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INT. J. BIOL. BIOTECH., 16 (4): 979-981, 2019.
FIRST OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE OCCURRENCE OF SNAKE MACKEREL
GEMPYLUS SERPENS CUVIER, 1829 (FAMILY GEMPYLIDAE) IN PAKISTAN
Hamid Badar Osmany, Kashifa Zohra and Hina Manzoor
Marine Fisheries Department, Karachi, Pakistan.
hamid61612002@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Landing of pelagic oceanic species are very rear specially rounded and elongate body shape fishes which normally
escape in pelagic gillnets. This is the first confirmed record of pelagic oceanic species Gempylus serpens Cuvier, 1829
commonly called as snake mackerel from Pakistani waters. A sample measuring 83 cm collected from Karachi fish
harbor on 20th February 2019.Unique character of the sample were larger lower jaw, dorsal and anal finlets, three large
fang on upper jaw, two lateral lines. This document provides a short brief with supporting photograph of the sample
and distribution.
Key words: Snake mackerel Gempylus serpens, Gempylidae, Swatch area, Pakistan
INTRODUCTION
Family Gempylidae includes the cutlassfish, escolares, oilfish and snake mackerels with twenty four species of
sixteen genera found globally(Nelson 2006) only one species Neoepinnula orentalis, Gilchrist and von Bond, 1924
found in Pakistani water (Psomadakis et al., 2015). Members of this family have elongate and compressed body
with strong teeth found in tropical and subtropical seas. Now Gempylus serpensis the second species of this family
discovered from Pakistani water and the only species which has place in genus Gempylus. This species first time
recorded from Jamaica, Western Atlantic. Previously it is described with synonyms by different ichthyologist as
Muraena compressa (Walbaum, 1792); Acinacea notha and Gempylus notha (Bory de Saint –Vincent, 1804);
Lemnisoma thyrsitoides (Lesson, 1831); Gempylus coluber (Cuvier, 1832); Gempylus ophidianus (Poey, 1860)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
According to concerned fisherman, this single specimen measuring 83 cm was collected on 15th February 2019
from the swatch area of Sindh, east of Karachi on 220 meter depth in pelagic gill net from where the first author
obtained this specimen from Karachi fish harbor on 20th February 2019.
Relevant Information regarding capturing, area, net and depth obtained. Morphometric study conducted with
photograph which sent to relevant expert for confirmation. After verification specimen fixed in 10 % formalin
solution and kept in museum of Marine Fisheries Department, Karachi, Government of Pakistan.
DESCRIPTION
Deeply elongated compressed body. Pointed snout, both jaws ending on a fleshy growth, lower jaw larger then
upper and sharply pointed, (Fig.1) large mouth, large teeth widely distance maxilla reached down to center of eye,
(Fig.2) three large fangs on the roof of upper jaw, (Fig.3), palatine teeth minute, vomer toothless and rough, large
eye interorbital area smooth, (Fig.4) two closed separate dorsal fins, first covered a long area with 28 spines, (Fig.1)
second with one small spine and 11 soft rays with 6 finlets; anal fin with 2 spines and 10 soft rays with 6 finlets;
(Fig.5) pectoral fins shorter then head length but somewhat longer than snout having 13 soft rays reaching between
sixth and seventh dorsal spine; (Fig.6) pelvic fins very small just under pectoral fins with a single spine and 4 soft
rays;(Fig.7) caudal fin extremely forked and small (Fig.5). Bifurcate lateral lines one started just under the first
dorsal spine (Fig.8) run parallel to dorsal spines and end on to the just 25th spines. Second lateral line originated
from the same place where the first start, comes down close to pectoral fin tip and run middle of the body up to
caudal fin base. Few scale found on caudal fin base, remaining body is scale less. In fresh form the body color was
dark brown from the top and lower part was white without lining or spots, all fins dark brown with fairly darker
margins, Gillrakers minute, (Fig.9)
Morphometric and meristic analysis of this sample are accommodate well with the published description by
Kiyomatsu and Iwai (1952), Jones (1960), Ameer Hamsa and Arumugam (1982) Nakamura and Parin (1993)and
Myoung et al. (2013) and as a result it is identified as the species G. serpens with detailed description and
measurement.
980 H.B. OSMANY ET AL.,
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 16 (4): 979-981, 2019.
MEASURMENTS
Weight 570 g total length measured 83 cm, forked length 77 cm, standard length 73.5 cm, snout 6 cm, eye 2 cm,
distance from the tip of the upper jaw to origin of first dorsal fin 12 cm, distance from the tip of upper jaw to the
second dorsal fin base 56.5 cm, distance from the tip of the lower jaw to the ventral fin is 17cm, distance from the
tip of lower jaw to anus 50 cm, pectoral length 7 cm, head length 14 cm, upper jaw 7 cm, lower jaw 8 cm, second
dorsal base 6 cm, anal fin base 5 cm.
Fig.1. Gempylus serpens
Fig.2. Large conical teeth Fig.3. Large fang
Fig.4. Interorbital area Fig.5. Finlets
Fig.6. Pectoral fin Fig.7. Pelvic fin
Fig.8. Bifurcate lateral line. Fig.9.Gillrakers
DISTRIBUTION
An epipelagic, bathypelagic and mesopelagic oceanic species live individual widely spread in tropical and
subtropical sea between the latitudes of 42° N and 40° S; longitude 180°W - 180°E to a depth of over 600 meters but
OCCURRENCE OF SNAKE MACKEREL GEMPYLUS SERPENS CUVIER, 1829 IN PAKISTAN 981
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 16 (4): 979-981, 2019.
common on 200 meter frequently matured specimen found near the surface at night. Found on very low temperature
8°C (Abdussamad et al., 2011). In Indian Ocean it was found in the South Africa but first time recorded in 1960 in
the central part of Indian Ocean (Jones, 1960).
DISCUSSION
According to Psomadakis et al. (2015), no previous record of this species is available and only one member of
this family Neoepinnula orentalis (Sack fish) is reported from Pakistani water which is distinguished having more
body depth and less elongated, two lateral lines found but one runs upper side along the dorsal fins and second on
the lower part of the body, having much larger pelvic fin.
This species attained a size of 100 cm but common at 60 cm (SL).It shows carnivores behavior feeds mostly on
fishes like Exocoetidae, Myctophidae, Mackerels and Sauries etc. with crustacean and cephalopods. Two specimens
collected from Indian Ocean, Sebastian and Vedavyasa Rao (1963) and during study found flying fishes like
Oxyporhampus sp., Exocoetus volitans, E.mento, Cypselurus comatus and Prognicthys gibbifrons in their stomach.
Other Scomberide fishes like tuna and marlin preyed upon him, mostly found in the stomach of skipjack tuna
and yellow fin tuna (Dragovich, 1971), caught mostly in long line.
Spawning take place round the year and female lays 300,000 to 1,000,000eggs.Sexually ripped specimen male
43 cm and female 50 cm. After maturing fish moves to deeper water and due to non availability of sunlight fish lose
con cell as compare to rod cell.
In other part of Indian Ocean this species is common and caught with deep sea trawlers or by large mesh size
gill net up to 200 meter depth. Caught round the year but mostly in the month of November to March by trawlers
and June to January by gillnets (Abdussamad et al., 2011)
Studied specimen was 570 g whereas as per international game fish association, 15th October 2017, heaviest
fish recorded of this species was 4.5 kg caught in costal water of Japan in 2008.
CONCLUSION
Single specimen of Gempylus serpens was collected first time from coast of Karachi.
ACKNOLEDMENT
Authors are thankful to Bruce B. Collette, Ph.D. Chair, IUCN SSC Tuna & Billfish Specialist Group, Research
Associate, Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History, MRC-0153, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA, Senior Scientist (Emeritus), National Marine Fisheries Service Systematics
Laboratory for verification of this species and grateful to Mohammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser of WWF,
Pakistan for his regular support, help and guidance.
REFERENCE
Abdussamad, E. M., K.K. Joshi, T. S. Balasubramanian, N. Beni, H. Mohammed and K. Jayabalan (2011). Snake
mackerel fishery of the Tuticorin coast of Gulf of Mannar with emphasis on population characteristics of the
sackfish, Neoepinnula orientalis (Gilchrist & von Bonde 1924). Indian Journal of Fisheries, 58(3): 9-12.
Dragovich, A. (1971). The food of skipjack and yellowfin tunas in the Atlantic Ocean. Fish. Bull., 68(3): 445-460.
Ameer Hamsa, K M S and G. Arumugam (1982). A record of the snake mackerel Gempylus serpans Cuvier from
Gulf of Mannar. Indian Journal of Fisheries, 29 (1&2): 255-257.
Jones, S. (1960). On the snake mackerel, Gemphylus serpens Cuvier from the Laccadive Sea. Journal of the Marine
Biological Association of India, 2(1): 85-88.
Kiyomatsu, M. and T. Iwai (1952).Studies on some Japanese fishes of the family Gempylidae. Pacific Science, 6:
193-212.
Nelson, J. S. (2006). Fishes of the world. 4th edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc, Hoboken New Jersey P. 431.
Myoung Se Hun, Jung-Hwa Ryu and Jin-Koo Kim (2013). New Record of the Snake Mackerel, Gempylus serpens
(Perciformes: Gempylidae) from Jeju Island, Korea. Korea J. Ichthyology, 25 (3): 178-181.
Psomadakis, P.N., H.B. Osmany and M. Moazzam (2015). Field identification guide to the living marine resources
of Pakistan. FAO Species Identification guide for Fishery Purposes. Rome, FAO.
Sebastian, M. J. and P. Vedavyasa Rao (1963). On the feeding habits of the snake mackerel Gempylus serpens
(Cuvier), with some remarks on the specimens collected off the Indian Coast. Journal of the Marine Biological
Association of India, 5(2): 322-322.
(Accepted for publication August 2019)
