Alepes vari ( Cuvier, 1833 )

Bogorodsky, Sergey V., Randall, John E. & Golani, Daniel, 2011, Four new records of shore fishes for the Red Sea, with notes on Parupeneus heptacanthus and Diodon liturosus, Zootaxa 3057, pp. 49-60 : 52-53

Alepes vari ( Cuvier, 1833)

Figure 3

Caranx vari Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1833: 48 (type locality, Pondicherry, India).

Alepes vari Smith-Vaniz in Carpenter & Niem, 2000: 2690, fig. (western Pacific to east coast of Africa).

Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin rays VIII + I,24–27; anal-fin rays II + I,20–23; scales in curved part of lateral line 42–50 (of which 0–2 posteriorly are scutes); straight part of lateral line with 0–7 scales and 48–69 scutes; gill rakers (including rudiments) 9–12 + 23–26; body moderately elongate, the depth about 3.0– 3.5 in fork length; maxilla nearly straight posteriorly; supramaxilla relatively large with an anterior, spine-like projection; last ray of second dorsal and anal fins subequal to penultimate ray; bluish silver dorsally, silvery on side and ventrally, with a diffuse blackish blotch posteriorly on opercle at level of eye; posterior margin of caudal fin blackish. Largest specimen, 56 cm TL.

Distribution. Ranges from the southern Red Sea and Arabian Gulf in continental waters of south Asia to northwestern and northern Australia, throughout the Indo-Malayan region, and north to Okinawa.

Remarks. The Red Sea record is based on the underwater photograph of Figure 3 taken by the second author at the Hanish Islands, Yemen (13° 45ʹ N, 42° 45ʹ E). The identification as Alepes vari was confirmed by William F. Smith-Vaniz. This carangid fish is usually seen in shallow coastal waters, including mangrove areas, often in small groups. It feeds mainly on the larger crustaceans of the zooplankton and small fishes.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Alepes vari, underwater photograph, Hanish Islands, Yemen (J. E. Randall).