Aurigequula fasciata (Lacepède, 1803)

Abraham, K. J., Joshi, K. K. & Murty, V. S. R., 2011, Taxonomy of the fishes of the family Leiognathidae (Pisces, Teleostei) from the West coast of India, Zootaxa 2886 (1), pp. 1-18 : 13-14

11. Aurigequula fasciata (Lacepède, 1803)

(Plate II, Fig. 3; Table 1–3)

Clupea fasciata Lacepède, 1803 , Hist. Nat. Poiss., 5: 460,463

Material examined. 3 specimens (2 males, 1 indeterminate) of 111 mm – 129 mm SL ( Cochin, Neendakara ) .

Description. D.VIII, 16; P. ii, 14–16, ii; V. I, 5; A. III, 14; C. 15. Ll. 62.

As percent of standard length: Total length 134.48–136.04 (135.26); fork length 113.79–115.32; predorsal 38.76–39.64 (39.06); preanal 49.61–52.59 (51.48); dorsal base 55.17–55.86 (55.61); anal base 41.38–44.96 (43.19); head 31.01–32.43 (31.49); dorsal height 39.66; anal height (20.93); pectoral 22.41–22.52 (22.47); depth 54.95–56.59 (55.57).

As percent of head length: Snout 33.33–35.00 (33.89); eye 35.00–36.11; head height 86.11–91.67 (88.43).

Body compressed, ovate and deep. Back more strongly arched than anterior part of belly. Mouth horizontal and when protracted forming a tube with downward direction. Gape of mouth when closed opposite and below the lower margin of the eye. Mandible slightly concave inferiorly. Narrow band of villiform teeth in each jaw. A pair of spines above the anterior superior angle of the orbit. Pre-opercular with its lower margin finely serrated. Lateral line, very slightly concave at commencement and convex thereafter, but less so when compared to the dorsal profile, and extends up to a little distance short of the base of the caudal fin. Second dorsal spine filiform, its tip extending up to the origin of the eighth dorsal ray, when flexed backward (only one specimen examined for this character). Second anal spine somewhat elongate, but not as long as the second dorsal. Ventrals with prominent axillary scale (its tip reaching the tip of the innermost rays). Ventrals does not reach the origin of the anal. Caudal deeply forked. This species bears moderately enlarged light organs. No sexually dimorphic with respect to internal or external features of the LOS.

Color. Abdomen and back silvery. Upper half with indistinct gray-brown vertical bands descending up to a little beyond the lateral line, numbering ten to fifteen. In between lateral line and median line of the body a few big oval yellow blotches are present in addition to a few smaller ones of the same hue. Inner side of pectoral base dotted black. Spinous anal fin with faint yellow colouring, continued marginally along the rays. Caudal fin dusky.

Distribution. Along Cochin, Quilon, Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. It does not form a fishery of any importance anywhere along the coast.