Sparidae

Siddiqui, Pirzada Jamal, Amir, Shabir Ali & Masroor, Rafaqat, 2014, The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records, Zootaxa 3857 (1), pp. 71-100 : 96-97

Key to the Species of Sparidae from Pakistan

1a Molar teeth in jaws present............................................................................ 2

1b Molar teeth in jaws absent.............................................................................. 11

2a No enlarged teeth at front of jaws; head between eyes scaly (scales reaching to beyond the level of vertical eye diameter); anal fin with 3 spines and 9–10 rays............................................................... Pagellus affinis

2b Front of jaws with distinct 4–9 enlarged teeth............................................................... 3

3a Head between eyes scaly (inter orbital region scaly); front of jaws with 4 to 6 enlarged caniform teeth; first two dorsal spines very short, third to seventh elongate, flattened, filamentous, mainly in juveniles....................... Argyrops spinifer

3b Inter–orbital naked, scales ending at or behind level of vertical eye diameter....................................... 4

4a Incisor-like (incisiform) teeth in front of each jaw more than 6 enlarged........................................... 5

4b Enlarged teeth in front of jaws 4–6, more or less compressed, subequal; molar teeth well-developed.................... 6

5a Incisor-like teeth in each jaw 7–8; no broad crossbars on sides; juveniles with 8–9 narrow dark crossbars disappearing with age; black blotch on anterior portion of caudal peduncle, reaching both sides bellow lateral line......... Diplodus capensis

5b Incisor-like teeth in each jaw 10–12; 5 broad transverse black bars on head and body, one on head through eyes and four on rest of body............................................................................... Diplodus omanensis

6a Single enlarged molar teeth in the posterior of each jaw....................................................... 7

6b Molar teeth gradually larger from anterior to posterior of each jaw.............................................. 8

7a Head and body silvery with golden longitudinal lines on the body; scale rows between the fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 6½–7½; pelvic and anal fins more or less yellow or brownish–yellow........................ Rhabdosargus sarba

7b Head and body silvery–black, no golden longitudinal lines on the body; scale rows between the fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 5½; pelvic and anal fins dusky gray............................................. Rhabdosargus haffara

8a Dorsal fin soft rays 12–15, two conspicuous black bars on head, dorsal and caudal fins yellow, prominent black margin on dor- sal fin and fine black edge on rear margin of caudal fin; scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 4½–5½................................................................................. Acanthopagrus catenula

8b Dorsal fin soft rays 10–12; no such black bars on head........................................................ 9

9a Scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 3½ – 4; ventral edge of infraorbitals with prominent concavity in fish larger than 15 cm SL; pelvic, anal, and caudal fins dusky to black.......................... Acanthopagrus berda

9b Scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 4½; ventral edge of infraorbitals straight or slightly curved; pel- vic and anal fins white or yellow........................................................................ 10

10a Pelvic and anal fins vivid yellow, yellowish in lower caudal lobe; no black blotches on inter-radial membranes between dorsal- fin rays........................................................................... Acanthopagrus arabicus

10b Pelvic and anal fins faint yellow, whitish/ blackish in lower caudal lobe, two to three black blotches on inter-radial membranes between dorsal-fin rays; black streaks near base on anal-fin inter–radial membranes between yellow anal-fin................................................................................................. Acanthopagrus sheim

11a Anterior teeth in front of jaws incisiform, compressed, 2 or more series of teeth in each jaw, outer series of incisors with edge crenulate.............................................................................. Crenidens indicus

11b Anterior teeth in front of jaws caniform, some enlarged in front of jaws......................................... 12

12a First two dorsal spines short, 3rd and 7th elongated, filamentous (especially in juveniles and subadults).... Cheimerius nufar

12b Dorsal spines normally graduated, not filamentous; scales on head not reaching forward to level of vertical diameter of eye.. 13

13a Scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 5½; 2nd anal-fin is subequal to 3rd anal-fin spine................................................................................................... Sparidentex hasta

13b Scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 3½; 2nd anal-fin is distinctly stouter and longer than 3rd anal-fin spine............................................................................. Sparidentex jamalensis