Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775)

Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Jufaili, Saud Al, Masoumi, Amir Hassan & Zarei, Fatah, 2022, Ichthyodiversity in southeastern Arabian Peninsula: Annotated checklist taxonomy, short description and distribution of Inland fishes of Oman, Zootaxa 5134 (4), pp. 451-503 : 460-461

1. Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775) , Native, New record

( Fig. 10 )

Etymology: Chanos: Greek , chanos , -eos, ous, and chasma, -atos = abyss, mouth opened, inmensity.

Common name: Milkfish.

Taxonomy: Mugil chanos was described by Fabricius [J. C.] in Niebuhr (ex Forsskål) 1775:74, xiv [Descriptiones animalium (Forsskål)] Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea [not Mediterranean Sea].

Holotype: ZMUC P17154 (dry skin).

Synonyms: Chanos arabicus Lacepède [B. G. E.] (ex Forsskål, ex Fabricius) 1803:395, 396 [Histoire naturelle des poissons (Lacepède) v. 5].

Short description: Body elongate and moderately compressed, mouth small, terminal, and without teeth, eye covered by adipose tissue, branchiostegal rays 4, gill rakers fine and numerous (more than 250), fins without spines, dorsal fin about midpoint of body, dorsal-fin rays 13–17, anal fin short, close to caudal fin, anal-fin rays 9–11, caudal fin deeply forked and large, scales small and ctenoid, lateral line scales 75–91. Body silvery on belly and sides, grading to olive-green or blue on back; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins with dark margin; peritoneum black.

General distribution: Red Sea; Indo-Pacific: East Africa, South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mascarenes and Persian Gulf east to Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Western Australia, New South Wales ( Australia) and Norfolk Island; eastern Pacific: southern California ( U.S.A.) south to northern Peru, including Galapagos Islands ( Ecuador); Mediterranean Sea immigrant. Habitat: freshwater, brackish, marine.

Distribution in Oman: Wadi Hasik, Dhofar Governorate ( Fig. 11 ).

Examined material: ZM-CBSU: O001. Cc 101, 2, Oman: Dhofar Governorate, Salalah, Wadi Hasik , at Hasik , 17°22’01.2”N, 55°16’58.8”E, H. R. Esmaeili, S.M. Al-Jufaili, A. H Masoumi, 04 Jan. 2022 .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Chanos chanos, Oman: Wadi Hasik, Dhofar Governorate.

FIGURE 11. Distribution map of Chanos chanos in Oman. Pink: Southwestern Arabian Coast, green: Oman Mountains, and yellow: Arabian Interior.