NATIONAL BIORESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Dept. of Biotechnology
Government of India, New Delhi



MARINE BIORESOURCES
FORMS DATA ENTRY: Form- 1(general ) Ref. No.:
(please answer only relevant fields;add additional fields if you require)

Fauna : Flora Microorganisms

General Category : Vertebrata (Zooplankton), Fish larvae

Scientific name &Authority : Gempylus serpens Cuvier 1829 Adult
Common Name ( if available) : Snake mackerel

Synonyms:
Gempylus coluber
Lemnisoma thryistoides

Author(s)
Cuvier and Valenciennes
Jordan and Evermann

Status
1829
1905

Classification:

Phylum: Vertebrata
Super Class : Pisces
Super Order: Teleostei
Super Family:
Genus : Gempylus


Sub- Phylum
Class : Osteichthyes
Order: Perciformes
Family : Gempylidae
Species : serpens



Sub- Class: Actinopterygii
Sub Order :Trichiuroidei
Sub-Family:
Authority: Gempylus serpens Cuvier 1829
Reference No.
Cuvier, G., 1829. Regne Animal ed. 2, 2: 200

Nishikawa, Y. 1987. Early development of fishes of the family Gempylidae. 1.
Larvae and juveniles of escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum (Smith). Bull.
Far Seas Fish. Res. Lab. 19 : 1-13.

Geographical Location:
Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean warm waters.
Latitude:
Longitude:
Place:
State:
For office use:









Environment
Fresh water: Yes/ No
Brackish : Yes/ No
Salt water : Yes / No
Habitat :
Migrations :
Depth range :
Salinity :
Temperature :

Picture (scanned images or photographs of adult / larval stages)

Figs. 1 - 4. Gempylus serpens larvae
Fig. 1 - 3.5 mm, Fig. 2 - 4.4 mm, Fig. 3 8.8 mm,
Fig. 4 14.0 mm (Reproduced from Nishikawa, 1987)















Figs. 5 7. Gempylus serpens Cuvier
Fig. 5 - 4.91 mm larva, Fig. 6 - 5.28 mm larva,
Fig. 7 Outline figure of 580mm specimen (Reproduced from Jones, 1960).











DATA ENTRY FORM: Form- 2(Fish / shellfish / others ) Ref.No.:
(please answer only relevant fields ; add additional fields if you require)
Form 1 Ref.No.:

IMPORTANCE

Landing statistics (t/y) : from to Place : Ref . No.:
Main source of landing: Yes/ No Coast: east/ west
Importance to fisheries:
Main catching method :
Used for aquaculture : yes/ never/ rarely
Used as bait : yes/no/ occasionally
Aquarium fish : yes/ no/ rarely
Game fish : yes/ no
Dangerous fish : poisonous/ harmful/ harmless
Bioactivity : locally known/ reported/ not known Details:
Period of availability : Throughout the year yes/ no If no, months:
SALIENT FEATURES :
Morphological:


Diagnostic characteristics:

Sex attributes:


Descriptive characters:




















Meristic characteristics:

Feeding habit:
Main food :
Feeding type :

Additional remarks:

Size and age:
Maximum length (cm) (male / female/ unsexed)
Average length (cm) (male / female / unsexed)
Maximum weight : (g) (male / female / unsexed)
Average weight :(g) (male / female / unsexed)
Longevity (y) (wild) : (captivity )
Length / weight relationalships:

Ref. No.:
Ref. No.:
Ref. No.:
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Ref. No.:



Eggs and larvae: Ref . No.:
Eggs are pelagic.
Larvae are deep bodied with about 44 55 myomeres. Newly hatched larva
measures around 2.5 mm. In 3.5 mm larva, body is partially pigmented.alimentary
canal is thick anteriorly and extends backwards to 2/3 of the body. Head is with
opercular spines and pointed snout. Eyes are big. In the 4 to 5 mm stage, the spinous
rays of first dorsal and ventral fins are serrated very conspicuous . Pignentation
present at the tip of jaws, on the forebrain, midbrain, lateral midline, dorsal and
ventral margins of the body. Larva of 8.8 mm size has a more elongated snout with
more pigmentation on body, alimentary canal and dorsal fin. Post juvenile stage of
580 mm is like a miniature adult with full compliments of fins. Head with elongated
snout and there is no sign of opercular spines. Teeth are present on jaws. (Figs. 1-7).

Characteristics:
Abundance:
Biochemical aspects:
Proximate analysis: moisture/ fat/ protein/ carbohydrate/ash Ref. No.
Electrophoresis: Ref. No.
SPAWNING INFORMATION:
Locality: Main Ref:
Larva are collected from Laccadive Sea and Indo Pacific tropical waters.
Season:
Fecundity:
Comment:
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS (INDIAN):
(include review articles, monographs, books etc.)
Jones, S. 1960. On the snake mackerel Gempylus serpens Cuvier from the
Laccadive Sea. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. India, 2 (1) : 85-88.

Peter, K.J. 1982. Studies on some fish larvae of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
Ph. D.Thesis, Univ. of. Cochin, 349 pp.

LIST OF INDIAN EXPERTS (Name, address, phone, fax, e-mail etc.)

1. Dr. K.J.Peter
Scientist, NIO. (Rtd)
Koithara
54/2950, Kadavanthara South
Kochi-682020
Ph. (0484) 318036
e-mail: peterann@md4.vsnl.net.in

2. M. Kumaran
Scientist, CMFRI. (Rtd)
Malaparambil Housing Colony
Calicut 673 009
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
(List of persons who contributed, modified or checked information)