POLYNEMIDS OF INDIA

by Renjith.R.K FRM 225

Polynemids or Threadfins
Order: Perciformes Important food fish . Some may attain 2 meters length Can be identified as a family by similarity in appearance conical snout inferior mouth condition of eye (adipose eyelid) well separated dorsal fins 3-16 lower pectoral fin rays (most distinct) Commercial and sport fishes of tropical , temperate Middle , East , Southeast Asia , Australia , South Africa

Classification of the family Polynemidae

Polynemids reported in India

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw, 1804) Filimanus similis Feltes, 1991 Filimanus xanthonema (Valenciennes, 1831) Leptomelanosoma indicum (Shaw, 1804) Polydactylus microstomus (Bleeker, 1851) Polydactylus mullani (Hora, 1926) Polydactylus plebeius (Broussonet, 1782) Polydactylus sexfilis (Valenciennes, 1831) Polydactylus sextarius (Bloch and Schneider, 1801)

10. Polynemus paradiseus Linnaeus, 1758

Eleutheronema tetradactylum
Fourfinger threadfin

Characters
Anterior part of lower jaw with small teeth extending onto lateral surface Pored lateral-line scales 71 to 80 Gill rakers 3 to 8 on upper limb, 3 to 10 on lower limb , 6 to 18 total gill rakers on anterior parts of upper and lower limbs replaced by tooth plates with villiform teeth 9-12 scale rows above , 13-15 below lateral line Pectoral fin membranes vivid yellow when fresh 4 small free pectoral filaments

Filimanus similis
Indian sevenfinger threadfin

Characters
Small species Pored lateral-line scales 45 to 49 pectoral filaments 7 1st filament shortest, not reaching to level of posterior tip of pelvic fin 3rd and 4th filaments usually longest, its length 25 to 48% of standard length, reaching to level of anal-fin origin Gill rakers 40-49 scale rows above lateral line 5 to 7 , below 9 to 11

Filimanus xanthonema
Yellowthread threadfin

Characters
Posterior margin of maxilla extending slightly beyond level of posterior margin of adipose eyelid Pored lateral-line scales 43 to 52 ; scale rows above lateral line 5 to 8, below 9 to 12 . Gillrakers (total) 36 to 46 base of pectoral filaments white, becoming yellowish white on posterior tips; base of pelvic fin white, other parts yellowish. pectoral filaments usually 6 on each side but occasionally 5 on each side, or asymmetrically 5 and 6 or 6 and 7, first filament shortest, not reaching to level of posterior tip of pelvic fin; third and fourth filaments usually longest

Leptomelanosoma indicum Indian threadfin

Characters
Elongate body and head 5 pectoral filaments , 1st one not reaching up to pelvic fin origin , fifth filament longest Pored lateral-line scales 69-72 (mode 70) lateral line simple, extending from upper end of gill opening to upper end of lower caudal-fin lobe scale rows above lateral line 7 or 8 , below 9 -12 . Gill rakers 8 or 9 on upper limb, 10 -12 on lower limb, 18 -21 total.

Polydactylus microstomus
Smallmouth threadfin

characters
Pectoral filaments 5, first filament shortest, not reaching to or just reaching to level of pelvic-fin origin second to fourth pectoral filaments just short of or extending slightly beyond level of pelvic-fin origin; fifth pectoral filament longest body and fins tinged with yellowish silver colour Gillrakers 10-14 on upper limb, 13-18 on lower limb, 24-33 total. Swimbladder present, well developed

a large black spot anteriorly on lateral line.

Polydactylus mullani Arabian blackspot threadfin

Characters
Depth of posterior margin of maxilla less than eye diameter pectoral filaments 7 (rarely asymmetrically 6 and 7) 1st and 2nd - not reaching to level of pelvic-fin origin 3rd to 6th -extending beyond level of pelvic-fin origin 7th -longest, extending well beyond level of posterior tip of pectoral fin Pored lateral-line scales 46-50 scale rows above lateral line 5-7 below 9 or 10 Gill rakers 13-16 on upper limb, 18-21 on lower limb, 31-35 total. Endemic and common in the northern Arabian Sea

Polydactylus sexfilis
Sixfinger threadfin

Characters
pectoral filaments 6 1st -shortest, not reaching to level of pelvic-fin origin; 2nd to 5th - extending beyond level of pelvic-fin origin; 6th -longest, not extending beyond level of posterior tip of pelvic fin Pored lateral-line scales 60-67 scale rows above lateral line 8-10 , below 12-14 Gill rakers 11-14 on upper limb, 15-18 on lower limb ,total 27-31
Robust body

Polydactylus sextarius
Blackspot threadfin

Characters
pectoral filaments 6 1st filament shortest; 6th pectoral filament longest, 20-29% of standard length Pored lateral-line scales 45-51 scale rows above lateral line 5 or 6 , below 8-11 Gill rakers 10-14 on upper limb, 14-18 on lower limb, total 25-30 Swim bladder atrophied, like a fine string. pectoral-fin membrane white with scattered melanophores large black spot anteriorly on lateral line.

Polydactylus plebeius Striped threadfin

Characters
Pectoral filaments 5 1st - shortest, just reaching to level of pelvic-fin origin 2nd to 4th - not reaching to level of posterior tip of pelvic fin; 5th - longest, 22 to 40% of standard length, reaching or extending beyond level of posterior tip of pelvic fin Pored lateral-line scales 60-68 scale rows above lateral line 8 or 9 , below 12 or 13 Gillrakers 9-14 on upper limb,13-18 on lower limb, total 24-32 7 or 8 prominent dark stripes along scale rows above lateral line, 7 to 9 faint stripes below.

Polynemus paradiseus Paradise threadfin

Characters
pectoral filaments 7; 1st -shortest, not reaching to level of posterior tip of pelvic fin 2nd - not reaching to or extending slightly beyond level of posterior tip of pelvic fin 3rd -just reaching to or not reaching to level of anal-fin origin 4th - reaching posterior base of anal fin or to caudal-fin base 5th to 7th - longer than total length 6th- longest, its length 181 to 248% of standard length Pored lateral-line scales 66 to 71 scale rows above lateral line 6 or 7 , below 10 to 12 Gillrakers 12 -14 on upper limb, 17 -20 lower ,total 30 to 34 Swim bladder absent

Key for identification of polynemids in India

1. Anterior part of lower jaw with small teeth extending on to lateral surface , adjacent part of tip absent.Eleutheronema 1a.Pored lateral line scales 71-80. scale row 9-12 above, 13-14 below . Pectoral membranes vivid yellow when fresh,except in large specimens(over 350 mm ) ..E.tetradactylum 2.Anal fin base length less than head length, fin rays 10-18 ,space separating premaxillary teeth bands 2 or more times wider than bands, basispenoid not in contact with prootic..Filimanus

2a. Gill rakers 40-49 (mode39)..F.similis 2b.Pectoral filaments 6 (occasionally 7) or asymmetrically 5 or 6 , or 6 or 7 , gill rakers 36-46 (mode 41)......F.xanthonema 3. Tip of upper and lower caudal fin lobes filamentous .Leptomelanosoma 3a. Pectoral fin rays 12-14 . 5 filaments. 1st filament short and not reaching up to pelvic fin origin.L.indicum

4. Tips of upper and lower caudal fin lobes not filamentous , sphenotics not exposed dorsally . Swim bladder absent or if present found without appendages.. Polydactylus

4a. A large black spot present on anterior lateral line . .5

4b. No large black spot anteriorly on lateral line.6 5. Pectoral filaments 5.body and fins tinged with yellowish silver.....P . Microstomus 6. Pectoral filaments 6 or 7 , body and fins tinged with silver7

7a.Pectoral filaments 7 . Second spine of 1st dorsal fin more robust than other dorsal fin spines....P . Mullani 7b.Pectoral filaments 6 , all spines of 1st dorsal fins are of similar thickness. Gill rakers 25-30(mode 28). Second dorsal fin spines short(6% of standard length). Atrophied swim bladder.. P . sextarius
7c. Lateral line unbranched on caudal-fin base, extending to posterior margin of lower caudal-fin lobe, thickness of all spines of first dorsal fin similar . Pored lateral line 8-9 above and 12-13 below ....P . Plebeius 7d. Toothed vomer. Pored lateral line 61-67. orbit diameter 9%...................................... ...........................P . sexfilis

8. Posterior margin of preopercle serrated .Polynemus 8b. Pored lateral line scales 66-71( mode 70 ) . Scale row above lateral line 6-7, below 10-12 . (mode 11). Gill raker 30-34 . Occipital profile straight . Swim bladder absent.....P . Paradiseus

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