Offshore fish identification cards for small-scale line fisheries

Offshore fish identification cards for small-scale line fisheries

These identification cards are produced by the Pacific Community (SPC) to help improve catch data and statistics from small-scale vessels that regularly target pelagic species. With a better understanding of smallscale vessel catches, regional fisheries managers can ensure that migratory stocks are better managed throughout the range of the stocks and that small-scale fishers get more recognition and support for their contribution to food security and employment at the local community level. The most likely users of these cards are small-scale fishers who actively target pelagic stocks, along with fishery officers who are tasked with monitoring these fisheries. Fisheries training institutions and fishing communities are other potential users. Project co-ordination was done by the Oceanic Fisheries Programme Fisheries Monitoring Section and the Fisheries Information Section, SPC. Most of the colour illustrations are by Les Hata. Others are by Hazel Adams (p. 8, 9, 12, 13, 32, 33, 45, 46, 47 and 48), Jipé Le-Bars (p. 4 and 5) and Rachel O Shea (p. 27); black and white illustrations courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This publication is based on the Marine species identification manual for horizontal longline fishermen by Chapman et al. (2006). Pacific Community, 2017 Original text: English Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data Offshore fish identification cards for small-scale line fisheries / Pacific Community 1. Marine fishes Classification Oceania. 2. Fishery management Oceania. 3. Fishes Identification Oceania. I. Title II. Pacific Community 338.3720995 AACR2 ISBN: 978-982-00-1082-6

Tunas and other scombrids First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Base of second dorsal fin Finlets Caudal fin Caudal keel Pelvic fin Pectoral fin Anal fin Base of anal fin 1 Tunas

2 Tunas and other scombrids Yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares Adults (>70 cm) Narrow body, especially near caudal fin YFT Second dorsal and anal fins very long and yellow Finlets yellow with no black edge Notch in caudal fin

Bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus Adults (>70 cm) Stout body BET Finlets bright yellow with black edge No notch in caudal fin 3 Tunas and other scombrids

4 Tunas and other scombrids Yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares Juveniles (40 70 cm) Pectoral fins blade-like Narrow body, especially near caudal fin < 120 cm Small notch in caudal fin YFT Pectoral fin tip rounded Pectoral fin reaches base of second dorsal fin Lines slightly curved, evenly spaced, separated by lines of spots over most of body

Bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus Juveniles (40 70 cm) Pectoral fins curved Stout body < 120 cm No notch in caudal fin BET Pectoral fin tip pointed Pectoral fin often extends beyond base of second dorsal fin Lines almost straight, unevenly spaced with a few erratic spots mostly over lower body 5 Tunas and other scombrids

6 Tunas and other scombrids Albacore tuna Thunnus alalunga Back edge of caudal fin white or colourless ALB Pectoral fin reaches way past base of second dorsal and anal fins

Longtail tuna Thunnus tonggol Second dorsal fin taller than first dorsal fin Body slender, especially towards caudal fin LOT Pectoral fin rarely reaches space between dorsal fins Faint rows of colourless spots along belly 7 Tunas and other scombrids

8 Tunas and other scombrids Bullet tuna Auxis rochei rochei Wide space between first and second dorsal fins BLT Pectoral fin tip does not reach front edge of patterned area

Frigate tuna Auxis thazard thazard Wide space between first and second dorsal fins FRI Pectoral fin tip reaches beyond front edge of patterned area 9 Tunas and other scombrids

10 Tunas and other scombrids Skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis SKJ Three to five stripes along belly

Kawakawa Euthynnus affinis Narrow space between first and second dorsal fins KAW Black spots, sometimes faded 11 Tunas and other scombrids

12 Tunas and other scombrids Striped bonito Sarda orientalis Numerous stripes, black on upper side, fading on lower side BIP

Double-lined mackerel Grammatorcynus bilineatus Two lateral lines (one on upper side and one on lower side) DBM A similar and less common species, Grammatorcynus bicarinatus (not shown), has small black spots along the belly. 13 Tunas and other scombrids

14 Tunas and other scombrids Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri Snout as long as rest of head Snout Rest of head Lateral line dips under first dorsal fin WAH

Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson Snout shorter than rest of head Snout Rest of head Lateral line dips after first dorsal fin COM 15 Tunas and other scombrids

16 Tunas and other scombrids Dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda unicolor Obvious wavy lateral line DOT Cone-shaped (dog-like) teeth in a large mouth

Billfish Upper jaw prolonged (bill) First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Caudal fin Pectoral fin Pelvic fin First anal fin Second anal fin Caudal keels 17 Billfish

18 Billfish Blue marlin Makaira nigricans (a) Dorsal fin height (a) half to three-quarters of greatest body depth (b) (b) BUM Pectoral fin not rigid can flatten against body

Striped marlin Tetrapturus audax (a) Dorsal fin height (a) higher than or sometimes equal to greatest body depth (b) (b) MLS Pectoral fin not rigid can flatten against body 19 Billfish

20 Billfish Black marlin Istiompax indica (a) Dorsal fin height (a) about half of greatest body depth (b) (b) BLM Pectoral fin rigid cannot flatten against body on fish over 40 kg

Swordfish Xiphias gladius Sword-like bill with smooth surface First and second dorsal fins widely separated (except if <100 cm) SWO No pelvic fins Only one caudal keel 21 Billfish

22 Billfish Shortbill spearfish Tetrapturus angustirostris Dorsal fin about same height as body depth (a) (b) Bill length (a) very short, equal to or shorter than head length (b) SSP

Sailfish Istiophorus platypterus Dorsal fin very tall (more than two times body depth) SFA 23 Billfish

24 Jacks Jacks Lateral line First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Scutes Caudal fin Operculum Pectoral fin Pelvic fin Anal fin

Bigeye trevally Caranx sexfasciatus Small black spot at upper edge of gill cover White tip on second dorsal and anal fin CSX 25 Jacks

26 Jacks Rainbow runner Elagatis bipinnulata Blue and yellow stripes on side Caudal fin dark in colour and deeply forked RRU Two-rayed finlet behind second dorsal and anal fins

Yellowtail amberjack; Kingfish Seriola lalandi Single yellow stripe on side No finlet YTC Pectoral fin shorter than pelvic fin Second dorsal, anal and caudal fins yellow 27 Jacks

28 Jacks Longfin yellowtail Seriola rivoliana Second dorsal fin four times the height of dorsal fin YTL Leading edge of pelvic fin and margin of anal fin white

Greater amberjack Seriola dumerili Second dorsal fin twice the height of dorsal fin AMB Tip of pelvic and anal fin lobes white Extreme tip of lower caudal fin lobe pale or white 29 Jacks

30 Jacks Bigeye scad Selar crumenophthalmus Dorsal fins close together Very large eye Black spot on operculum BIS Maximum length: 50 cm

Mackerel scad Decapterus macarellus Dorsal fins widely separated Black blotch on operculum MSD Maximum length: 40 cm 31 Jacks

32 Jacks Golden trevally Gnathanodon speciosus Dark tips on tail GLT Juveniles bright yellow with 7 11 black bars. Adults silver with golden belly.

Cottonmouth jack Uraspis secunda Inside of mouth and tongue appears bleached-white Adults dark to bluish black. Juveniles with 6-7 dark bands with pale interspaces USE 33 Jacks

34 Jacks Jacks (other) Carangidae (other) Uraspis spp. Carangoides spp. Caranx spp. Selar spp. Decapterus spp. Trachinotus spp. Scomberoides spp. Seriola spp. TRE Note: The Carangidae family (jacks) includes 32 genera and about 140 species of highly varied shapes. Jacks are open-water carnivorous fish, usually silvery in colour.

Other important species Head First dorsal fin Second dorsal fin Finlets Snout Caudal fin Operculum (gill cover) Pelvic fin Pectoral fin Lateral line Anal fin Caudal keel 35 Other important species

36 Other important species Common dolphinfish; Mahi mahi Coryphaena hippurus Common length: 100 cm Maximum length: 210 cm Roundish-shaped tooth patch on tongue Body depth Body depth less than 1/4 of standard length DOL Anal fin concave Male head shape Female head shape

Pompano dolphinfish Coryphaena equiselis Common length: 50 cm Maximum length: 75 cm Squarish-shaped tooth patch on tongue Body depth Anal fin straight Standard length CFW Body depth more than 1/4 of standard length 37 Other important species

38 Other important species Great barracuda Sphyraena barracuda Second dorsal, anal and caudal fins dark with white tips Black spots (normally) Distinctive shaped caudal fin GBA

Pickhandle barracuda Sphyraena jello Second dorsal and caudal fins yellowish Bars are faint, unevenly spaced and go to just below lateral line BAC 39 Other important species

40 Other important species Blackfin barracuda Sphyraena qenie Common length: 80 cm Maximum length: 170 cm Dark caudal fin with black margin BAB Almost straight bars Two small knobs at centre of caudal fin

Sawtooth barracuda Sphyraena putnamae Common length: 60 cm Maximum length: 90 cm Dark caudal fin BAN Chevron-shaped bars extending well below lateral line 41 Other important species

42 Other important species Sickle pomfret Taractichthys steindachneri Obviously long first dorsal and anal fins White margin on caudal fin TST Large scales

Brilliant pomfret Eumegistus illustris Juvenile (less than 30 cm) Distinct shape of caudal fin Large scales EBS 43 Other important species

44 Other important species Pomfrets (other) Bramidae (other) Pteraclis spp. Pterycombus spp. Species in this family have: Angle of jaw very slanted Single dorsal fin Caudal fin of adults strongly forked BRZ Taractes spp. Brama spp.

Triple tail Lobotes surinamensis Large, rounded posterior lobes of dorsal and anal fins that are equal to caudal fin in size. LOB 45 Other important species

46 Other important species Rough triggerfish Canthidermis maculatus Dark body and fins covered with numerous whitish blotches CNT

Unicorn leatherjacket filefish Aluterus monoceros Slender dorsal spine above eye ALM Body grey with faint spotting 47 Other important species

48 Other important species Batfish Platax teira Second bar from front of dorsal fin to ventral fin Dark to faint bar through eye BAO Large dark blotch above rear edge of ventral fin

Slender sunfish Ranzania laevis Slender body shape No protruding tail Distinct markings RZV Maximum length: 80 cm 49 Other important species

50 Other important species Gemfish & snake mackerels Gempylidae Rexea spp. Species in this family have: Large mouth with strong teeth Two dorsal fins, second shorter than first Pelvic fin very small, often just a single spine with a few or no soft rays Rexichthys spp. GEP

Index

Acanthocybium solandri...14 Albacore tuna...6 Aluterus monoceros...47 Auxis rochei rochei...8 Auxis thazard thazard...9 Batfish...48 Bigeye scad...30 Bigeye trevally...25 Bigeye tuna...3 & 5 Billfish...17 Black marlin...20 Blackfin barracuda...4 Blue marlin...18 Bramidae (other)...44 Brilliant pomfret...43 Bullet tuna...8 Canthidermis maculatus...46 Caranx sexfasciatus...25 Common dolphinfish...36 Coryphaena equiselis...37 Coryphaena hippurus...36 Cottonmouth jack...33 Decapterus macarellus...31 Dogtooth tuna...16 Double-lined mackerel...13 Elagatis bipinnulata...26 Eumegistus illustris...43 Euthynnus affinis...11 Frigate tuna...9 Gemfish & snake mackerels...50 Gempylidae...50 Gnathanodon speciosus...32 Golden trevally...32 Grammatorcynus bilineatus...13 Great barracuda...38 Greater amberjack...29 Gymnosarda unicolor...16 Istiompax indica...20 Istiophorus platypterus...23 Jacks...24 Katsuwonus pelamis...10 Kawakawa...11 Kingfish...27 Lobotes surinamensis...45 Longfin yellowtail...28 Longtail tuna...7

Mackerel scad...31 Mahi mahi...36 Makaira nigricans...18 Pickhandle barracuda...39 Platax teira...48 Pomfrets (other)...44 Pompano dolphinfish...37 Rainbow runner...26 Ranzania laevis...49 Rough triggerfish...46 Sailfish...23 Sarda orientalis...12 Sawtooth barracuda...41 Scomberomorus commerson...15 Selar crumenophthalmus...30 Seriola dumerili...29 Seriola lalandi...27 Seriola rivoliana...28 Shortbill spearfish...22 Sickle pomfret...42 Skipjack tuna...10 Slender sunfish...49 Spanish mackerel...15 Sphyraena barracuda...38 Sphyraena jello...39 Sphyraena putnamae...41 Sphyraena qenie...40 Striped bonito...12 Striped marlin...19 Swordfish...21 Taractichthys steindachneri...42 Tetrapturus angustirostris...22 Tetrapturus audax...19 Thunnus alalunga...6 Thunnus albacares... 2 & 4 Thunnus obesus... 3 & 5 Thunnus tonggol...7 Triple tail...45 Tuna and other scombrids...1 Unicorn leatherjacket filefish...47 Uraspis secunda...33 Wahoo...14 Xiphias gladius...21 Yellowfin tuna...2 & 4 Yellowtail amberjack...27

PACIFIC COMMUNITY BP D5 98848 NOUMEA CEDEX NEW CALEDONIA Telephone: +687 26 20 00 Facsimile: +687 26 38 18 Email: spc@spc.int Web: http://www.spc.int Production of these cards was made possible through financial assistance provided by the Australian Government, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), via the project: Implementation of Global and Regional Oceanic Fisheries Conventions and Related Instruments in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PIOFMP-II). Prepared for publication at: Pacific Community headquarters, Noumea, New Caledonia Printed by Stredder Print Ltd., New Zealand, 2017