AN INVENTORY OF FISH SPECIES DESCRIBED ORIGINALLY FROM FRESH AND COASTAL MARINE WATERS OF PONDICHERRY

Inventorisation of living resources is of paramount importance to evolve conservation measures and sustainable management strategies in addition to knowing the current status of economically viable and non-viable species. As on date, quite unfortunately we do not have a National Inventory of faunistic constituents to rely on for experimental and theoretical studies. With the effort of the Zoological Survey of India in bringing out fauna volumes of various states, the requirement is partially fulfilled and in this task the present paper provides base line taxonomic information on the fishes originally described from Pondicherry.


INTRODUCTION
Inventorisation of living resources is of paramount importance to evolve conservation measures and sustainable management strategies in addition to knowing the current status of economically viable and non-viable species.As on date, quite unfortunately we do not have a National Inventory of faunistic constituents to rely on for experimental and theoretical studies.With the effort of the Zoological Survey of India in bringing out fauna volumes of various states, the requirement is partially fulfilled and in this task the present paper provides base line taxonomic information on the fishes originally described from Pondicherry.
The state of Pondicherry is unique to ichthyotaxonomists, for, in the last two centuries a large number of species of fishes have been described as new to science by various authors from there.The most important work pertaining to this place is by Cuvier and Valenciennes (1828-1849).Information available on these species is scattered and many of them only from fishery point of view.A concise account on the ichthyotoxonomic data is lacking.Hence, in this paper we report 56 valid species belonging to 33 families and the current status of 76 species of fishes.

TAXONOMIC ACCOUNT
Family CARCHARHINIDAE
Diagnosis : A small Carcharhinus sp., with moderately long rounded snout; obliqu,e-cusped serrated teeth in both jaws; upper teeth with strong, serrated cusplets; usually 13/13-14 rows of anterolateral teeth; small semifaicate pectoral fins; a small triangular first dorsal fin with a short rear tip; a moderately large second dorsal fin with a short rear tip; a black spot on the second dorsal fin; no other distinguishing marks.
Diagnosis: A small Carcharhinus sp. with moderately long and narrowly rounded or pointed snout; oblique-cusped, weakly serrated upper anterolateral teeth with strong cusplets; 14-151  13-14 rows of anterolateral teeth; interdorsal ridge present; small pectoral fins, a failry large first dorsal fin with a short rear tip; tips of the pectorals, second dorsal and ventral lobe of caudal black.
Distribution: Indo-west Pacific but uncertain beyond India, Pakistan and China.
Diagnosis : A small, slender Carcharhinus sp. with short, moderately broad snout; upper and:: lower teeth with oblique and narrow cusps, well delimited from bases; cusps serrated; second: dorsal fin very low, its inner margin enlarged, 2 to 3 times fin-height; a huge dermal ridge betwe~ dorsal fins.Colour : Dark grey-black on back, belly whitish; conspicuous black tips on pector8is, second dorsal and lower caudal lobe.
Distribution: Widespread in the tropical Indo-west Pacific.
Diagnosis : A small, stocky shark with a moderately long snout nearly equal to mouth; a small round eye with a nictitating eyelid; second dorsal fin nearly as large as first; upper teeth serrated and with broad triangular cusps; lower teeth with smooth, hooked, narrow cusps; longitudinal upper precaudal pit; pectoral fins broad and triangular; anal fin with posterior margin nearly straight.Colour : Light grey or tan above, light below without prominent markings Distribution: Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, China Family RHINOBA TIDAE Diagnosis : Snout long and narrow; rostral ridges close together through out their length; width of mouth 2.6 to 3.2 in snout length; nostrils about half width of mouth and equal to or greater than intemarial distance; anterior nasal flap extending across inner margin of nostril; spiracles slightly smaller than eye; back coarsely tuberculated; body brownish above, sides of rostral cartilage buff brown, whitish below; dorsal and caudal fins greyish.
Distribution: Indo-west Pacific.Diagnosis: Snout short and narrow; rostral ridges separated by a considerable distance through out their length; width of mouth about 1.9 in snout length; nostrils about half width of mouth; anterior nasal flap extending beyond inner margin of nostril; spiracle with only one skinny projection from the hind margin; back with small tubercles, some spinyform; body grey to brownish above, occasionally with black blotches, whitish below.-1991.Dasyatis zugei : Talwar & Jhingran, Inland Fishes of India, 1 : 40.

Distribution
Diagnosis : Sting ray with rhomboidal disk; mouth undulated without buccal papilae on its floor; tail whip like with both dorsal and ventral cutaneous folds; dorsal surface of disk dusky brown, pale marginally, ventral surface whitish, tail folds dusky brown.Diagnosis: Body slender, cylindrical and compressed posteriorly; trunk slightly longer than tail; head small, rugose; snout short, blunt and grooved underside; eyes small; anterior nostrils tubular; posterior nostrils open into mouth; mouth small; teeth small, conical, uniserial on jaws; gill opening~ ventro-Iateral, horizontal; median fins low, dorsal fin origin well forward on head in advance of gill-opening, extending nearly to tail tip; pectoral fins minute flap of skin; tail fin-tip hard and pointed.Colour: In live condition olive-brown dorsally, yellow ventrally.
Remarks: Occurrence in India is known by the type specimen alone, Deraniyagala (1931) misidentified it as Callechelys longipinnis and reported from the coastal waters of Sri Lanka.
Distribution : Pakistan, India, eastward to the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia.
Distribution : Somalia coast to east coast of India to Andanians.

Distribution : India
Remarks : Description of this species is based on a syntype of Pellona filigera Valenciennes and a paralectotype of Pellona micropus Valenciennes = llisha melastoma (Schneider).This species is unique among Indo-Pacific llisha in its high gill raker count (lower  in others) and very short swimbladder tubes (Whitehead, 1985).More work required to confmn present status.
Distribution : Coasts of India to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Remarks:
The description of Valenciennes (1848) is based on specimens brought from Bombay, Pondicherry and Mahe, although Whitehead et al, (1988) noted Bombay as type locality.
Distribution : East coast of India, Andamans, Sri Lanka, Indonesia.
Diagnosis: D iii, 8; A ii, 5; Pi, 16; Vi, 7; LL 28-31, complete; predorsal scale 10; head length 4.4-4.8 in SL, barbels two pairs; dorsal fin inserted equidistant between tip of snout and base of caudal fin, its last unbranched ray osseus, strong and serrated.Colour: Silvery on back, belly with golden tinge; a dark band behing operculum, a black blotch on lateral line on 24th scale; fins orange, caudal fin with black superior and inferior edges.
Diagnosis: D I, 7; A ii-iii, 7-8; P I, 10; V i, 5; depth 4.5 in SL; occipital bone not extending to basal bone of dorsal fin; mid-Iongitutidanal groove does not reach the base of occipital process; eye large, 4.2-4.5 times in head.Colour: Silvery with yellowish tinge on back, dull white below with a light band along lateral line, a silvery band and below it; a dark shoulder spot; dorsal and caudal fins black tipped.

Clarias dussumieri
Diagnosis : D 6~9; A 45-59; P I, 10-11; V i, 5; snout broad, occipital process broadly rounded, its distance about 3 times in head length; barbels four pairs; maxillary barbels extending beyond pectoral fin base, nasal barbels more than half head length; pectoral spine strongly serrated in its posterior border.Colour: Dark above and lighter below.
Distribution : West coast of India; occurrence in Pondicherry doubtful.
Colour: Reddish or brownish; fins with dark bands or clouded marmorations; a dark blotch between 7th and 10th spine of dorsal fin.Diagnosis: D Xll-XIll, 8; A Ill, 5; P 10-12; V I, 5; depth 2.4-2.9, head 2.3-2.6 in SL; eye 3.6-5.0 in head; palatine toothed; origin of dorsal above eye; head and body naked.Colour: Dark brown to greenish with irregular dark blotches and spots; all fins with a white border and a dark, cloudy, broad subterminal band; all fins dusky with dark blotches and spots except caudal which is generally white.
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka through Indonesia to the Philippines and New Guinea.
Distribution: Indian Ocean distribution poorly known; South Africa to Zanzibar, Madagascar; Sri Lanka; Okinawa, the Philippines, Indonesia, northern Australia and Fiji.

Scomberoides tol (euvier)
Distribution: Wide spread in Indo-west Pacific.Diagnosis: D VI+I, 18-20; A II, I, 16-18; GR (5-8) + (8-10); tongue with narrow band of teeth; first predorsal bone like inverted 'L' with the arm projecting anteriorly.Colour : Silvery, greenish to bluish-grey dorsally; paler below; second dorsal and caudal fins dusky yellow, leading edges and fin fips darkest; anal fin bright to dirty yellow, lobe without a darker anterior margin.Juveniles with pale yellow fins except distal half of dorsal fin lobe which is black.

Trachinotus mookalee euvier
Distribution : From Gulf of Oman through the coasts of India to Singapore, Gulf of Thailand, Hong Kong.
Diagnosis: D X, 15-16; A III, 8-9; P 17; LL 47-49; GR 6 + (12-13); depth 2.1-2.4,head 2.4-2.5 in SL; preorbital space 3.3-3.9 in head; preopercular notch wide and distinct; vomerine tooth patch crescentic without a medial posterior extensison; longitudinal scale rows above lateral line run obliquely to dorsal surface.Colour: Brown with reddish tinge; scales with bluish-white spots at centre; head with numerous blue undulating lines; javeniles with a series of 3 to 8 brown bars on sides and a chalky white spot with a broad black margin, below anterior soft dorsal rays at the level of LL.
Distribution: Wide-spread in Indo-west Pacific.Diagnosis: D XI, 15-16; A III, 10; P 17; LL 49-50; OR 6 + (10)(11)(12); depth 2.1-2.4,head 2.3-2.5 in SL; preorbital space broad; preopercular notch distinct; vomerine tooth patch crescentic without a medial posterior extension; longitudinal scale rows above lateral line rising obliquely.Colour: Red or pink in adults; juveniles pink with a dark red band from first dorsal spine through eye to tip of snout; a second band from middle of spinous part of dorsal fin to pel vic fin and a third band from base of last dorsal spine running obliquely downward across caudal peduncle and along lower edge of caudal fin.Diagnosis : D IX, 10; A ITI, 7 : LL 33-35 plus 3 more on base of caudal fin; 3 scale rows between and 5th dorsal spine; depth 2.3 to 2.7 in SL.Colour: Silver with a diffuse dark saddles along back extending down on sides to midline; dorsal fin faintly golden with a dark patch on the tip of the spinous portion above a line running from middle of 2nd dorsal spine to tip of 6th dorsal spine; caudal fin pale yellow with a dusky trailing edge; pectorals yellow, while anal and pelvic fins with orange tinge.

Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier)
Distribution : Indo-west Pacific.Diagnosis: D IX-X+I, [23][24][25][26]A 11,7;PI, with several toothed plates below; a pair of small tapering barbels on chin; gas bladder carrot shaped, anterior pair of appendages of gas bladder extending into head and branching under the skull.Colour: Grey above, silvery below with faint oblique lines along scale rows; spinous part of dorsal fin black; a black blotch at the axil of pectoral fin.
Distribution : India, Sri Lanka, eastwards to Indonesia.
Diagnosis: D IX-X+I, 27-31; A II, 7-8; P i, [16][17]slender; snout rounded but not projecting; teeth villiform; teeth on outer row of upper jaw and inner row of lower jaw enlarged and widely spaced; gas bladder hammer shaped with 14 or 15 pairs of arborescent appendages.Colour: Greyish on back, silvery below; a steel-blue blotch on opercle; upper two thirds of first dorsal dark grey, anal and paired fins yellowish.
Distribution : Gulf of Oman through India, Indonesia to the Philippines and northern Australia.

lohnius belangerii :
Distribution: Coasts of India, eastwards to Sumatra and Java.Diagnosis: D XIll, [24][25]A ITI,[20][21]P 15;,; snout 3.0-4.0 in head.Colour: 5 or 6 diagonal lines extending from upper posterior part of head to base of dorsal spines; 11-12 similar lines extending at right angles from last of previous lines towards anal fins; dorsal and anal fins, caudal peduncle and adjacent areas black with a yellow stripe through anal fin.
Diagnosis: D N +1, 8; A III, 9; LS 35-40; Ltr 11; a distinct keel or ridge present in front of dorsal fin; pectoral axillary scale absent or rudimentary.Colour : Greenish grey dorsally, silvery on sides and belly; golden around eye; end of maxilla black.
Distribution: Red Sea to Bombay coast of India.
Remarks : Though Valenciennes (1836) mentioned about the presence of this species at Pondicherry, there is no reliable record of occurrence so far in the east coast of India.(Valenciennes) 1836.MugU subviridis Valenciennes,Hist. nat. poiss.,11 : 115 (Malabar,Pondicherry).
Diagnosis: D IV +1, 8-9; A III, 9; P 16; LS 27-32; Ltr 11; preorbital not filling space between lip and eye; comer of mouth on vertical through anterior nostril; back not keeled in front of dorsal fin; second dorsal fin inserted over anterior half of anal fin base; pectoral fin not reaching vertical through first dorsal fin origin; pectoral axillary scale rudimentary or absent.Colour: Dark greenish above, white below; caudal fin edged with black.
Distribution : Persian Gulf to India, Sri Lanka, China, Queensland, Polynesia.
Diagnosis: D V+I, I, 8; A II, I, 7; P ii, [12][13]; no GR on first arch; depth 7.9-8.9;head 3.2-3.6 in SL.Colour: Body with about 20 short serpentine cross bars, not chevron shaped which extend only a short distance below LL.
Remarks: Often misidentified as S. bleekeri Williams = S. putnamiae Jordon & Scale and S. genie Klunzinger.Range is not certain; commonly found in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
Diagnosis: 0 V+I, I, 8; A II, I, 8; P ii, 11-13; LL 85-96; GR 2 on first arch; depth 6.0-7.5;head 2.8-30 in SL; pectoral fin tip reaces past the level of Dl origin; height of Dl equal to or greater than post orbital length of head.Colour: Body olive green above, silvery below; inside of mouth yellow; fins with yellow tinge except pelvic fin; caudal with black edge.
Remarks : Range of occurrence is not clear.The exact distribution of small barracudas of chrysotaenia-flavicauda-pinguis-obtusata complex is not known because of difficulties in identification of the types and other museum specimens (de Sylva & Williams, 1986).
Diagnosis: D IX, 12; A III, 12; LL 27; top of head and snout compressed to form a sharp edge; cheek scale-less; a few rudimentary scales below and behind orbit, first two dorsal spines a little longer, flexible and separated from the rest by an incised membrane reaching the lower onethird of the third spine; the outer ray of ventral fin produced, extending to the origin of anal fin.Colour: Rose, a blue band along the upper ridge of head to the dorsal fin.
Distribution : Coasts of India.
Diagnosis: DIll-IV, 16-18; A 16-19; P 18; pyloric caecae 8; eye dorsally positioned; lips with numerous branched papillae; no spine on shoulder; an elongated angular flap edged with papillae behind the shoulder.Colour: Canary yellow with brown markings on sides enclosing white blotches; caudal yellow brown; a dark bar across pectoral.
Distribution: Seas of India to Japan.
Diagnosis: D N- V+ 12-13; A 13; P 17; mouth large, vertical; lower edge of preopercle with 4 to 7 spines, one on subopercle; humeral spine directed upward and backward; lips with a row of tentacles; no prepelvic spine; no fleshy orbital tentacle.Colour: Brown above, pale below; 2 to 3 rows of bluish white spots along the back and halfway down the sides; fins dusky to dark, tips whitish; upper part of first dorsal black, lower one-third white.
Diagnosis: D N+9; A 9; P 20; head 3 times in SL; operculum with a large free lap of skin; lower lip with 7 to 9 very small papillae.Colour: Brownish or yellowish; cheeks and belly lighter; back with light blotches and dark spots; first dorsal fin black; pelvic fins blackish; rays of other fins spotted with dark brown.
Diagnosis: D VI+I, 9; A I, 8; P i, 16-18; branchiostegal membranes form a free fold across isthmus; iris with a lappet dorsally covering part of pupil.Colour: Body dark brown to black with small black spots in longitudinal rows; two or three broad saddles on back and flanks.
in SL; caudal fin 2.9-3.2 in SL; fronto-parietal striae hidden under skin; gill rakers on inner arches straight.Colour: Silvery with yellow, purple tinge; a diffuse dark blotch behind gill opening; fins hyaline.
indicates the possibility of its fishery in the Gulf of Mannar.