First Record of the Sunfish Ranzania Laevis (Pennant) (Pisces : Osteichthyes : Perciformes : Molidae) from the West Bengal Coast

2 Pages·2000·1.2 MB·

by  S Kar

MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
References
Annandale, N. (1915): Herpetological notes and westernIndia.PartIII.J.Bombaynat.Hist.Soc. 12:
description.Rec.IndianMus. II:341-347. 506-522.
Bhaduri,J.L.(1944):AnoteonRanacrassaJerdon,with Dutta,S.K.(1997): AmphibiansofIndiaandSri Lanka
extensionofitsrange.J. Bombaynat. Hist.Soc. 44: (Checklist & Bibliography). Odyssey Publishing
481-483. House,Bhubaneswar,India.
Bordoloi, S.C. & M.M. Bora (1999): First record of Kirtisinghe,P.(1957):TheAmphibiaofCeylon.(Privately
Hoplobatrachus crassus (Jerdon 1853) from Published).Colombo.
northeasternregioninAssamandArunachalPradesh. Romer,J.D.(1949):HerpetologicalobservationinAssam
J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 96: 158-159. andBengal.J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 48:374-376.
Boulenger,G.A.(1920):AmonographoftheSouthAsian, Sarkar, A.K., M.L. Biswas & S. Ray (1992): Fauna of
Papuan,MelanesianandAustralianfrogofthegenus West Bengal: Amphibia. State Fauna Series,
Rana. Rec. IndianMus. 20: 17-20. ZoologicalSurveyofIndia,3:67-100.
Chanda,S.K.(1994):Anura(Amphibia)ofnorthernIndia. Smith, M.A. (1929): On acollection ofamphibians and
Mem. Zool. Surv. India. 18: 1-143. reptilesfromtheupperreachesofBrahmaputra.Rec.
Daniel, J.C. (1975): Field guide to the amphibians of IndianMus. 31: 71-SO.
16. FIRST RECORD OF THE SUNFISH RANZANIA LAEVIS (PENNANT)
(PISCES OSTEICHTHYES PERCIFORMES MOLIDAE)
: : :
FROM THE WEST BENGAL COAST
AjuvenileRanzania laevis (Pennant) was sunfish as Tetraodon truncatus (op. cit. Fraser-
caught in a trawl net on November 28, 1998, Brunner 1951). Further, in 1798 Pennant
approximately 2 km offshore from Sankarpur described a specimen from Sri Lanka (formerly
harbour at Medinipur (= Midnapore) coast of Ceylon) as Balistes truncatus (op.cit.
WestBengal (21°36’N, 87°30' E) inthe Bay of Deraniyagala 1944). However, all the species
Bengal. The specimen (Regn No. MARC/ZSI/ were further synonymised as Ranzania laevis
mm
87) measured 494 in standard length. (op. cit. Fraser-Brunner 1951). Fraser-Brunner
Depth of body 50.8%, head 37.65% in (1951) and Fischer and Bianchi (1984) stated
standard length, diameter of eye 15.05% in that laevis is the only species under the genus
head length. Mouth aperture wide, measured Ranzania. Hence, the specimen described as
mm mm
24 (vertical) and 13 (horizontal). Fin R. truncatus (Retzius) by Chhapgar (1964) is
formula D.16, A.16, P.13, C.21, Pelvic fins the same species as R. laevis. Three more
absent. specimens ofR. laevis were captured from the
Fraser-Brunner (1951) has reported its west coast of Sri Lanka (op. cit. Deraniyagala
occurrence in all seas except polar seas. At the 1944). They were reported in 1798, 1911 and
same time, he stated that the species is rather 1941 by Pennant, Pearson and Deraniyagala
rare and its occurrence unpredictable. The respectively, ofwhich one was recorded from
sunfish (R. laevis) is distributed in tropical and Katys harbour which is nearerthe Indian coast.
subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Scott(1983)inFAOspeciesidentificationsheets
Pacific Oceans(Nelson 1984). Chhapgar(1964) (op. cit. Fischer and Bianchi 1984) mentioned
reported Ranzania truncata (Retzius) from the the occurrence of the species only in fishing
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) coast. In 1776, areas 34 and 51. Talwar et al. (1992) did not
Pennant first describedthe sunfish as Ostracion mention its occurrence from the coastal waters
laevis and in 1785, Retzius described the ofWestBengal.
,
288 JOURNAL BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY. 97(2). AUG. 2000
.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Hence, this is the first occurrence of R. September 22, 1999 S. KAR
laevis not only from coastal West Bengal, but R. CHAKRABORTY
from the entire east coast ofIndia. Zoological Survey ofIndia
F.P.S. Bldg, 27JawaharlalNehru Road,
Acknowledgement Calcutta 700 016, WestBengal, India.
MITRA
S.
WethanktheDirector,Zoological Survey T.K. CHATTERJEE
of India, for permission to carry out the Marine Aquarium cum Research Centre,
work. Digha, Medinipur, WestBengal, India.
Refer NCES
Chha(pRgaanrz,anBi.aF.t(r1u9n64c)a:taOcRceutrzrieunsc)eoinftBheomobblaoyngwsautnefriss.h FrasMeorl-iBdrauen)n.erB,ulAl..(B1r9it5.1)M:uTsh.eONcate.anHSisutn.fis(Zhoeosl(.F)am1i(l6y)::
J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 61:453-456,Fig. 1. 89-121.
Deraniyagala, P.E.P. (1944): Some whale sharks and Nelson,J.S.(1984):FishesoftheWorld.JohnWileyand
sunfishes captured offCeylon.J. Bombaynat. Hist. Sons,NewYork,p.523.
Soc. 44(3):427-430,pi. 1,Fig.2. Talwar,P.K.,P.Mukherjee,D.Saha,S.N.Paul&S.Kar
Fischer, W. & G. Bianchi (1984): FAO species (1992): Marineandestuarinefishes.Zool.Surv. India:
identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western StateFaunaSeries3: FaunaofWestBengal (Part2):
IndianOcean(Fishingarea51)(FAO:Rome).Vol.III. 243-342.
FISHES OF CHIMMONY AND PEECHI-VAZHANI WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES,
17.
KERALA, INDIA
(With one text-figure)
The Western Ghats immediately south of Mukundapuram taluka in Thrissur district (10°
thePalghatgaparetopographicallycomplexand 22'-10° 29' N and 76° 25'-76° 34' E). This
among the most heterogeneous areas in the Sanctuary is a stretch of forest comprising of
entireWesternGhatswithregardtobio-climatic mainly evergreen forests, moistteak forests and
zones, forest vegetation and endemic species moist mixed deciduous forests. The Chimmony
(Nair 1991). Only by taking into consideration Sanctuary, along the southwestern flanks ofthe
the complex topography of Parambikulam, Nelliampathiescontiguouswithandfurthersouth
Peechi-Vazhani and Chimmony Wildlife ofPeechi extending east to Parambikulam, was
Sanctuaries in Kerala with the adjacent declaredasaWildlifeSanctuaryinAugust 1984.
AnamalaiWildlife SanctuaryinTamilNaducan The Sanctuary arearanges in altitude from50to
the full potential of this tract be realized. The 1,116mabovemsl (Nair 1991). TheChimmony
fish fauna ofParambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary Sanctuary is separated from the Parambikulam
wasreportedbyBijuetal. (1999). Sofar,nobody Sanctuary to its east by a stretch offorest along
hadstudiedthePeechi-Vazhani andChimmony the catchment area of Kannankuzhithodu in
Wildlife Sanctuaries. The present survey KodasseryReserveForest.
indicates the diversity ofthe fish fauna in these Peechi-VazhaniWildlifeSanctuary:The
Sanctuaries. Peechi-Vazhani Sanctuary lies in Thrissur and
Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary: The Thalapilly taldkas ofThrissur district (10° 28'-
Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in 10° 40' N and 76° 17'-76°29’ E) (Nair 1991).
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 97(2), AUG. 2000 289