An African heritage of fishes : inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University
- Authors: Skelton, Paul H (Paul Harvey)
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Fishes -- South Africa , Fishes -- Nomenclature (Popular) , Ichthyology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:668 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020737 , ISBN 0868103284
- Description: Inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University , Rhodes University Libraries (Digitisation)
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- Date Issued: 1997
A review of the Southern African gobiid fish genus Caffrogobius Smitt, 1900
- Authors: Goren, Menachem , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1996-09
- Subjects: Fishes -- South Africa , Gobiidae
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70972 , vital:29766 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 57 , The genus Caffrogobius Smitt, 1900 is composed of seven species. The members of the genus are moderate size gobies, reaching a length of 10-14 cm (SL). The species of the genus are characterized by a combination of the following characters: Cheek papillae pattern transverse; dorsal segmented rays: 9-14; anal segmented rays: 8-12; caudal segmented rays: 16-18; pectoral rays: 16-23. Scales along the body: 30-64; transverse rows of scales: 9-23; vertebrae: 27 (11+16 or 10+17); formula of fin pterygiophores: 3-22110. Six species of Caffrogobius are found around the southern part of the African continent (Mozambique to Namibia): agulhensis (Barnard, 1927), coffer (Gunther, 1874), gilchristi (Boulenger, 1900), nalalensis (Gunther, 1874), nudiceps (Valenciennes, 1837), and saldanha (Barnard, 1927). Some of them are very similar to each other. In most species extreme variability in the colour patterns and in meristic counts was found. C. gilchristi is considered here as a valid species and a senior synonym of C. multifasciatus (Smith, 1959). A seventh species dubius (Smith, 1959) from the Seychelles is listed and briefly described.
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- Date Issued: 1996-09
Acanthurus tristis, a valid Indian Ocean surgeonfish (Perciformes: Acanthuridae)
- Authors: Randall, John E, 1924- , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1993-01
- Subjects: Surgeonfishes , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70933 , vital:29762 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 54 , After examination of Col. Tickell’s unpublished manuscript and colour paintings of Burmese fishes, Day (1888) listed the surgeonfish Acanthurus tristis Tickell as a synonym of A. tennentii Gunther (1861); he gave the dorsal-fin spine count of 8 and provided a colour description, including mention of a white margin on the caudal fin. Of the species of Acanthurus, only A. pyroferus Kittlitz from the Pacific has 8 dorsal spines. Randall (1956a) treated tristis as a synonym of this pecies; the differences in colouration between tristis and pyroferus were regarded as within the range of variability of the latter. Both forms were observed together in Bali in 1982-1991. A. tristis is therefore regarded as a valid species and is redescribed. In the interest of stability of nomenclature, a neotype for A. tristis is designated.
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- Date Issued: 1993-01
A new Coryogalops species (Pisces: Gobiidae) from South Africa
- Authors: Goren, Menachem , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1991-09
- Subjects: Gobiidae , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70922 , vital:29761 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 52 , A new species of gobiid fish, Coryogalops bretti, is described from a single specimen from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The new species is characterized by a continuous oculo-scapular canal with 5 pores above operculum, dorsal fin segmented rays 12; anal fin segmented rays 9; pectoral fin rays 19 (4 upper rays partly free); pectoral fin base scaleless. Body of the holotype black; no dots or bars on fins; black blotch on upper part of pectoral base. The genus Monishia Smith, 1959, is considered a junior synonym of Coryogalops Smith, 1958.
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- Date Issued: 1991-09
Cancelloxus longior, a new species of xenopoclinin fish (Perciformes: Clinidae) from South Africa
- Authors: Prochazka, K , Griffiths, Charles L (Charles Llewellyn) , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1991-05
- Subjects: Clinidae , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70941 , vital:29764 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 51 , A new species of sand-inhabiting clinid, Cancelloxus longior, sp. n. is described from eight specimens collected between 0 and 10 metres depth from the Cape Peninsula and west coast. This species is distinguished from other members of the genus by the large number of anal fin rays and caudal vertebrae and the posterior positioning of the dorsal fin origin.
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- Date Issued: 1991-05
Studies on the Zoarcidae, (Teleostei: Perciformes) of the Southern hemisphere. III. The Southwestern Pacific
- Authors: Anderson, M Eric , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1990-07
- Subjects: Zoarcidae , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70348 , vital:29647 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 50 , The eelpout fauna of the southwestern Pacific presently includes 6 species, one of which, Pachycara garricki, is described as new. Full species accounts and illustrations are also provided for Melanostigma inexpectatum, Ophthalmolycus campbellensis, and Lycenchelys maoriorum, known previously only from the meager type series. Two species, Melanostigma gelatinosum, and M. vitiazi were redescribed in the first part of this series, but expanded diagnoses are provided here. Lycenchelys maoriomm and O. campbellensis are expected to be endemic to the New Zealand Plateau and perhaps Lord Howe Rise.
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- Date Issued: 1990-07
Descriptions of two new species of West African amphiliid catfishes (Siluroidei: Amphiliidae)
- Authors: Skelton, Paul H (Paul Harvey) , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1989-08
- Subjects: Catfishes , Siluridae , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70324 , vital:29645 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 48 , Two new amphiliid catfish species from west Africa are described. A new Paramphilius from the Little Scarcies River basin in Guinea, is the third species of the genus from that area. It has a relatively deeper body and longer fins than other upper Guinean Paramphilius species. The new species of Doumea from the Cross River in Nigeria and Cameroons is characterised by a long predorsal length and a relatively short stout caudal peduncle.
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- Date Issued: 1989-08
Paragaleus leucolomatus, a new shark from South Africa, with notes on the systematics of hemigaleid sharks (Carcharhiniformes: Hemigaleidae)
- Authors: Compagno, Leonard J V , Smale, Malcolm J , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1985-04
- Subjects: Sharks -- South Africa , Carcharhiniformes , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70184 , vital:29632 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 37 , Paragaleus leucolomatus sp.n. is described from a pregnant female shark 957 mm total length collected off Kosi Bay, Natal, South Africa. This represents the first Paragaleus and the second hemigaleid species recorded from South African waters. P. leucolomatus differs from its congeners by its broad snout, long mouth, lower anterior teeth mostly erect-cusped and without distal cusplets, 180 total vertebrae, and coloration. The species has conspicuous white-edged fins, a black apical spot on its second dorsal, and dusky blotches on the underside of its snout. P. leucolomatus may be conspecific with a Madagascar Paragaleus erroneously assigned to the West African P. pectoralis. Diagnoses of the Family Hemigaleidae and the Genus Paragaleus are presented, as well as diagnostic keys to hemigaleids of the western Indian Ocean and to Paragaleus species.
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- Date Issued: 1985-04
A new species of the fish genus Pontinus (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) from off Natal, South Africa
- Authors: Eschmeyer, William N , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1983-05
- Subjects: Fishes -- South Africa , Scorpionfishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69991 , vital:29605 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 28 , Pontinus nigerimum is described as a new species, the first of this genus from the Indian Ocean. This species is known only from one specimen collected off Natal in 146 m . It is characterized by having a black band encircling the base of the long supraocular tentacles.
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- Date Issued: 1983-05
A new species of the triggerfish genus Xenobalistes matsuura (Tetradontiformes: Balistidae) from South Africa
- Authors: Heemstra, Phillip C , Smith, Margaret Mary , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1983-01
- Subjects: Fishes -- South Africa , Fishes -- Classification , Balistidae -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69968 , vital:29603 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 26 , Xenobalistes punctatus, the second species of the peculiar balistid genus Xenobalistes, is described from one specimen found on the beach at the mouth of the Van Stadens River, eastern Cape Province, South Africa. X. punctatus differs significantly from X. tumidipectoris Matsuura, 1981 in the number of body scale rows and spination of the anterolateral surface of the first dorsal-fin spine. The head and body of X. punctatus are dark brown, covered with numerous, small, evenly-spaced, silvery/white spots.
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- Date Issued: 1983-01
Pteropsaron heemstrai and Osopsaron natalensis (Perciformes: Percophidae), new fish species from South Africa, with comments on Squamicreedia obtusa from Australia and on the classification of the subfamily Hemerocoetinae
- Authors: Nelson, Joseph S , J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1982-11
- Subjects: Fishes -- South Africa , Fishes -- Australia , Perciformes , Percophidae
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69940 , vital:29597 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 25 , Two new species of percophid fishes are described from off Natal, South Africa, Pteropsaron heemstrai from two specimens dredged at 143 m and Osopsaron natalensis from three specimens dredged at 100 m. This is the first record of a member of the subfamily Hemerocoetinae from the western Indian Ocean. The two new species belong to the lineage of closely related genera Acanthaphrites Gunther, Pteropsaron Jordan and Snyder, Osopsaron Jordan and Starks, Spinapsaron Okamura and Kishida, and Branchiopsaron McKay. A specimen of Squamicreedia obtusa Rendahl, previously known only from the damaged holotype, is described from Western Australia. It is postulated that the genera Squamicreedia Rendahl, Enigmapercis Whitley (whose range is extended to Western Australia), and Matsubaraea Taki form a closely related group in Hemerocoetinae.
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- Date Issued: 1982-11
Notes on South African gobies possessing free upper pectoral fin rays (Pisces--Gobiidae)
- Authors: Winterbottom, Richard, 1944- , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1976-04
- Subjects: Bathygobius fuscus , Bathygobius niger , Gobius saldanha , Monishia william , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69792 , vital:29580 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 16 , This paper arose out of difficulties in identifying collections of gobies whose upper pectoral fin rays are silklike and partially or predominantly free of membrane. Four such species have been recorded from South Africa, but there has been considerable confusion over their identification . Various unreported characters were found useful in separating the species. Certain problems exist in separating J.L.B. Smith's type specimens from the general collection. He invariably separated one specimen (labelled as "type") which was stored in a special type cupboard. This occurred whether or not a holotype was actually designated in the original description. Thus, particularly in his earlier works where no holotype was designated, these specimens (for new species based on more than one specimen) are nomenclatorally syntypes. I will refer to such "type" specimens as "syntype (= putative lectotype)". The remaining specimens (either the rest of the syntypic series or, later, the paratypes) were returned to the general collection. Owing to space limitations, all specimens of the same species were, where possible, kept in a single large jar. Paper tags were sewn on to the specimens, giving locality and date of collection. These tags have an unfortunate tendency to disintegrate. Subsequent separation of syntypes and paratypes is, therefore, subject to error. Since in a syntypic series I am referring to a "putative lectotype", the remainder of such series will be called "syntypes (= putative paralectotypes)".
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- Date Issued: 1976-04
The fish Elops machnata in South Africa
- Authors: Fraser, Thomas H , Rhodes University. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology
- Date: 1973-08
- Subjects: Elopidae -- South Africa , Elops -- Indian Ocean , Fishes -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69652 , vital:29563 , Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)) Periodicals Margaret Smith Library (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB))
- Description: Online version of original print edition of the Special Publication of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology; No. 11 , Introduction: The status of the species of Elops present in the Indian Ocean along the southern part of Africa has been uncertain in recent times. Two names have been applied - Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766 and Elops machnata (Forsskål, 1775) by numerous workers up to the present despite three revisions of Elops concluding that only one species, E. machnata, occurs in the western Indian Ocean (Regan, 1909; Bertin, 1944; Whitehead, 1962). These workers also demonstrated that Elops saurus is fotmd only in the western Atlantic Ocean and can be separated 100% of the time from E. machnata by vertebral counts (73-82 in E. saurus and 60-66 in E. machnata). Why, then, have workers persisted in using both names but not exclusively one or the other? There appear to be two reasons: 1. Some workers regard Elops to consist of one world-wide tropical species (in which case E. saurus is the oldest valid name). 2. The inadequate material upon which Regan, Bertin and Whitehead based their conclusions about the species of Elops. The first idea does not appear to be tenable with the evidence presented in the three species revisions and I regard it as erroneous. The second reason is real. We lack the basic information on geographic variation, if any, for the Indian Ocean population. Regan (1909) examined two specimens, Bertin (1944) an unknown number and Whitehead (1962) seven specimens. Whitehead (1965:231) indicates some doubt about the South African population and its status relative to the West African species E. senegalensis Regan, 1909. Furthermore, both Whitehead (1965) and Losse (1968) suggest that E. machnata and E. hawaiensis Regan, 1909 possibly may be subspecies of the same species, but indicate present data to be inadequate. This paper documents meristic and morphometric variation of 39 Elops mostly taken in South African estuaries as a first step toward understanding variation of the southern-most population in the Indian Ocean. South of Durban, South Africa, Elops machnata frequents the coastal waters only during the warmer months and is known to reach Mossel Bay. No species of Elops has been reported along the colder south western coast of southern Africa. The size range examined is large, 30 mm-900 mm SL (or to 6,9 kg), but does not include the maximum recorded size in South Africa of 13,7 kg. Losse's (1968) data for central East Africa are of nearly comparable size range and provide a useful comparison.
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- Date Issued: 1973-08