v. 1: i-ii + 1-824.

Material examined: Two specimens; SL 90 – 148 mm; location: Digha Mohana, collection date: July 21, 2018 ( MARC /ZSI/F8358); Chandipur, collection date: July 5, 2013, ( MARC /ZSI/F3800) .

Diagnostic characters: D: VII+42, A: III+33, P: 19, PL / V: I+5, GR: 10. Body very deep and compressed ( Fig. 2 ). Its depth 0.82 – 088 mm in SL. Snout narrow and protruding, its length 3.65 – 4.10 mm in HL. Mouth small with slender and uniserial teeth. A bony projection present in front of eye. First dorsal spine extremely long and filamentous. Snout protruding and its pre-maxilla protractile. Caudal spine and keels absent on caudal peduncle. Dark black vertical bands present on body.

Colour: Body anteriorly white, posteriorly yellow, with alternate transverse broad white and 2 broad black vertical bands present. The first black band nearly encloses eyes in its anterior part and broadens ventrally to include the chest, pelvic fins, and half of the abdomen. Second black band is on the posterior half of the body, edged posteriorly with single white and black lines, and extends into both dorsal and anal fins. A black-edged orange saddle-like marking present on snout; chin black; caudal fin largely black incorporating a 3 rd black band, its posterior margin is with white band; dorsal fin white except for intrusion of upper part of second black bar and a yellow zone posterior to it.

Distribution: Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Rapa and Ducie Islands, north to Southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands, south to the Lord Howe Island. Eastern Pacific: Southern Gulf of California to Peru 22. From Indian coastal waters, this species was previously reported from Andaman and Nicobar Island 33, Tamil Nadu 28, Kerala 29, Karnataka 30 and Lakshadweep 34.

Figures

Fig. 2 — Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758)