IDENTIFICATION OF FISHES BELONGING TO FAMILY CENTRACANTHIDAE IN THE EGYPTIAN MEDITERRANEAN: WATERS

IDENTIFICATION OF FISHES BELONGING TO FAMILY

CENTRACANTHIDAE IN THE EGYPTIAN MEDITERRANEAN:

WATERS

By
SAMIR I. RIZKALLA*,
“‘National Institute of Oceanography and fisheries, Kayet-Bey, Alexandria, Egypt.
Key Words: Taxonomy, Family Centracanthidae.
ABSTRACT
Three spedes belonging 10 jamily : Centracanthidae are recorded in the
catch (?f the .E,gyptian Mediterranean waters. These are: Spicara flexuosa
(Rqfinesque, IRIO), Spicara sma!’is (Ummells. 1758) and Spicara maena
(Linnaeus, 1758). Body depth. pre-l’entral length, pre-pectoral length.
standard length and hody colour are reliable jor ident~fication (?f these
,species. Body depth, pre-ventral length andpre-pectorallengthjor s.. flexuosa
and s.. maena are relatively greater than in the corre:-,ponding lengthsjor s..
:-,maris while the reverse is shown with re.spect to standard length which has
slight shorter dimension. Body colour is quite different infresh s.. flexuosa as
compared lvith s.. maena since the .first has grey hrownish colour with three
yellow lon1..,Titudinal hands situated helow the lateral line ‘while in s.. maena its
hody has blue-olive colour.