73

BONY FISHES

FAO names : En - False halfbeak; Fr - Faux demi- bec; Sp - Falsa agujeta.

Size : 18 cm standard length.

Fishing gear : purse seines, driftnets.

Habitat : pelagic in inshore waters.

Loc. name(s) :

Oxyporhamphus micropterus similis (Bruun, 1935) HEMIRAMPHIDAE

pectoral fins relatively long, but not reaching to origin of dorsal fin

mouth terminal

Holocentrus ascensions (Osbeck, 1765)

FAO names : En - Squirrelfish; Fr - Marignan coq; Sp - Candil gallito.

Size : at least 34.5 cm standard length.

Fishing gear : traps, set nets, trawls.

Habitat : coral reefs in coastal waters; also in offshore waters to 90 m depth; a nocturnal species.

Remarks : presence in the Gulf of Guinea to be confirmed.

Loc.name(s) :

Myripristís jacobus Cuvier, 1829

FAO names : En - Blackbar soldierfish; Fr - Marignan mombin; Sp - Candil colorado.

Size : 21.6 cm.

Fishing gear : traps, set nets, trawls.

Habitat : coral reefs in coastal waters; also in offshore waters to 90 m depth; a nocturnal species.

Loc.name(s) :

Sargocentron hastatus (Valenciennes, 1829)

Synonyms : Adioryx hastatus (Valenciennes, 1829); Holocentrus hastatus Valenciennes, 1829.

FAO names : En - Red squirrelfish; Fr - Marignan rouge; Sp - Candil africano.

Size : 46 cm, common to 25 cm.

Fishing gear : traps, set nets, trawls.

Habitat : rocky and coralline bottoms from the shoreline to 200 m depth.

Loc.name(s) :

11 spines HOLOCENTRIDAE

14-16 rays

preopercular spine longer than opercular spine

broad rectangular black bars

10 spines

1 spine, 12-15 rays

no spines

black spot 10 or 11 spines

(see Plate VI, 42)

opercular spine 13 rays

preopercular spine as long or shorter than opercular spine

scales very rough

colour: red with white and yellow stripes

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74

BONY FISHES

Istiophorus albicans (Latreille, 1804)

Synonyms: Histiophorus albicans (Latreille, 1804); Histiophorus americanus Cuvier, 1832; Makaira albicans Latreille, 1804.

FAO names : En - Atlantic sailfish; Fr - Voilier de l'Atlantique; Sp - Pez vela del Atlántico.

Size : about 300 cm, common to 200 cm.

Fishing gear : surface longlines; trolling, driftnets.

Habitat : pelagic in surface waters; strongly migratory during winter.

Loc.name(s) :

Makaira indica (Cuvier, 1832)

Synonyms : Makaira marlina Jordan & Hill, 1926; lstiompax marlina (Jordan & Hill, 1926); Istiompax indicus (Cuvier, 1832).

FAO names : En - Black marlin; Fr - Makaire noire; Sp - Aguja negra.

Size : to 460 cm, common to 300 cm.

Fishing gear : surface longlines, trolling, driftnets.

Habitat : pelagic in surface waters above the thermocline, mainly oceanic and strongly migratory.

Loc.name(s) :

Makaira nigricans Lacepède, 1802

Synonyms : Makaira ampia (Poey, 1860).

FAO names : En - Blue marlin; Fr - Aguja azul; Sp - Makaire bleu .

Size : to 400 cm, common to 300 cm.

Fishing gear : surface longlines, trolling, driftnets.

Habitat : pelagic in oceanic surface waters, usually found above the thermocline; highly migratory.

Loc.name(s) :

Tetrapturus albidus Poey, 1860

Synonyms: Makaira albida (Poey, 1860); Lamontella albida (Poey, 1860).

FAO names : En - White marlin; Fr - Makaire blanc; Sp - Aguja blanca.

Size : 300 cm, common to 200 cm.

Fishing gear : surface longlines, trolling, driftnets.

Habitat : pelagic in surface waters, above the thermocline.

Loc.name(s) :

lateral line simple

pectoral fin rigid, not foldable against body

lateral line reticulated

small black spots

anus far from anal fin

dorsal fin very high ISTIOPHORIDAE

75

BONY FISHES

Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963

Synonyms: Tetrapturus belone (non Rafinesque, 1810) [Fowler, 1936].

FAO names : En - Longbill spearfish; Fr - Makaire bécune; Sp - Aguja picuda.

Size : to 200 cm, common to 180 cm standard length.

Fishing gear : longlines, driftnets.

Habitat : pelagic in oceanic surface waters, usually above the thermocline; highly migratory.

Loc.name(s) :

Parakuhlia macrophthalmus (Osorio, 1894)

FAO names : En - Dara; Fr - Crocro à gros yeux; Sp - Dara.

Size : 20 cm, common to 15 cm.

Fishing gear : beach seines, set nets, hook-and-line.

Habitat : rocky and sandy bottoms to about 30 m. Present throughout the year.

Loc.name(s) :

Kyphosus incisor (Cuvier, 1831)

FAO names : En - Yellow sea chub; Fr - Calicagère jaune; Sp - Chopa amarilla.

Size : 67 cm, common to 45 cm.

Fishing gear : set nets, hook-and-tine.

Habitat : rocky bottoms in shallow coastal waters.

Remarks : presence in the Gulf of Guinea to be confirmed.

Loc.name(s) :

Kyphosus sectatrix (Linnaeus, 1758)

FAO names : En - Bermuda sea chub; Fr - Calicagère blanche; Sp - Chopa blanca.

Size : 76 cm, common to 50 cm.

Fishing gear : set nets, hook-and-line.

Habitat : shallow coastal waters.

Loc.name(s) :

ISTIOPHORIDAE

anus near anal fin

11 spines + 1 KUHLIIDAE

dorsal fin deeply incised

mouth oblique

16 rays

19-22 gillrakers on lower limb

of first gill arch

all fins yellowish to bright orange

11 spines, 13-15 rays KYPHOSIDAE

16-18 gillrakers on lower limb of first gill arch

54-62 scales on lateral line

11 spines, 11-13 rays

51-58 scales on lateral line

76

BONY FISHES

LABRIDAE

Acantholabrus palloni (Risso, 1810)

FAO names : En - Scale-rayed wrasse; Fr - Roucaou; Sp - Tae rocas.

Size : 30 cm, common to 25 cm.

Fishing gear : bottom trawls.

Habitat : in coastal waters near rocky or sandy bottoms, from 30 to 500 m depth; solitary.

Loc.name(s) :

Bodianus scrofa (Valenciennes, 1839)

FAO names : En - Barred hogfish; Fr - Pourceau; Sp - Vieja.

Size : 43 cm, common to 30 cm.

Fishing gear : bottom trawls, hook-and-line.

Habitat : prefers rocky bottoms from 20 to 100 m depth.

Loc.name(s) :

Bodianus speciosus (Bowdich, 1825)

Synonyms: Diastodon speciosus Bowdich, 1825.

FAO names : En - Blackbar hogfish; Fr - Pourceau dos noir; Sp - Vieja lomonegro.

Size : 50 cm, common to 40 cm.

Fishing gear : bottom trawls, bottom set nets, lines.

Habitat : rocky and coralline bottoms from 3 to 70 m depth. Present throughout the year, but fished mainly during the warm season.

Loc.name(s) :

FAO names : En - Rainbow wrasse; Fr - Girelle; Sp - Doncella julia.

Size: 30 cm, common between 18 and 25 cm.

Fishing gear : bottom trawls, bottom set nets, lines.

Habitat : most common on rocky bottoms and along vegetated grounds, from 1 to 120 m depth.

Loc.name(s) :

19-21 spines

lateral line regularly curved

dark brown blotch on caudal peduncle

profile almost straight

black spot

12 spines 46-50 small scales on lateral line

dark bars

33 or 34 large scales on lateral line

12 spines black-violet bar

orange dots on cheeks

Loris julis (Linnaeus, 1758) (see Plate VI, 44)

(see Plate VI, 43)

black spot on margin of opercle

9 spines

lateral line abruptly curved

73-80 small scales on lateral line

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