An occurrence of the rare Sharptail Mola Masturus lanceolatus (Lienard, 1840) (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae), in the coastal waters of Visakhapatnam, India

Main Article Content

Muddula Krishna Naranji
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5468-8221
Velamala Govinda Rao
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2752-6040
Devara Venu
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3609-7911

Abstract

A single specimen of the Sharptail Mola Masturus lanceolatus (Lienard, 1840) (total length 1.39m) was collected from a commercial trawler operated from Visakhapatnam at a depth range of 150–300 m, east coast of India on 12 April 2016.  It was recorded for the first time in Visakhapatnam.  A detailed description, morphometric and meristic characters of the species are provided in this paper

 

Article Details

Section
Notes

References

Arumugam, G., T.S. Balasubramaniam & M. Chellapa (1994). On the largest sunfish ever caught from the Indian seas. Marine Fisheries Information Service T& E Service No 128: 16–17.

Badrudeen, M. (1995). On the largest sunfish Masturus lanceolatus Leonard recorded at Pariapattinam. Marine Fisheries Information Service T&E Ser No 137.

Das, B., A. Gopalakrishnan & A. Saravanakumar (2012). Rare catch of Masturus lanceolatus (Lienard, 1840) from Parangipettai coast, Tamilnadu. Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Science 41(5): 489–490.

Devaraj, M., P. Nammalwar & R. Thiagarajan (1976). Record of the sunfish Masturus oxyuropterus (Bleeker) from the Indian coast. Journal of marine biological Association of India 18(3): 664–665.

Kulkarnl, C.V. (1953). Local and Scientific name of commercial fishes of Bombay. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 51(4): 948–950.

Hutchins, J.B. (2001). Molidae. Molas (ocean sunfishes), pp. 3381–4218. In: Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (eds.). FAO Species identification Guide for Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes Part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), Estuarine Crocodiles, Sea Turtles, Sea Snakes and Marin Mammals. FAO, Rome.

Jardas, I. & B.A. Knezevic (1983). Contribution to the knowledge of the Adriatic ichthyofauna Ranzania laevis (Pennant, 1776) (Plectognathi, Molidae). Biljeske - Notes, Institute za oceanografijuiribarsto, Split 51: 1–8.

Leis, J.L., K. Matsuura, K.T. Shao, G. Hardy, G. Zapfe, M. Liu, L. Jing, R. Robertson & J. Tyler (2015). Masturus lanceolatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T193634A2250642. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T193634A2250642.en. Downloaded on 21 November 2016.

Liu, K.M., M.L. Lee, S.J. Joun & Y.C. Chang (2009). Age and growth estimates of the Sharptail Mola, Masturus lanceolatus, in waters of eastern Taiwan. Fisheries Research 95: 154–160.

Lienard, E. (1840). Description d’une nouvelle espece du genre mole (Orthagoriscus, Schn) decouverte a l’ile Maurice. Revue de Zoologie 3: 291–292.

Matsuura, K. (2002). Molidae, Molas (Ocean sunfishes, headfishes), pp. 2014–2015. In: Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes: The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Bony Fishes, Part 2 (Opistoganidae to Molidae), Sea Turtles and Marine Mammals, Volume 3. FAO, Tokyo.

Nair, R.J., S. Paul & D. Kumar (2013). Record of a rare sharp tail sunfish, Masturus lanceolatus Lienard, 1840 (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae) landing from South-west coast of India. Marine Fisheries Information Service; Technical & Extension Series (217).

Nelson, J.S. (2006). Fishes of The World. Fourth Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 345–347.

Parenti, P. (2003). Family Molidae Bonaparte (1832) molas and sunfishes. California Academy of Sciences Annotated Checklist of Fishes 18: 9.

Smith, M.M. & P.C. Heemstra (1986). Smith’s Sea Fishes. Johannesburg: Macmillan (Reprinted by Straik, Cape Town, South Africa, 2003).