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S75
Journal of Ichthyology, Vol. 43, Suppl. 1, 2003, pp. S75–S149.
Original Russian Text Copyright © 2003 by Manilo, Bogorodsky.
English Translation Copyright © 2003 by MAIK “Nauka/Interperiodica” (Russia).
Development of the oceanic fishery and the quest
for new fishery objects and regions at the end of the
1960s of the 20th century were the beginning of sys-
tematic investigations of biological resources of the
shelf areas and subsequently—pelagic regions and
bathyal zone using large trawls. Starting from 1961 the
Soviet Union carried out multidisciplinary fishery
investigations in the Arabian Sea. Beginning from the
1963, a trawl fishery in the shelf zone was established
for this region.
Implementation of 200 mile economic zone by most
coastal states in the 1970s hampered the scientific and
fisheries investigations in this region and subsequently
led to an abrupt decrease in seafood consumption in the
following years.
The rational utilization of fish resources cannot be
performed without multidisciplinary investigation of
ichthyofauna—determination of species composition,
bathymetric distribution, and zoogeography of particu-
lar species. Species lists from numerous fishery regions
of the World Ocean, including that of the shelf zone o
the Arabian Sea, are absent in the current ichthyologi-
cal literature.
Thus, this work, based on all previous studies and
numerous collected specimens attempts to establish the
species composition of ichthyofauna and to provide an
outline of zoogeography of fishes for this particular
region.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study is based on collections made during
numerous research and fishery expeditions in the Ara-
bian Sea by YugNIRO (AzCherNIRO) on vessels
“Nauka”—second cruise (1967), fourth cruise (1969),
10th cruise (1974), 12th cruise (1976), “Fiolent”—7th
cruise (1977), 17th cruise (1983), “Dmitrii Stefanov”—
5th cruise (1990), P.P. Shirshov’s Institute of Oceanol-
ogy R/V “Vityaz”—17th cruise (1988–1989), and R/V
of the NAS of Ukraine “Akademik Vernadskii”—4th
cruise (1971), 24th cruise (1981), 33rd cruise (1986),
42d cruise (1991).
Fishes were collected with fishery and research bot-
tom, benthopelagic, and pelagic otter-trawls. Part of the
material was collected with a dredge, by angling, and
throwing nets during light stations. Specimens used in
taxonomic analysis were preserved in 4% formalde-
hyde and at present are deposited in the collection of
Zoological Museum of NNHM NAS of Ukraine. In
addition, this study partially utilizes material deposited
in the Zoological Museum of Hamburg University, col-
lections of R/V “Meteor” (Grant no. 436 UKR
17/11/95), Zoological Museum of RAS (St. Petersburg)
and Zooogical Museum of Moscow State University
(Moscow).
In total, this study is based on 945 trawlings,
39 angling stations, 22 light stations, and eight dredge
catches. The total fish collection encompasses repre-
sentatives of 30 orders, 143 families, 325 genera and
558 species. In total, 2655 fish specimens were exam-
ined.
We regard the Arabian Sea as area between western
coast of India from Cape Comorin (southern point of
India), Arabia (including Gulf of Aden) and eastern
coast of Somali up to the border with Kenia. The exclu-
sion of the Persian Gulf from our consideration is not
Taxonomic Composition, Diversity and Distribution of Coastal
Fishes of the Arabian Sea
L. G. Manilo
1
and S. V. Bogorodsky
2
1
National Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, B. Khmelnitsky ul. 15, Kiev, 01030 Ukraine,
e-mail: manilo@zoomus.freenet.kiev.ua
2
Station of Naturalists,
S. Tyulenina ul. 13-29, Omsk, 644090 Russia
e-mail: ic187196@yandex.ru
Received February 25, 2003
Abstract
—Based on new data and numerous literature sources we present a list of coastal fishes of the Arabian
Sea found at depths up to 500 m which includes 1769 species from 720 genera and 198 families. Brief charac-
teristics of families are provided, as well as their overall composition and that of the region studied. The most
abundant taxa are noted. The species composition of the coastal zone of the Arabian Sea is compared to that of
the Red Sea, South Africa, and tropical Atlantic. The ichthyofauna is classified according to types of distribu-
tion, endemic species are reviewed and zoogeographic partitioning of the North-Western part of the Indian
Ocean is considered.
S76
JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY
Vol. 43
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2003
MANILO, BOGORODSKY
accidental, since it is situated on the continental shelf
with depths 90–100 m and possesses, due to its closed
geographic position distinct oceanographic characteris-
tics, and also displays impoverished ichthyofauna com-
paring to the open regions of the Arabian Sea.
We divide the shelf zone of the Arabian Sea into
four statistical regions—the western Indian coast and
Pakistan, coast of Oman, Gulf of Aden, and eastern
coast of Somali with islands Abd-el-Kuri and Socotra.
We follow recent system of Eschmeyer (1998) with
minor changes. Genera in families and species in gen-
era are given in alphabetical order.
After the name of the order and the total number of
families, only the families are listed which have repre-
sentatives in the Arabian Sea.
Basic data on different families, genera and fish spe-
cies of the World follow Nelson (1994), with addition
of latest information on particular families. Additional
data on distribution of species in the Pacific region were
obtained from recent publication (Carpenter and Niem,
1999, 2001).
As a result of zoogeographic analysis, we outlined
12 types of distribution ranges: tropical North Indian
(NI), tropical North Western Indian (NWI), tropical
North Indian West Pacific (NI-WP), tropical West
Indian (WI), pantropical Indo-West Pacific (pI-WP),
tropical Indo-Pacific (IP), tropical Indo-West Pacific
(IWP), tropical Indian (pI), tropical Atlantic Indian
(AI), tropical Atlantic Indo-West Pacific (AI-WP), cir-
cumtropical (CT), circumglobal (WW)—broadly dis-
tributed in tropical, subtropical and partially—temper-
ate regions of all oceans. While determining types of
distribution we considered the overall spatial distribu-
tion of species, and their distribution in particular oce-
anic region or latitudinal zone.
In our zoogeographical analysis, we used method
for analyzing types of distribution developed by
Golikov (1982) and the method of determining the con-
centration of distribution boundaries (Nesis, 1985).
CLASS ELASMOBRANCHII
In the coastal regions of the Arabian Sea, the elas-
mobranch fishes are represented by 11 orders, 30 fami-
lies, and 139 species from 69 genera.
Systematics, biology, and distribution of sharks are
reviewed in numerous Russian and foreign papers
(Rahimullah, 1972; Compagno, 1984, 1988; Gubanov
et al.,
1986; Myagkov and Kondyurin, 1986; Gubanov
and Timokhin, 1989; Compagno
et al.
, 1989; Gubanov,
1993, 1997; and others).
Small order Hexanchiformes comprises two fami-
lies: Chlamydoselachidae (absent from the Arabian
Sea) and Hexanchidae, with two species recorded from
this area—
Heptranchias perlo
and
Notorhynchus cepe-
dianus
. The latter family includes four species in three
genera (Compagno and Talwar, 1985).
Order Heterodontiformes includes one family Het-
erodontidae with single genus
Heterodontus
and five
species, found in the Indo-West Pacific (total 8). One
species—
H. ramalheira
is found in the Arabian Sea
(Compagno, 1984).
Order Orectolobiformes comprises seven families
with 14 genera and 32 species. All species of this order
are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the
Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.
The sole species of the monotypic family Rhin-
codontidae—
Rhincodon typus
is widely distributed in
tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the World
Ocean and is also found in the pelagic and neritic
regions. This species is also recorded from the Arabian
Sea.
Indo-West Pacific family Hemiscyllidae, compris-
ing two genera and 12 species, is represented by four
species of
Chiloscyllium
. This family was revised by
Dingerkus and de Fino (1983).
Representative of the Indo-West Pacific monotypic
family Stegostomatidae—
Stegostoma fasciatum
is also
recorded from the Arabian Sea.
Nurse shark family Ginglymostomatidae comprises
three monotypic genera. One species—
Nebrius ferrug-
ineus
is found in the Arabian Sea.
Sharks of the order Lamniformes with seven fami-
lies, ten genera and 15 species (Compagno, 2001) are
mainly pelagic.
Representative of the sand shark family Odontaspi-
didae
Carcharias taurus
is found over the shelf of the
Arabian Sea. This family includes two genera and three
species.
Species of the family Lamnidae inhabit coastal and
pelagic regions. The family includes five species from
three genera. Widely distributed mako shark
Isurus
oxyrinchus
, also found in coastal regions, is recorded in
the Arabian Sea as well.
All three species of
Alopias
—
A. pelagicus
,
A. superciliosus
and
A. vulpinus
, from the pelagic fam-
ily thresher sharks Alopiidae are also recorded in the
coastal zone of the Arabian Sea.
The order Carcharhiniformes is the most species
rich, comprising eight families, 47 genera and about
222 species (Compagno, 1984, 1988; Nelson, 1994).
Family Scyliorhinidae is the most species rich in the
order and comprises about 110 species from 15 genera.
Species of this family are widely distributed in all
oceans ranging from tropical to arctic regions and from
shallow depths down to 2000 m. Eleven species from
five genera are recorded from the shelf and continental
slope of the Arabian Sea.
According to previously published information
(Nair and Lal Mohan, 1973; Compagno, 1984), small
family Proscylliidae in the Arabian Sea is represented
by two genera and three species. In total, there are
seven species from four genera. New records for the
JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY
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TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL FISHES S77
Arabian Sea are listed for two species of the genus
Eri-
dacnis
—
E. sinuans
and
E. radcliffei
(Manilo, 1992a).
Family Triakidae, comprising 38 species from nine
genera in the Arabian Sea is represented by only four
species from four genera.
Family Hemigaleidae, with species found in the
Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific (total seven species
from four genera) in the Arabian Sea is represented by
four species from four genera.
Large family of requiem sharks Carcharhinidae
includes 12 genera and 49 species. In the area of inter-
est, this family is represented by practically all genera,
excluding western Atlantic
Isogomphodon
and eastern
Pacific
Nasolamia
. Twenty nine species, belonging to
ten genera are recorded from the Arabian Sea. Several
genera of this family have been previously revised
(Springer, 1964; Garrick, 1982). A new record for
C. sealei
on the shelf of Socotra is available (Manilo,
1992a).
Based on cladistic analysis of Carcharhinidae, ham-
mer shark family Sphyrnidae were placed within it
(Naylor, 1992). We, however, follow Compagno (1984)
and treat this family separately. Sphyrnidae is com-
posed of two genera—
Eusphyrna
(one species) and
Sphyrna
(eight species). Three species from both gen-
era are recorded from the Arabian Sea (Gilbert, 1967;
Goonevardene, 1971; Compagno, 1984).
Order
Squaliformes
comprises four families,
22 genera and about 94 species.
Family Dalatiidae includes 17 genera and about
67 species, found in all oceans. These are mainly deep
water genera
Aculeola
,
Centroscyllium
,
Etmopterus
and others. Only four species of this family are
included in the list of species of the Arabian Sea, which
could be found above 500 m—two species of
Etmopterus
(
E. princeps
,
E. pusillus
),
Centroscymnus
crepidater
and
Centroscyllium
ornatum
.
Family Centrophoridae includes two genera—
Cen-
trophorus
and
Deania
with 14 species, found mainly at
great depths. Three species of Centrophorus, with
upper range limit above 500 m are included in the list
of coastal ichthyofauna of the Arabian Sea.
Family Squalidae comprises two genera—
Squalus
and
Cirrhigaleus
with 11 species. The latter genus with
a sole species
C. barbifer
, characteristic of Western
Pacific, was previously placed in the genus
Squalus
(Fowler, 1941). Subsequently, it was placed in separate
genus (Bass
et al.
, 1976). Five species of
Squalus
are
found in the Arabian Sea (Myagkov, Kondyurin, 1986;
Parin, 1987; Gubanov, 1993).
Family Echinorhinidae includes one genus with two
species, one of which—
Echinorhinus brucus
is found
in the Arabian Sea.
Order
Pristiophoriformes
with a single family Pris-
tiophoridae, comprising two genera
Pliotrema
and
Pristiophorus
with five species, in the Arabian Sea is
represented by only one species—
Pliotrema warreni
(Gubanov, 1993). Species of
Pristiophorus
, mentioned
by the same author for the Gulf of Aden and Socotra,
have yet to be recorded. However, according to per-
sonal communication by Dr. M. Stehmann, an unde-
scribed species of this genus is found in this region.
Order
Squatiniformes
, comprising single family
Squatinidae with one genus and 14 species, is repre-
sented by just one species in this area—
Squatina afri-
cana
(Gubanov, 1993). However Compagno (1984),
maintains that its distribution ranges from South Afri-
can Republic to Tanzania.
The only family of the order
Pristiformes
—Pris-
tidae, according to some workers belongs to Rajif-
ormes, suborder Pristoidei. Data on systematics and
distribution of this family that includes two genera and
six species, is scattered throughout numerous literature
sources (Krefft and Stehmann, 1973; Masuda
et al
.,
1984; Compagno in Smith and Heemstra, 1986; Kotte-
lat, 1989; Paxton
et al
., 1989, and others). Three species
from two genera are found in the Arabian Sea.
Order
Torpediniformes
are also treated by some
workers as a suborder Torpedinoidei of Rajiformes.
The order comprises two families, 11 genera and
57 species.
Family Torpedinidae includes about 22 species from
two genera. The taxonomic composition of this family
is not well established. Five species of the genus
Tor-
pedo
are found in the Arabian Sea (Talwar, 1981b; Car-
valho
et al.
, 2002).
Family Narcinidae comprises nine genera and about
35 species. Eight species from three genera—
Heter-
onarce
,
Narcine
, and
Narke
are found in the Arabian
Sea (Talwar, 1981a; Carvalho
et al.
, 2002). According
to latest work of Carvalho
et al.
(2002),
Narcine indica
is a synonym of
N. timlei
. We did not count species of
Benthobatis
(
B. moresbyi
), since it is found below
500 m.
The very species-rich order
Rajiformes
comprises
nine families, 56 genera and about 431 species.
Family Rhinobatidae includes nine genera with
about 48 species (Norman, 1926; Krefft, 1961). A num-
ber of workers reviewed the genus
Rhinobatos
with its
nine species, found in our area (Nair and Lal Mohan,
1973; Compagno and Randall, 1987; Randall and
Compagno, 1995). Two species of
Rhina
and
Rhyn-
chobatus
are also found in the Arabian Sea (
R. ancylos-
toma
and
R. djiddensis
).
Family Rajidae—the most species–rich within this
order, comprises 25 genera and 220 species, found in
all oceans, including Arctic and Antarctic regions from
shallow depths down to 1500 m. Taxonomic composi-
tion of this family is relatively well established (Steh-
mann, 1976, 1995; McEachrana and Fechelm, 1982).
Two species from two genera are found in the Arabian
Sea.
A new monotypic family Plesiobatidae with single
species
Plesiobatis daviesi
(previously placed in Urol-
S78
JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY
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2003
MANILO, BOGORODSKY
ophidae) was established as a result of systematic revi-
sion of the suborder Myliobatoidei (Nishida, 1990). This
species is recorded off south western India (Nair and
Soundararajan, 1973; Miyake and McEachran, 1986).
Six genera of Dasyatidae (subfamily Dasyatinae)
include 63 species. According to sources available to us
(Munro, 1955; Krefft, 1961; Okada
et al
., 1964;
Compagno and Heemstra, 1984; Masuda
et al
., 1984;
Bianchi, 1985; Compagno in Smith and Heemstra,
1986; Nishida and Nakaya, 1990), 11 species from five
genera are found in the Arabian Sea.
Small family Gymnuridae comprises about 12 spe-
cies from two genera, distributed in tropical and sub-
tropical regions of the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific.
In the Arabian Sea, this family is represented by two
species from two genera—
Aetoplatea
(
A. tentaculata
)
and
Gymnura
(
G. poecilura
).
Family Myliobatidae comprises 40 species from
seven genera (Nelson, 1994). Species of
Manta
, and
Mobula
are found in the pelagic as well as coastal
regions of tropical zone of three oceans. Twelve species
from five genera—
Aetobatus
,
Aetomylaeus
,
Rhi-
noptera
,
Manta,
and
Mobula
are recorded from the
Arabian Sea (Masuda
et al
., 1984; Compagno in: Smith
and Heemstra, 1986; Schwartz, 1990).
CLASS HOLOCEPHALI
The class Holocephali in the coastal zone of the
Arabian Sea is represented by two species of Rhinochi-
maeridae of the order
Chimaeriformes
—Neoharriotta
pinnata and Neoharriotta pumila. In total, this family
includes eight species from three genera. Representa-
tives of other families of this order are not found in the
Arabian Sea (Poll, 1951; Bullis and Carpenter, 1966;
Manilo and Movchan, 1989; Didier and Stehmann,
1996).
CLASS ACTINOPTERYGII
In the Arabian Sea, the class Actinopterygii is repre-
sented by 27 orders, 167 families, and 650 genera with
1628 species.
Order Elopiformes comprises two families with two
genera and eight species.
Family Elopidae includes single genus Elops with
six species (Whitehead, 1962). Only E. machnata is
recorded from our area.
Family Megalopidae includes two species of Mega-
lops, one of which—M. cyprinoides has Indo-Pacific
distribution, including Arabian Sea.
Order Albuliformes includes family Albulidae with
two genera and seven species. Two species of Albula
are found in our area (Shaklee in: Fischer and Bianchi,
1984; Randall and Bauchot, 1999).
The large order Anguilliformes comprises 15 fami-
lies with 148 genera and about 810 species, of which
16 species of the family Anguillidae are freshwater just
relatively. Some families are strictly pelagic oceanic.
Species of Anguillidae are found in tropical and
temperate regions, with the exception of Eastern Pacific
and South Atlantic. This family includes single genus
Anguilla with 16 species, performing catadromous
migrations. Two species are found in the shelf regions
of the Arabian Sea (Castle in: Fischer and Bianchi,
1984).
Single species of Moringuidae—Moringua micro-
chir is found in our area. Alltogether, this family
includes two genera with 11 species (Castle, 1968a;
Kotthaus, 1968) inhabiting tropical shallow regions.
Family Muraenidae comprises about 15 genera with
185 species, found in tropical, subtropical and temper-
ate regions of all oceans. Thirty four species of
muraenids from eight genera are found over the shelf
regions of the Arabian Sea (Smith, 1962a; Kotthaus,
1968; Bianchi, 1985; Böhlke, 1995; Böhlke, 1997;
Böhlke and McCosker, 1997; Böhlke and Randall,
1995; 1996; 2000; Randall and Golani, 1995; Smith
and Böhlke, 1997). Additional information on species
distribution was obtained from Rosenblatt et al. (1972),
Masuda et al. (1984), Paxton et al. (1989), Böhlke and
Smith (2002).
Family Ophichthidae is the most speciose in this
order, with 58 genera and about 280 species. The
majority of species belong to genera Ophichthus (about
60 species) and Scolecenchelys (19 species). Most spe-
cies inhabit shallow tropical regions. Systematics of
this family was reviewed by McCosker (1977). Revi-
sions of particular genera are available from several
studies (McCosker and Rosenblatt, 1993; McCosker,
1998a, 1998b; Castle and McCosker, 1999; McCosker
and Randall, 2001). Twenty three species from 16 gen-
era are included in the list of coastal fishes of the Ara-
bian Sea (Mohamed, 1958; Smith, 1962b; McCosker,
1970; Castle, 1980; Smith and Böhlke, 1983).
Small family Colocongridae includes a single genus
with five species, found over the continental slope.
Coloconger raniceps is known from the northern
Indian Ocean (Castle, 1968b; 1969). A new record for
this species is on the slope of the north-eastern Mozam-
bique Strait (Manilo, 1994).
Family Congridae is not only abundant, but is also
quite diverse, comprising 29 genera and 176 species.
Species of this family are inhabitants of the shelves of
tropical and temperate regions. Some deep-water spe-
cies, which colonized the upper bathyal zone, are also
known (Castle and Smith, 1999). Fourteen species
from ten genera are found in the coastal zone of the
Arabian Sea (Karmovskaya, 1992, 1993; Kanazawa,
1958; Kotthaus, 1968; Castle, 1968b, 1968c, 1975).
Family Muraenesocidae includes five genera with
nine species, although this family was previously con-
sidered as subfamily of Congridae (Nelson, 1984). Five
species from three genera are found in the Arabian Sea
JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY Vol. 43 Suppl. 1 2003
TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL FISHES S79
(Castle, 1967; Castle and Williamson, 1975; Castle in:
Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Bianchi, 1985).
Family Nettastomatidae comprises about 39 species
from six genera. The majority of species are found over
the continental slope of tropical and subtropical regions
of all oceans (Karmovskaya, 1986). One species of the
genus Saurenchelys—S. cancrivora is included in the
list of species of the Arabian Sea (Klausewitz and
Zajonz, 2000).
Large order Clupeiformes includes four families
with 53 genera and 267 species, inhabiting marine and
estuarine regions (Nelson, 1994).
Large family Clupeidae includes about 117 species
from 33 genera, found in marine regions. Twenty nine
species from 13 genera are found in our area. Taxo-
nomic composition of this family, new species and their
biology are subjects of the studies of Seshagiri Rao
(1972, 1974), Whitehead in: Fischer and Bianchi
(1984); Whitehead (1985).
Family Pristigasteridae comprises 33 marine spe-
cies from eight genera. In the Arabian Sea, this family
includes eight species from three genera—Ilisha, Opis-
thopterus and Pellona (Whitehead, 1985).
Family Engraulidae, composed of 13 genera and
125 marine species, is represented by five genera and
21 species in the Arabian Sea. Taxonomic composition
of this family and biology of particular species are
treated in the works of Wongratana (1983), Whitehead
(1985), Whitehead and Wongratana in: Fischer and
Bianchi (1984).
Small family Chirocentridae in the Arabian Sea is
represented by a single genus Chirocentrus with two
widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific closely
related species C. nudus and C. dorab (Whitehead in:
Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Whitehead, 1985).
Order Gonorhynchiformes includes four families
(three freshwater) with seven genera (five freshwater)
and 34 species (30 freshwater). Chanos chanos—a
widely distributed Indo-Pacific species of monotypic
family Chanidae is found in the Arabian Sea (Nelson,
1994).
Order Siluriformes by its abundance and diversity
occupies a third place after perciforms and cyprini-
forms. Of 34 known families only two are marine, com-
prising 18 genera with about 136 species.
Family Ariidae, in total comprising about 120 spe-
cies from 14 genera, in the Arabian Sea is represented
by 17 species from three genera. Ariids display maxi-
mum diversity in the Bay of Bengal and in the north
western part of the Indian ocean (Budnichenko, 1989).
Taxonomy, distribution, and biology of this family was
the subject of numerous studies (Dmitrienko, 1968,
1969, 1970, 1975, 1976; Wheeler, Baddokway, 1981;
Jayaram in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Kailola in: Car-
penter and Niem, 1999). Arius dayi described from the
Arabian Sea (Dmitrienko, 1974) is a synonym of
A. bilineatus.
Family Plotosidae comprises ten genera with about
35 species, found in the Indo-West Pacific, half of
which are freshwater. Taxonomic treatment of this fam-
ily in the western and northern Indian Ocean could be
found in several studies (Gomon and Taylor, 1982;
Jayaram, 1982; Gomon in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Three species of Plotosus are found in the Arabian Sea.
Order Osmeriformes comprises about 177 oceanic
species from 57 genera and eight families (Nelson,
1994). These are mainly representatives of pelagic and
thalasso-bathyal ichthyofauna of the open ocean or
deep-sea species (Sazonov and Ivanov, 1980; Shcher-
bachev, 1984).
Family Argentinidae includes two genera Argentina
and Glossanodon with 25 species, widely distributed in
the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Recently described Glos-
sanodon melanomanus inhabits the lower slope and
upper part of the continental slope of the Arabian Sea
(Kobilyansky, 1998).
Family Microstomatidae, with species inhabiting
regions over the continental slope of tropical and tem-
perate regions of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific and com-
prising 18 species from three genera, in the Arabian Sea
is represented by the single species Nansenia obscura
(Kobylyansky, 1992).
Two species of Alepocephalidae, with upper limit of
distribution range—above 500 m—Alepocephalus
bicolor and Bajacalifornia calcarata are included in
the list of coastal species of the Arabian Sea. The over-
all composition of this family is about 93 species from
19 genera. Systematics of alepocephalids was reviewed
by Sazonov and Ivanov (1980).
Order Ateleopodiformes includes a single family
Ateleopodidae with four genera and 11 species. Taxo-
nomic composition is not quite established. Two spe-
cies of Ateleopus—A. indicus and A. natalensis are
found over the upper slope of the Arabian Sea.
Among 13 families and 42 genera with 233 species
of the order Aulopiformes, only four (Aulopodidae,
Chlorophthalmidae, Ipnopidae, and Synodontidae) are
benthic, and the remaining nine are pelagic and bathy-
pelagic (Nelson, 1994). Representatives of Aulopo-
didae and Ipnopidae are not found over the shelf and
upper slope of the Arabian Sea.
Family Chlorophthalmidae comprises two genera
with 22 species. In a recent study (Sato and Nakabo,
2002) some species are extracted to form a new sub-
family Paraulopidae. In our study, we prefer the older
systematics. Four species of Chlorophthalmus are
found in our area (Kotthaus, 1967; Russell in: Fischer
and Bianchi, 1984), among which there is an unde-
scribed species mentioned by Shcherbachev (1980a).
Family Synodontidae comprises five genera with
about 58 species (all species of Bathysaurus are deep-
water). Taxonomic composition of this widely distrib-
uted Indo-West Pacific family was treated in numerous
studies (Kotthaus, 1967; Venkata, 1977; Russell and
Cressey, 1979; Cressey, 1981; Cressey in: Fischer and
S80
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MANILO, BOGORODSKY
Bianchi, 1984; Waples and Randall, 1988). Fifteen spe-
cies from four genera—Harpadon, Saurida, Synodus,
and Trachinocephalus are found on the shelf and upper
slope of the Arabian Sea.
Order Myctophiformes is composed of two families
Neoscopelidae and Myctophidae, comprising 35 gen-
era and 247 species, widely distributed in three oceans.
Benthopelagic neoscopelid N. microchir found over
the slope zone is included in the list of coastal fishes of
the Arabian Sea. The family Neoscopelidae comprises
in total three genera and six species.
The majority of species of Myctophidae belong to
oceanic species, with only few representatives known
to have a benthopelagic life style over the continental
slope. Overall composition of the family is more than
241 species in 32 genera (Bekker, 1983; Paxton et al.,
1984). Genera Diaphus and Lampanyctus are most spe-
cies rich. Four species from two genera Benthosema
and Diaphus are found over the continental slope of the
Arabian Sea.
Order Lampridiformes comprises seven families
with 12 genera and 21 species, which are mainly
pelagic or abyssal. Only Velifer hypselopterus of
Veliferidae, distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, was
recorded in the coastal regions of the Arabian Sea.
Kotlyar (1996) places family Polymixiidae of Poly-
mixiiformes in Beryciformes. We follow Eschmeyer
(1998) and treat this family within a separate order. The
family includes one genus Polymixia with ten species
(Kotlyar, 1984, 1996), found over shelf, underwater
rises, and ridges of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. A sin-
gle species—P. fusca is found in the Arabian Sea (Kot-
thaus, 1970a; Kotlyar, 1986a).
The speciose order Gadiformes includes about 580
species, placed in 83 genera and ten families (Cohen
et al., 1990). Gadiform fishes are found over the shelf,
continental slope, and great depths down to several
thousand meters. Gadiforms are widely distributed in
all oceans from Arctic to Antarctic and are character-
ized by benthic, benthopelagic, and pelagic life styles.
Small family Bregmacerotidae includes one genus
Bregmaceros with 12 species (Cohen et al., 1990). Sys-
tematics, development, and distribution of bregmac-
erotids were reviewed by several authors (D’Ancona
and Cavinato, 1965; Belyanina, 1974; Fursa, 1975).
Several species inhabit pelagic ocean. Two bregmac-
erotid species occur in the coastal regions of the Ara-
bian Sea.
Family Macrouridae is very species rich and com-
prises 374 species from 32 genera, with about 50 spe-
cies described during past ten years. Just three gen-
era—Caelorinchus, Coryphaenoides and Nezumia
include more than half species of this family. The
majority of macrurids are benthopelagic and could be
found at depths 200–2000 m. The first descriptions of
macrurids from the Indian Ocean are made by Alcock
(1899) and Brauer (1906). Seven species from seven
genera are found over the shelf and upper part of conti-
nental slope of the Arabian Sea (Shcherbachev, 1984;
Iwamoto in: Smith and Heemstra, 1986).
Family Moridae is characteristic for the continental
slope and contains 21 genera and 113 species. The
majority of species are bentopelagagic at temperate
regions. More than half of all species belong to genera
Physiculus and Laemonema. Three morid species from
two genera—Gadella and Physiculus are found on the
shelf and upper part of continental slope of the Arabian
Sea (Paulin, 1983, 1989; Brüss, 1986; Cohen et al.,
1990; Shcherbachev, 1993; Sazonov and Shcherbachev,
2000).
Order Ophidiiformes comprises four families,
94 genera and 379 species (Cohen and Nielsen, 1978;
Nielsen et al., 1999), with most species characterized
by benthic life style and ranging from littoral zone to
great depths.
Family Carapidae comprises seven genera and 30
species. In the Arabian Sea, this family is represented
by three species of Encheliophis, inquilines of some
echinoderms and Echiodon, with free-living bottom
species (Markle and Olney, 1990; Nielsen et al., 1999).
Species rich family Ophidiidae includes 231 species
from 48 genera (Cohen and Nielsen, 1978; Nielsen et
al., 1999). The initial material on this group from the
north part of the Indian Ocean was obtained during
Mabahiss expedition during 1934–1935 (Norman,
1939). The majority of species are deep-water and ben-
thopelagic, inhabiting the continental slope and thalas-
sobathyal zone of all oceans (Shcherbachev, 1980b,
1984). Eleven species from six genera are found on the
shelf and upper part of the continental slope of the Ara-
bian Sea (Kotthaus, 1979; Nielsen, 1995; Nielsen and
Uiblein, 1993; Nielsen et al., 1999).
Family Bythitidae, comprising 33 genera and
96 species found from the tidal zone down to 1000 m in
all oceans, in the coastal Arabian Sea is represented by
just one species of Grammonus—G. robustus (Klause-
witz and Uiblein, 1994; Nielsen et al., 1999).
Order Batrachoidiformes contains a single family
Batrachoididae with 21 genera and 77 species (five of
which are freshwater), found in the sublittoral zone of
the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Taxonomic
composition of this family in the Arabian Sea was
reviewed by Menon (1963), Nagabushanam and Rama-
Rao (1970) and Hutchins (1981). Recently, a new spe-
cies—Bifax lacinia was described off Oman (Green-
field et al. 1994), and a new Indo-West Pacific genus—
Allenbatrachus—established (Greenfield, 1997). Three
species from three genera are found in our area.
Order Lophiiformes comprises 18 families, 67 gen-
era and 312 species, widely distributed in all oceans
from Subarctic (family Lophiidae) to temperate regions
of the Southern Hemisphere (fam. Brachionichthy-
idae). The majority of species (with the exception of
Antennariidae) are deep-water, characterized by
benthic or pelagic life styles.
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TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL FISHES S81
Species of the family Lophiidae are common inhab-
itants of the shelf margin and upper part of continental
slope, distributed in all oceans. The family includes
four genera and 25 species. Three species from two
genera are recorded from the Arabian Sea (Caruso,
1981, 1983; Caruso in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984;
Caruso in: Smith and Heemstra, 1986).
Family Antennariidae includes 14 genera and
44 species, of which 25 are in the genus Antennarius
(Pietsch, Grobecker, 1987). Antennariids are found in
tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Indo-Pacific and
are characterized by benthic life style, with the excep-
tion of pelagic Histrio histrio (Pietsch in: Carpenter and
Niem, 1999; Pietsch in: Randall and Lim, 2000). Ante-
nariids inhabit shallow regions, but sume species could
be found at depths 130–150 m. Nine species from two
genera are found on the shelf of the Arabian Sea
(Schultz, 1957, 1964; Pietsch, 1984; Pietsch in: Smith
and Heemstra, 1986). For the north-western part of the
Indian Ocean, new records are established for two spe-
cies (A. commerson, A. indicus) (Manilo, 1994).
Family Chaunacidae, comprising two genera—
Bathychaunax (three species) and Chaunax (12 spe-
cies) (Le Danois, 1979; Caruso, 1989), in the Arabian
Sea is represented by two species of Chaunax. A new
record off the west coast of India is documented for
Indo-West-Pacific Ch. endeavouri (Manilo, 1994).
Unidentified Chaunax sp., collected in this region, is
also included in this family.
Family Ogcocephalidae includes 70 species from
ten genera. These are typical benthic fishes, found in all
oceans at depths 50–4000 m. Species of Coelophrys
(5 species), Halieutopsis (11), Dibranchus (13),
Halieutaea (11), Halicmetus (2), Malthopsis (6)—are
found in the Indo-Pacific and circumtropical, Halieu-
tichthys (4), Ogcocephalus (13), Solocisquama (3) and
Zalieutes (2)—are Atlantic (Bradbury, 1967, 1988).
Five species from four genera are found on the shelf
and continental slope of the Arabian Sea.
Order Gobiesociformes includes speciose family
Gobiesocidae, comprising about 45 genera and
133 species (approximately 128 marine species). Four
species from two genera are found in the tidal zones of
the Arabian Sea (Klausewitz, 1961; Briggs and Link,
1963; Smith, 1964; Briggs, 2001).
Order Atheriniformes includes about 122 species
from 20 genera and three families, found in marine
regions. Representatives of Atherinidae—three species
from two genera (the family includes 17 genera and
87 marine species) and Notocheiridae—one species (in
total two genera and six species) (Iwantsoff in: Fischer
and Bianchi, 1984).
Order Beloniformes (suborder Belonoidei) com-
prises four marine families: Belonidae, Scombereso-
cidae, Exocoetidae, and Hemiramphidae with 25 gen-
era and about 130 species. All species of this order are
pelagic, distributed in the tropical and temperate
regions of all oceans.
Family Belonidae includes six genera and 24 spe-
cies, found in marine regions. Genera Strongylura and
Tylosurus are the most speciose, comprising more than
50% of all species in the family. Seven species from
four genera are known from the Arabian Sea (Parin,
1967; Collette in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Family Hemirhamphidae includes seven genera and
52 species, found in all oceans. The majority of species
are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Family’s system-
atics was reviewed by Parin et al. (1980). Species
descriptions are given by Parin and Shcherbachev
(1972), Collette and Parin (1978). Genus Oxyporham-
phus is currently recognized as part of Exocoetidae
(Dasilao et al., 1997). Fourteen species from four gen-
era are found in the coastal zone of the Arabian Sea.
Representatives of the family Exocoetidae—are
inhabitants of the surface waters and are found in trop-
ical and temperate regions of the Atlantic and Indo-
Pacific. Exocoetids are found in the coastal, as well as
pelagic regions of all oceans. The systematics of this
family was developed by Parin (1961a, 1961b). The
family comprises eight genera and about 63 species, of
which 14 species from six genera are found in the
coastal areas of the Arabian Sea (Kotthaus, 1969; Parin
in: Fischer, Bianchi, 1984; Parin, 1996; Parin and Lak-
shminarayana, 1993).
Order Beryciformes comprises seven families,
28 genera and 149 species, widely distributed in all
oceans from shallow depths to 1000–1500 m.
Family Monocentridae includes two genera Cleido-
pus and Monocentris with four species, occurring close
to the bottom in the coastal zone and also at tropical and
subtropical underwater rises of the Indian and Pacific
oceans (Kotlyar, 1996). Only one species—Monocen-
tris japonica is found in the Arabian Sea (Yanulov,
1968; Kotlyar, 1985).
Family Trachichthyidae includes seven genera and
41 species, part of which is still undescribed (Kotlyar,
1996). Representatives of this family are found on the
continental slope and underwater rises of topical, sub-
tropical, and temperate zones of the Atlantic and Indo-
Pacific regions (Kotlyar, 1980a). Small number of spe-
cies inhabit the shelf regions. More than half of all spe-
cies belong to genus Hoplostethus (Kotlyar, 1986b).
Four species from three genera are found on the shelf
and upper part of continental slope of the Arabian Sea
(Kotlyar, 1980b; Manilo, 1992a; Kotlyar, 1993).
Family Anomalopidae includes six genera and eight
species distributed in tropical regions of all oceans
from the surface to depths of several hundred meters
(Kotlyar, 1996). One species—Photoblepharon stein-
itzi is recorded in the coastal zone of the Arabian Sea
off Oman (Randall, 1995). Ealier, this species was
recorded from the Red Sea and off Comores (Abe and
Haneda, 1973; McCosker in: Smith and Heemstra,
1986).
Family Berycidae comprises two genera Beryx and
Centroberyx with nine species. Berycids are found in
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JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY Vol. 43 Suppl. 1 2003
MANILO, BOGORODSKY
tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of all
oceans and occur above the continental slope and
underwater rises at depths exceeding 1000 m (Kotlyar,
1996). Beryx mollis, previously placed in B. splendens,
is found over the continental slope of the Arabian Sea
and (Fursa and Movchan, 1978; Busakhin, 1982; Iva-
nin, 1989).
Eighty two species of Holocentridae, placed in eight
genera, are mainly inhabitants of the shallow depths of
the tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. This
family was never fully revised. However, selected Indo-
Pacific genera were repeatedly revised and reviewed
(Greenfield, 1974; Randall and Gueze, 1981; Randall,
Shimizu, and Yamakawa, 1982; Randall and Heemstra,
1985; Randall and Greenfield, 1996; Randall, 1998a;
Kotlyar, 1998). In the Arabian Sea, the family is repre-
sented by 18 species from four genera.
Order Zeiformes comprises six families with
18 genera and 42 species, widely distributed in all
oceans, except Arctic—from Antarctic (family Oreoso-
matidae) to temperate regions of the Northern Hemi-
sphere. Zeiforms inhabit lower shelf, continental slope
and underwater rises and are characterized by the ben-
thopelagic life style.
Family Zeidae includes seven genera and 14 species
(Heemstra, 1980). The greatest diversity is observed in
the eastern Atlantic, off Japan, South Australia, and
New Zealand. Two species—Cyttopsis rosea and
Zenopsis conchifer are recorded from the Arabian Sea
(Heemstra in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Family Caproidae, according to present knowledge,
includes two genera—a monotypic Capros and Antigo-
nia with 13 species (Parin and Borodulina, 1986).
C. aper is found in the Mediterranean Sea and North
East Atlantic. Species of Antigonia are found in tropical
and subtropical regions of all oceans. Two species are
known from the Arabian Sea—A. capros and A. indica.
Order Gasterosteiformes comprises (excluding
freshwater Indostomatidae and Gasterosteidae) eight
species from five genera and three families, found in
the tropical and temperate regions of the Indo-Pacific.
Small family Pegasidae includes two genera—
Euripegasus with two and Pegasus with three species.
Species of this family are distributed in the Indo-Pacific
and are the typical bottom dwellers of the coastal
regions (Nagabhushanam and Rama-Rao, 1981; Pals-
son and Pietsch, 1989). One species is known from the
Arabian Sea—Euripegasus draconis.
Speciose order Syngnathiformes includes altogether
five families with 60 genera and approximately
300 species, inhabiting the shelf zone of tropical and
temperate regions of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.
According to old revision of Wheeler (1955), family
Aulostomidae comprises three species of Aulostomus.
One species—A. chinensis is found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Fistulariidae, according to the revision of
Fritzsche (1976), comprises one genus Fistularia with
four species, found in the shelf regions of three oceans.
According to the same author, two species occur in the
Arabian Sea (Fritzsche in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Family Centriscidae includes five genera and
11 species, found on the shelf of tropical Atlantic and
Indo-Pacific. According to Mohr (1937), four species
are found in genera Aeoliscus and Centriscus of sub-
family Centriscinae. Subfamily Macroramphosinae
includes three genera—Centriscops (one species),
Macroramphosus (one species) and Notopogon (five
species) (Heemstra in: Smith and Heemstra, 1986). The
family is in need of revision. Three species from three
genera are found in the Arabian Sea.
Small family Solenostomidae, with one genus Sole-
nostomus and four species found in tropical coastal
regions of the Indo-West Pacific, is represented by sin-
gle species in the Arabian sea, recorded of Oman:
S. cyanopterus.
Family Syngnathidae is the most speciose in this
order, comprising about 277 species from 52 genera.
Species of this family are found in the shelf regions of
the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Some species are fresh-
water. Systematics, biology and distribution of the
Indo-Pacific genera are reviewed in numerous papers of
Dawson (1977a, 1977b, 1978, 1981a, 1981b, 1982,
1983), subsequently summarized in a monograph
(Dawson, 1985), as well as paper by Lourie with coau-
thors (1999) and some others. Descripions of the new
species could be found in the works of James (1970),
Dawson and Allen (1981), Randall and Earle (1994a).
Twenty seven species from 15 genera are found in the
shelf zone of the Arabian Sea.
Order Scorpaeniformes is one of the most diverse
among the actinopterygian fishes (subclass Neoptery-
gii). In total, 23 families with 278 genera and approxi-
mately 1340 marine species are placed in this order.
Families Setarchidae, Apistidae, Tetrarogidae, Synan-
ceiidae were previously treated as subfamilies of Scor-
paenidae. Below we review families of the suborders
Scorpaenoidei, Dactylopteroidei, and Platycephaloidei,
found in the Indo-Pacific.
Small family Setarchidae comprises three genera and
five species, found in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Sys-
tematics of this family was reviewed by Eschmeyer and
Collette (1966). Two species of Setarches—S. guentheri
and S. longimanus are found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Scorpaenidae is the most speciose in the
order, comprising about 190 species from 24 genera.
The composition of the family has yet to be established.
A diversity of opinions exist regarding the status of
some taxa within this family. The majority of species
are distributed in the Pacific and Indian oceans (Eschm-
eyer and Randall, 1975; Kotthaus, 1979; Lo-Chai Chen,
1981; Masuda et al., 1984; Eschmeyer in: Smith and
Heemstra, 1986). Scorpaenids are found from the tidal
zone to great depths and are mainly bottom or bentho-
pelagic dwellers. Taxonomic composition of this fam-
ily is relatively well known, which is supported by the
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TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL FISHES S83
large number of studies and revisions of particular gen-
era—Brachypterois (Kanayama and Amaoka, 1981),
Pterois (Schultz, 1986), Rhinopias (Eschmeyer et al.,
1973), Scorpaenodes (Eschmeyer, 1969; Eschmeyer
and Rama-Rao, 1972), Scorpaenopsis (Randall and
Eschmeyer, 2001), Ebosia (Eschmeyer and Rama-Rao,
1977). Based on these and some other publications,
25 species from 11 genera are included in the list of
species of the Arabian Sea.
Family Apistidae includes three monotypic genera.
One species—Apistus carinatus is found in our area.
Family Tetrarogidae, comprised of about 39 species
from 15 genera with mainly Indo-Pacific distributions.
Three species from three genera—Ocosia (Poss and
Eschmeyer, 1975), Snyderina (Talwar, 1977) and Ves-
picula are found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Synanceiidae includes three subfamilies—
Minoinae, Choridactylinae and Synanceiinae with
34 species, belonging to nine genera. Species are found
in shallow regions. Some species are found down to
lower shelf zone. Systematics and distribution of the
family are relatively well studied (Eschmeyer and
Rama-Rao, 1973; Rama-Rao and Badrudeen, 1973;
Eschmeyer et al., 1979; Amaoka and Kanayama, 1981;
Mandritza, 1990, 1993; Mandritza and Manilo, 1990;
Manilo, 1992a). Fifteen species from six genera are
found in the Arabian Sea.
Small family Caracanthidae includes one genus
Caracanthus with four Indo-Pacific species, found at
shallow depths among corals of the continental shelf
and underwater rises (Schultz, 1966; Mizuno and Tom-
inaga, 1980). One species—C. unipinna is known from
the north part of the Indian Ocean.
Poorly known Indo-West Pacific family Aploac-
tinidae comprises about 17 genera and 39 species (Poss
and Eschmeyer, 1978). The greatest diversity within
this family is observed for Indonesian and Australian
regions. These are bottom species, found on the upper
part of the continental slope. A single species—
Cocotropus roseus is found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Dactylopteridae, according to modern
views, includes seven benthic species from two genera
(Eschmeyer, 1997). Dactylopterids are found over the
continental slope and the shelves of islands of three
oceans (Kamohara, 1938, Masuda et al., 1984). Distri-
bution range of Dactylopterus is limited to Mediterra-
nean and Atlantic Ocean, while species of Dacty-
loptena—are Indo-Pacific. Four species are found in
the western part of the Indian Ocean from South Africa
to India (Poss in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Manilo,
1992b).
Species of the Indo-Pacific family Bembridae are
found from South Africa to the Gulf of Aden and to the
east to Japan, Hawaii and Nazca Ridge in the south
eastern Pacific. The family is composed of four genera
with nine species. A description of a new species and a
revision of Bembras are given by Imamura and Knapp
(1997, 1998). One species—Bembras adenensis is
found in the Arabian Sea.
According to Nelson (1994), family Triglidae is
composed of two subfamilies—Triglinae and Peristedi-
inae. We follow Eschmeyer (1998), and treat these sub-
families at a family level. Triglids are typical benthic
species, found on island’s and continental shelves in
tropical and temperate regions of all oceans. Systemat-
ics of the Indo-Pacific genera was reviewed by
W.J. Richards (Richards, 1974; Richards in: Fischer
and Bianchi, 1984; Richards, 1992) and Richards and
Saksena (1977). New records of triglids in the western
and north western Indian Ocean are documented by
Mandritza and Manilo (1990) and Manilo (1992a,
1994). The family comprises eight genera and about
112 species, of which nine from two genera are found
in the Arabian Sea.
Family Peristediidae comprises about 38 species
from five genera. Systematics and distribution of this
family is reviewed by Miller (1974) and Heemstra
(1982). Four species from two genera are found on the
lower shelf of the Arabian Sea.
Small Indo-Pacific family Hoplichthyidae includes
one genus Hoplichthys and 11 species, of which one—
Hoplichthys acanthopleurus is found in the Arabian
Sea off eastern Somali. Little information is available
for this family (Regan, 1908; Kotthaus, 1979; Shcher-
bachev, 1984).
Family Platycephalidae includes about 18 genera
and 66 species, with mainly Indo-Pacific distribution
(two species are eastern Atlantic). Day (1878) noted
seven species of platycephalids off India and Ceylon.
Eight species are mentioned by Munro (1955) just off
Ceylon. Beaufort and Briggs (1962) describe eight spe-
cies, while Murty (1975)—13 species from six genera
inhabiting regions off India. Data on systematics and
distribution of this family, as well as descriptions of
new species are avilable from several publications
(Knapp, 1979; Knapp in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984;
Knapp and Wongratana, 1987; Knapp, 1996; Knapp in:
Carpenter and Niem, 1999; Knapp in: Randall and Lim,
2000). Nineteen species from ten genera are known
from the Arabian Sea.
Order Perciformes is the most speciose among acti-
nopterygian fishes, comprising 140 families, about
1330 genera and 7540 marine species. Most perciforms
are coastal species, distributed in all oceans.
Family Centropomidae includes four genera and
23 species (Greenwood, 1976). Centropomids are dem-
ersal fishes, found in coastal regions, estuaries and
lagoons of three oceans. Some species enter fresh
waters. Two species from two genera are recorded from
the Arabian Sea (Whitehead in: Fischer and Bianchi,
1984).
Family Ambassidae, found in marine and estuarine
regions of the Indo-West Pacific is represented by sin-
gle genus Ambassis with 20 species. Four species of
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MANILO, BOGORODSKY
ambassids are found off the west coast of India and one
off Oman (Datta and Chaudhuri, 1996).
Family Acropomatidae, according to present knowl-
edge, comprises ten genera and about 36 species, dis-
tributed on the shelf and continental slope of the Atlan-
tic and Indo-Pacific down to 700 m. Three species from
two genera are found in the Arabian Sea (Brauer, 1906;
Norman, 1939; Heemstra in: Fischer and Bianchi,
1984; Yamanoue and Matsuura, 2002). Synagrops
adeni, described by Kotthaus (Kotthaus, 1970b), turned
out to be the synonym of S. philippinensis.
Small family Dinopercidae, consisting of two
monotypic genera Dinoperca and Centrarchops
(Heemstra and Hecht, 1986), is represented by Dino-
perca petersi in the Arabian Sea (Randall, 1995b).
Family Serranidae is one of the largest within the
order. It is comprised of 68 genera and up to 492 spe-
cies, distributed in tropical and temperate regions of
three oceans. Taxonomic composition of this family
has undergone numerous changes and additions during
recent years. While earlier workers believed that there
are at least 15 subfamilies of serranids (Katayama,
1960), at present, this family is subdivided into five
subfamilies. Current literature contains numerous
descriptions of new species (Heemstra, 1973; Kotthaus,
1973; Randall and Hoover, 1993); new data on distribu-
tion (Talwar, 1976; Randall and Klausewitz, 1986;
Manilo, 1992a); reviews (Smith, 1961a; Morgans,
1982), revisions of particular genera (Heemstra and
Randall, 1979; Randall, 1980a; Randall and Lubbock,
1981; Smith-Vaniz et al., 1988; Randall and Taylor,
1988) and of higher taxonomic divisions (Heemstra and
Randall in: Smith and Heemstra, 1986; Heemstra and
Randall, 1993). Sixty seven species from 17 genera are
found in the Arabian Sea.
Small family Ostracoberycidae includes single
genus Ostracoberyx with three species, one of which—
Ostracoberyx dorygenys is found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Symphysanodontidae with one genus Sym-
physanodon and five species, was previously consid-
ered as part of Lutjanidae (Anderson, 1970), and Acro-
pomatidae (Nelson, 1994). From the Arabian Sea is
known S. andersoni, described by Kotthaus (1974) off
Socotra, which is also recorded in the Kutch Bay in the
north-eastern part of the sea (Manilo, 1994).
Representatives of the family Pseudochromidae are
found at shallow depths over the shelf regions of the
Indo-Pacific. At present, this family is comprised of
126 species from 23 genera and four subfamilies—
Pseudochrominae, Pseudoplesiopinae, Anisochromi-
nae and Congrogadinae, previously treated as separate
families, with the latter family previously placed in the
suborder Trachinoidei (Nelson, 1984). Systematics of
subfamily Pseudochrominae of the western and north-
western parts of the Indian Ocean is reviewed by Lub-
bock (1975, 1977) and Gill and Mee (1993); subfamily
Pseudoplesiopinae—by Gill and Randall (1994); Con-
grogadinae—by Winterbottom (1979, 1982, 1985a,
1985b, 1996). Eighteen species from five genera are
found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Callanthiidae includes two genera with
12 species distibuted in the eastern Atlantic and Indo-
Pacific regions. Only one species—Grammatonotus
lanceolata, erroneously placed by Kotthaus (1976) in
Plesiopidae, is found in our area.
Indo-West Pacific family Plesiopidae includes,
according to Smith-Vaniz and Johnson (1990) and
Mooi (1993), two subfamilies—Plesiopinae and Acan-
thoclininae, previously regarded as separate families.
Four species from two genera are found in the Arabian
Sea. The overall composition of this family is 45 spe-
cies placed in 11 genera (Mooi, 1995; Randall, 1995).
Family Opistognathidae comprises three genera
with 59 valid species (and about 30 undescribed),
found on the shelf of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific
regions. This family was previously regarded as part of
the suborder Trachinoidei (Nelson, 1984). Three spe-
cies from two genera are found in the north-western
Indian Ocean (Smith-Vaniz, 1974; Smith-Vaniz in:
Smith and Heemstra, 1986; Smith-Vaniz, 1989).
Indo-Pacific family Terapontidae comprises nine
genera and 13 species, found in marine regions (Vari,
1978). Four species from two genera are found in the
Arabian Sea (Kotthaus, 1973; Vari in: Fischer and
Bianchi, 1984).
Indo-Pacific family Kuhliidae includes one genus
with 12 species, found in the coastal regions of conti-
nental shelf and shelf zone of islands. One species is
freshwater and the remaining species are found in
marine or brackish regions. Two species—Kuhlia
mugil and K. rupestris are found on the shelf of the Ara-
bian Sea (Heemstra in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984;
Smith in: Smith and Heemstra, 1986).
Circumtropical family Priacanthidae comprises four
genera and 18 species, found from shallow regions to
250–400 m. Generic name Pseudopriacanthus is a syn-
onym of Pristigenys (Fritzsche and Johnson, 1981). A
new, for this regions species—Cookeolus japonicus, is
found off western India (Manilo, 1992a). A family revi-
sion was done by Starnes (1988). Five species from
three genera are found in the Arabian Sea.
Numerous species of Apogonidae are found in coral
reefs at shallow depths on the shelf of tropical Atlantic
and Indo-Pacific. Some species are found in fresh
waters. This is one of the most species–rich families of
the order, subdivided into two subfamilies—Apogoni-
nae and Pseudamiinae. The Epigoninae, now placed in
a separate family, was previously included in
Apogonidae (Fraser, 1972). There is no general revi-
sion for this family, but some regional studies (Smith,
1961b; Fraser and Lachner, 1985), redescriptions and
various taxonomic papers (Fraser, 1974; Gon, 1986;
Randall et al., 1990; Gon, 2000), revisions of particular
genera and descriptions of new species (Kotthaus,
1970b; Randall et al., 1985; Fraser and Struhsaker,
1991; Gon, 1993; Allen and Randall, 1994; Gon and
JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY Vol. 43 Suppl. 1 2003
TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL FISHES S85
Randall, 1995; Gon, 1996), new records (Manilo,
1992a, 1994) are available. There are 23 genera and
about 280–290 species in this family, found in marine
regions, of which 45 species from nine genera are
found on the shelf of the Arabian Sea.
Family Epigonidae, according to present knowl-
edge, includes seven genera with 33 species, widely
distributed over the underwater rises and continental
slopes of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. A single spe-
cies—E. marimonticolus is known from the Arabian
Sea (Parin and Abramov, 1986; Abramov, 1992).
Indo-West Pacific family Sillaginidae includes three
genera, of which two are monotypic (Sillaginodes, Sil-
laginopsis) and Sillago with 29 species, found in the
shallow coastal regions from South Africa to Japan and
Australia (Mckay, 1992). The greatest species diversity
is reached off Australia and India (Dutt and Sujatha,
1980). Eight species from two genera are recorded from
the Arabian Sea.
Family Branchiostegidae is currently subdivided
into subfamilies Malacanthinae and Branchiosteginae,
previously regarded as separate families (Dooley,
1978). They occur over the shelves and continental
slopes of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. The
family includes five genera and 42 species. Three spe-
cies of malacanthines from two genera are found in the
Arabian Sea (Randall and Dooley, 1974; Randall,
1981a; Dooley in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Lactarius lactarius—a representative of monotypic
family Lactariidae, occurs in the coastal regions of the
Indo-Pacific at depths 20-200 m (mainly 30-80 m), and
also in the Arabian Sea (Kotthaus, 1974; Ivanin, 1989).
Some workers place genus Scombrops with two spe-
cies (absent in our area) in Pomatomidae, which
includes Pomatomus saltatrix, widely distributed in
tropical and temperate regions and also occurs in the
Arabian Sea.
A representative of the monotypic family Rachy-
centridae—Rachycentron canadum, found on the
shelves of tropical and temperate regions of three
oceans (except eastern Pacific), is also recorded from
the Arabian Sea.
Family Echeneidae, widely distributed in tropical
and temperate regions of all oceans, comprises eight
species in four genera. All echeneids are “host” specific
and display a considerable degree of symbiotic rela-
tionships with the host. Echeneis naucrates is often
found free swimming in the coastal zone. Six species
from four genera are included in the list of species of
the Arabian Sea.
Speciose family Carangidae comprises 31 genera
and 143 species (Smith-Vaniz, 1984), distributed in
tropical and temperate regions of three oceans. System-
atics of the family is relatively well developed by Rus-
sian (Nekrasov, 1969, 1970; Shaboneev, 1980), as well
as foreign workers (Smith, 1967; Smith, 1972; Smith-
Vaniz and Staiger, 1973; Williams and Venkataramani,
1978; Williams et al., 1980). New records are docu-
mented for two species—Decapterus tabl and D. kur-
roides (Manilo, 1992a, 1994). Fifty six species from
22 genera are found iin the Arabian Sea (Smith-Vaniz
in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Family Coryphaenidae, widely distributed in tropi-
cal regions of all oceans, in the Arabian Sea is repre-
sented by C. hippurus and C. equiselis, although the
former species was not recorded from the Gulf of Aden.
A monotypic Indo-West-Pacific family Menidae
contain single species Mene maculata, also known
from the Arabian Sea.
Family Leiognathidae includes three genera and
34 species, found over shallow regions of the Indo-
West Pacific. Family systematics is relatively well
known and documented by James (1967, 1969, 1975;
James in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984). Some species
enter estuaries. Fifteen species from three genera are
found in the Arabian Sea.
Sixteen species of family Emmelichthyidae placed
in three genera are found on the shelf, upper part of
continental slope and above underwater rises of the
Atlantic and Indo-Pacific (Heemstra and Randall,
1977). Two species of Erythrocles—E. acarina and
E. schlegelii are found in the Arabian Sea (Kotthaus,
1974).
Family Lutjanidae is one of the largest in the order
and comprises 17 genera and 106 species, mainly found
on coral reefs in tropical and subtropical regions of the
Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Only three species are found
in freshwaters of the Malay Archipelago. Systematics,
biology, and distribution of the family are relatively
well known from the works of Russian (Druzhinin and
Filatova, 1980) and foreign investigators (Kotthaus,
1974; Allen in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Allen, 1985;
Randall et al., 1987). A new record off western Indian
coast is established for one species—L. guilcheri,
(Manilo, 1992a). Thirty eight species from nine genera
are found in the Arabian Sea.
We treat Indo-West Pacific family Caesionidae,
regarded by some workers as a subfamily of Lutjanidae
(Nelson, 1994), as a distinct family. Species of this
family (20 species from four genera) are mainly found
on island and continental shelves. Data on systematics
of this family are available from the works of Carpenter
(Carpenter in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Carpenter
1987, 1988). Twelve species from four genera are
found in the Arabian Sea.
Small family Lobotidae includes a single genus
Lobotes with two species—L. pacificus and L. surina-
mensis. The latter species is widely distributed in trop-
ical and subtropical regions of three oceans, including
Arabian Sea.
Representatives of the family Gerreidae are found at
shallow depths in tropical and temperate regions of the
Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Some species extend into
estuaries. The family comprises about seven genera and
48 species, of which nine from two genera are found in
the Arabian Sea (Woodland in: Fischer and Bianchi,
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JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY Vol. 43 Suppl. 1 2003
MANILO, BOGORODSKY
1984; Iwatsuki and Heemstra, 2001; Iwatsuki et al.,
1998, 1999, 2001, 2001a).
Species of Haemulidae are widely distributed on the
shelves of subtropical and tropical regions of the World
Ocean. Family systematics, especially that of subfam-
ily Plectorhinchinae, is not well established and is in
need of revision. The family comprises 19 genera and
about 126 species. Twenty seven species and subspe-
cies from three genera are found in the Arabian Sea
(McKay in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Johnson et al.,
2001).
Species of Sparidae are inhabitants of the shelf of
tropical and temperate regions of three oceans. System-
atics, biology, and distribution of species of this family
are well documented in the works of Russian (Druzhi-
nin, 1975, 1976; Busakhin, 1980), as well as foreign
researchers (Par, 1976; Smith, 1979; Bauchot and Bau-
chot, 1983). The highest species diversity is observed in
the Indian ocean in its north western part and also off
south eastern Africa (Yanulov, 1968). Eighteen species
from 11 genera are recorded from the Arabian Sea
(Bauchot, and Smith in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Overall, the family is composed of about 110 species
from 34 genera.
Lethrinids (fam. Lethrinidae) are typical fishes of
the shelf of tropical and subtropical of the Indo-Pacific
regions (with the exception of the eastern Atlantic spe-
cies). Family systematics was reviewed by Carpenter
and Allen (1989). Data on biology and fishery of spe-
cies of this family in the north western Indian ocean are
available (Druzhinin and Busakhin, 1977; Aldonov and
Druzhinin, 1978). Seventeen species from five genera
are known from the Arabian Sea (Sato and Walker in:
Fischer and Bianchi, 1984). In total, family includes
37 species and two undescribed species.
Species of the family Nemipteridae are shelf and
upper slope inhabitants found in the Indo-West Pacific
at depths 5–350 m. This family was previously
regarded as composed of two–three genera (Rao and
Rao, 1981). According to subsequent study it com-
prises five genera with 63 species (Russell, 1990). The
maximum species diversity is observed in the Indo-
Australasian region. Twelve species from three genera
are found in the Arabian Sea (Russell and Allen in: Fis-
cher and Bianchi, 1984; Russel, 1986; Russell and
Golani, 1993).
Scienids (fam. Sciaenidae) are found in marine,
brackish and waters with low salinity on the shelves of
tropical and temperate zones of the Atlantic and Indo-
Pacific. This family is very speciose and includes
62 genera and about 257 marine species (Nelson,
1994). The greatest species diversity is recorded off
north western India, in the Bay of Bengal and on the
shelf of north western Australia (Druzhinin, 1974;
Rozhkov, 1989). Species composition of this family in
the Indian ocean and Arabian Sea is reviewed by Tre-
wavas (1977), Talwar (1980), Mohan in: Fischer and
Bianchi (1984), Kunjipalu (1994), Sasaki (1996).
Thirty one species from 16 genera are found in our area.
Species of the family Polynemidae are found at
shallow depths on the shelves of three oceans. Some
species enter estuaries. The family comprises eight
genera and 38 marine species (Motomura, 2002). Spe-
cies composition and a revision of the genus Polydac-
tylus was worked out by several workers (Motomura,
2002; Motomura and Iwatsuki, 2001a, 2001b), the
genus Eleutheronema—by Motomura and coworkers
(Motomura et al., 2002). Eight species from five genera
are known from the Arabian Sea (Menon in: Fischer
and Bianchi, 1984; Feltes, 1991).
Family Mullidae comprises six genera and 63 spe-
cies, found at shallow depths in tropical and temperate
regions of three oceans. There is no general revision for
this family. Selected references deal with revisions of
certain genera, descriptions of new species and species
composition of particular regions (Lachner, 1954; Tho-
mas, 1969; Randall, 1974; Randall and Gueze, 1984;
Kumaran, Randall in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Ran-
dall and Myers, 2002). Twenty two species from three
genera are found in the Arabian Sea.
Representatives of the family Pempheridae are dis-
tributed in the tropical, subtropical and temperate
regions of the Indo-Pacific and western Atlantic. Some
species are known to enter estuaries. The family
includes two genera and about 25 species, of which five
species from two genera are recorded from the Arabian
Sea. The family is in need of revision.
Small family Bathyclupeidae includes one genus
with seven species, found over the lower continental
slope and thalassobathyal regions of the Atlantic and
Indo-West Pacific (Norman, 1939; Kotthaus, 1973;
Shcherbachev, 1984). One species—Bathyclupea hosk-
ynii is recorded from the Arabian Sea.
Family Toxotidae includes one genus Toxotes with
six species (Allen, 1978), found in freshwater, brackish
and marine habitats of the Indo-Pacific. In the Arabian
Sea, one species (T. chatareus) is found in mangrove
habitats off western coast of India.
Family Kyphosidae, according to present knowl-
edge, is composed of four subfamilies with 14 genera
and 44 species. All subfamilies were previously
regarded as distinct families. Kyphosids are found on
the shallow coral reef zones in the Atlantic and Indo-
Pacific. Three species of Kyphosus of subfamily
Kyphosinae are known from the Arabian Sea (Mauge
in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
Family Drepanidae includes one genus Drepane
with three species. Systematic revision of this family is
given by Lloris and Rucabado (1987). Drepanids are
found on the shelf of eastern Atlantic and Indo-West
Pacific. Both species—Drepane longimana and
D. punctata are known from the Arabian Sea (Mauge
in: Fischer, Bianchi, 1984).
Species of Monodactylidae, that includes two gen-
era and six species, are found in marine and brackish
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TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL FISHES S87
regions of the western Africa and Indo-Pacific. Some
species could enter estuaries. Two species of Monodac-
tylus are recorded from the Arabian Sea (Heemstra in:
Fischer and Bianchi, 1984).
The speciose family Chaetodontidae comprises
125 species from 11 genera (Allen, Steene, Allen,
1998), widely distributed from tropical to temperate
regions of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Thirteen spe-
cies are found in the Atlantic and four—in the eastern
Pacific (Randall and Caldwell, 1970; Burgess, 1978).
The most species rich genus is Chaetodon, comprising
88 species (Salm and Mee, 1989). Chaetodontids are
primarily found at depths 40–60 m, but some species
are found at more than 200 m. Forty species from four
genera are recorded in the Arabian Sea (Kotthaus,
1976; Allen in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984). Additional
information on species distribution is available from
Randall et al. (1997) and Myers (1999).
Angelfishes Pomacanthidae were previously
regarded as a subfamiy of Chaetodontidae (Burgess,
1974). They also belong to coral reef fish communities
of tropical waters of three oceans and sum up to 84 spe-
cies from eight genera (Allen et al., 1998). More than
half of all species belong to genera Centropyge and
Pomacanthus. Fourteen species from five genera are
known from the Arabian Sea (Allen in: Fischer and
Bianchi, 1984; Allen et al., 1998).
Family Pentacerotidae comprises 14 species from
eight genera. Pentacerotids inhabit topical and temper-
ate regions of the Indo-Pacific and south western Atlan-
tic. Systematics of this family was reviewed by Hardy
(1983). A single species—Histiopterus typus is found
in the north western Indian ocean.
Family Cirrhitidae includes 12 genera and 33 spe-
cies, found on the shelves of tropical Atlantic and Indo-
Pacific. A revision of the family, species descriptions
and data on taxonomic composition are found in sev-
eral articles (Schultz, 1950; Randall, 1963, 2001a; Kot-
thaus, 1976; Lubbock, 1978). Seven species from four
genera are found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Cepolidae comprises two subfamilies—
Cepolinae and Owstoniinae previously regarded as sep-
arate families (Okada and Suzuki, 1956; Nelson, 1984).
Cepolids are placed in four genera with 19 species (Tal-
war, 1972; Smith-Vaniz in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984),
distributed on the continental slope of the Atlantic and
Indo-West Pacific. Three species from two genera are
recorded from the coastal regions of the Arabian Sea.
Family Mugilidae is now regarded as part of the
suborder Mugiloidei. Previously, this suborder had an
ordinal rank (Mugiliformes), with families Polynemi-
dae, Sphyraenidae, Mugilidae, Melanotaeniidae,
Atherinidae, Isonidae, Neosthetidae and Phallos-
thetidae (Gosline, 1968). At present, 17 genera are
included in this family with at least 75 species (one
freshwater). Mugilids are widely distributed in all trop-
ical and temperate regions. Additional information on
distribution of particular species in the western Pacific
was obtained from a review of Senou (Senou in: Ran-
dall and Lim, 2000). Family composition in the Arabian
Sea was reviewed by Luther (1977) and Thomson and
Luther (Thomson and Luther in: Fischer and Bianchi,
1984). These authors report of 15 species from six gen-
era from our area.
Family Pomacentridae is one of the most speciose in
the order, with representatives widely distributed in all
tropical and in part, temperate seas. The greatest diver-
sity is observed in Indo-Malay region. Systematics of
this family is a complicated issue due to numerous spe-
cies complexes and color variants (Allen, 1975a,
1975b, 1991). The family is subdivided into four sub-
families, 29 genera and 355 species. There are numer-
ous works, including revisions of particular genera,
redescriptions, and descriptions of new species (Allen
and Mariscal, 1970; Randall and Allen, 1977; Randall
et al., 1985; Randall and McCarthy, 1988; Randall,
1994a). Fifty six species from 14 genera are known
from the Arabian Sea (Allen in: Fischer and Bianchi,
1984).
Family Labridae, is the second only to gobiids by
the number of species among marine fishes. The family
includes 68 genera and about 450 species, widely dis-
tributed in tropical and temperate regions of three
oceans from shallow depths to 130–150 m. Labrids are
divided into different subfamilies and tribes, depending
on a particular workers. Revisions and reviews are
available for Labroides (Randall, 1958), Anampses
(Randall, 1972a), Labrichthys, Diproctacanthus, and
Larabicus (Randall and Springer, 1973), Mac-
ropharyngodon (Randall, 1978), Bodianus (Gomon
and Madden, 1981), Leptojulis (Randall, 1996),
Labropsis (Randall, 1981c), Pseudojuloides (Randall
and Randall, 1981), Coris (Randall, 1999a), Pseudo-
cheilinus (Randall, 1999b), Hologymnosus (Randall,
1982), Halichoeres (Randall and Smith, 1982), Wetmo-
rella (Randall, 1983), Suezichthys (Russell, 1985), but
many genera also need to be revised. Numerous species
were described during recent decades (Randall and
Kotthaus, 1977; Randall, 1980b, 1981b; Randall and
Alasdair, 1984; Randall and Earle, 1994b; Randall and
Mee, 1994a) and an annotated list of the species is
available (Parenti and Randall, 2000). Eighty five spe-
cies from 31 genera are known from the Arabian Sea.
Parrotfishes Scaridae are most distinct among coral
reef inhabitants of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. The
family comprises two subfamilies with ten genera and
88 species, systematics of which is reviewed by several
workers (Randall and Bruce, 1983; Bruce and Randall,
1985; Parenti and Randall, 2000). Twenty four species
from seven genera are known from the Arabian Sea
(Bruce and Randall in: Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Ran-
dall and Hoover, 1995).
According to recent revision (Nemeth, 1994) family
Champsodontidae includes one genus Champsodon
with 13 species, found at near bottom levels at shelf
break in the Indo-Pacific. according to Mooi and
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JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY Vol. 43 Suppl. 1 2003
MANILO, BOGORODSKY
Johnson (1997) champsodontids are related to scor-
paenoid fishes. One species—Ch. omanensis is known
from the Arabian Sea.
Family Uranoscopidae is found from shallow depths
to 800 m on the continental slopes of the Atlantic and
Indo-Paific. There are eight genera and about 50 spe-
cies, with more than half of all species in the genus
Uranoscopus (Kishimoto, 1989; Pietsch, 1989; Nelson,
1994). Systematics and distribution of this family in the
north-western Indian ocean requires a special investiga-
tion. Five species from three genera are known from the
Arabian Sea (pers. comm. by H. Kishimoto and J. Ran-
dall). Distribution range of Xenocephalus (senior syn-
onym of Gnathagnus), with species found off western
coast of India, was significantly extended (Manilo,
1998).
Small Indo-West Pacific family Trichonotidae
include one genus Trichonotus with eight species,
found from shallow depths to 250–300 m. In the Ara-
bian Sea, this family is represented by two species
(Clark and Schmidt, 1966; Randall and Tarr, 1994).
Family Percophidae comprises 11 genera and 48
species, found on the lower continental and island
shelves and on underwater rises of all oceans at depth
range 100–600 m (Heemstra and Nelson in: Smith and
Heemstra, 1986; Shcherbachev et al., 1986; Parin,
1990). Four species from two genera of subfamily
Bembropinae are recorded from the Arabian Sea—
Bembrops and Chrionema, which revisions are pub-
lished by several workers (Iwamoto and Staiger, 1976;
Das and Nelson, 1996, Thompson and Suttkus, 2002).
Family Pinguipedidae includes five genera and
54 species, distributed in the coastal regions of the
Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Family systematics, a revi-
sion of Parapercis and descriptions of a new species
were published by Cantwell (1964), Schultz (1968),
Pillai and Somavanshi (1979). P. ventromaculata
described off Maldives (Manilo, 1990) is a synonym of
P. signata (Randall, 1984). Six species of Parapercis
are found on the shelf of the Arabian Sea (Heemstra in:
Fischer and Bianchi, 1984; Randall and Stroud, 1985).
Speciose family Tripterygiidae comprises 30 genera
and 137 species, distributed at shallow depths on the
continental shelves of three oceans. The greatest diver-
sity is observed off New Zealand. Revisions and
descriptions of a new species are found in numerous
works (Mohan, 1971; Holleman, 1982; Hoda, 1983a;
Hansen, 1986; Randall, 1995b; Fricke, 1997). Twelve
species from three genera—Enneapterygius, Helco-
gramma and Tripterygion are found in the Arabian Sea.
Family Clinidae is primarily found in temperate
regions of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, with
only four species found in the tropical areas of the Indo-
West Pacific. The family is subdivided into three tribes,
25 genera and about 84 species, of which one is known
from the Arabian Sea—Springeratus xanthosoma