Anodontostoma chacunda (Hamilton, 1822)

Zainal Abidin, Danial Hariz, Lavoué, Sébastien, Mohd Abu Hassan Alshari, Norli Fauzani, Mohd. Nor, Siti Azizah, A. Rahim, Masazurah & Mohammed Akib, Noor Adelyna, 2021, Ichthyofauna of Sungai Merbok Mangrove Forest Reserve, northwest Peninsular Malaysia, and its adjacent marine waters, Check List 17 (2), pp. 601-631 : 609

Anodontostoma chacunda (Hamilton, 1822)

Figure 3B

Material examined. MALAYSIA • 3, 121– 125 mm TL; Kedah State, Kuala Kedah, Kuala Muda Whispering Market ; 05.578°N, 100.341°E; 6 Dec. 2018; Danial H. Zainal Abidin, Norli F.M.A.H. Alshari leg.; USMFC (5) 00005 . • 1, 100 mm TL; Kedah State, Merbok, Pompang Sungai Merbok ; 05.664°N, 100.381°E; 6 Dec. 2018; Danial H. Zainal Abidin, Norli F.M.A.H. Alshari leg.; USMFC (5) 00006 . • 5, 61– 111 mm TL; Kedah State, Kampung Batu Lintang, Pompang Batu Lintang ; 05.624°N, 100.395°E; 19 Apr. 2019; Danial H. Zainal Abidin, Norli F.M.A.H. Alshari leg.; USMFC (5) 00008 .

Identification. A small species of Clupeidae (maximum TL about 100 mm); body deep, laterally compressed and strongly keeled from isthmus to anus; mouth small inferior; last dorsal fin ray not filamentous; lower gill rak- ers 54–96 (on first gill arch; data from Whitehead 1985); longest gill rakers on lower part of arch less than corresponding gill filaments; posterior edges of scales in- dented, the indentations smaller than gaps between them; body silver, back darker; a large, dark, ovoid mark behind upper part of gill opening, covering about four scales. Fins mostly translucent ( Whitehead 1985).

Anodontostoma chacunda can be distinguished from other clupeids collected by its deep body, high number of lower gill rakers and a conspicuous large dark ovoid mark behind upper part of gill opening. Anodontostoma chacunda is a predominantly coastal marine species and one of the most common species of Clupeidae occurring in brackish ecosystems of this region (e.g., Tongnunui et al. 2002; this study). Otherwise, distributed in

the Indo-West Pacific region, from the Persian Gulf to Australia ( Whitehead 1985).