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ARIOM

1983
FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FISHING AREA 51
(W. Indian Ocean)

ARIOMMIDAE

Ariommas

Body either deep and compressed or elongate and rounded, caudal peduncle short and slender, not compressed,
and with two very low fleshy lateral keels on each side (not always clearly visible); musculature firm and oily.
Head fairly large, snout blunt; eyes large, with a prominent supraorbital ridge, centrally located and surrounded by
thick adipose tissue extending forward over the lacrimal and around the small nostrils; mouth terminal and small,
maxilla barely reaching anterior border of eye; premaxilla not protractile; lacrimal bone covering upper jaw when
mouth is closed; teeth minute, uniserial and flattened, pointed or with three cusps; gill-rakers slender and
numerous, usually about 20 to 30 on first arch; opercles thin. Two dorsal fins, the first originating over the
pectoral fin base and with about 10 slender spines folding into a deep groove, the second with 1 spine and about 15
shorter segmented rays; anal fin similar to second dorsal, but its origin slightly more posterior, with 3 weak spines
and about 15 segmented rays; pectoral fins becoming increasingly elongate with growth in deep-bodied species;
pelvic fins inserting under posterior end of pectoral fin base, attached to the abdomen with a membrane and folding
into a long pronounced groove; caudal fin stiff and deeply forked. Lateral line high, following dorsal profile and
not extending onto caudal peduncle, a branch of the lateral line arching forward over the eye in a conspicuous bony
tract; scales large, cycloid, (smooth) thin and very easily shed; no scales on bases of median fins; snout naked, but
scales extending forward on nape to over the eyes.

Colour: deep-bodied Indian species quite silvery, with a bluish tinge on the back.

Small to medium-sized fishes (usually up to about 30 cm in length), although there are a few records of
elongate species up to 80 cm. They occur in schools over muddy bottoms in moderately deep water on the
continental shelf. They appear to feed on pelagic animals. Trawling is the primary means of capture. These are
fine food fishes.

10 spines

1 spine and 15 soft rays

supraorbital
ridge adipose
tissue
low fleshy
lacrimal keels
bone

mouth
small

15 soft rays

3 spines
 -2-

FAO Sheets ARIOMMIDAE Fishing Area 51

caudal peduncle
SIMILAR FAMILIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA: compressed,
no keels

Species of Nomeidae (especially Psenes):

peduncle somewhat deep (greater than 5% of
standard length) and compressed, without keels;
usually more than 16 rays in the second dorsal and
anal fins (15 in Ariommidae); teeth present on
palate and often on tongue.
Psenes sp. (Nomeidae)
Species of Centrolophidae (Psenopsis): first
dorsal fin spines much shorter than second dorsal
rays; caudal peduncle deep and compressed,
without keels; mouth large, maxilla reaching to spines
under eye. short caudal peduncle
compressed,
no keels
Similar species of Carangidae: first dorsal
fin spines shorter than second dorsal rays; two
detached spines ahead of anal fin; often with
modified scales or scutes forming a keel on caudal
peduncle; mouth large, maxilla reaching to under
eye.
Psenopsis cyanea

scutes often
present
GENERA OCCURRING IN THE AREA

A single genus, Ariomma.

Carangidae

LIST OF SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA :

Code numbers are given for those species for which Identification Sheets are included

Ariomma indica (Day, 1870) ARIOM Ariom 1

Ariomma brevimanus (Klunzinger, 1884)*

Prepared by R.L. Haedrich, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

* Only a single very large specimen of this elongate species has ever been recorded (Red Sea)
 ARIOM Ariom 1

1983

FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS

FAMILY : ARIOMMIDAE FISHING AREA 51

(W. Indian Ocean)

Ariomma indica (Day, 1870)

OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAMES STILL IN USE: Psenes indicus Day, 1870

Psenes africanus Gilchrist & van Bonde, 1923
Psenes extraneus Herre, 1950
Cubiceps dollfusi Chabanaud, 1930

VERNACULAR NAMES

FAO: En - Indian ariomma (= Indian driftfish, Fishing Areas 57/71)

Fr - Ariomme indienne
Sp - Arioma indica
NATIONAL:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS:

Body moderately deep, compressed but thick; caudal peduncle short, not compressed, almost square in cross-
section and with two very low and ill-defined fleshy keels at base of caudal fin; musculature firm. Snout blunt
and rounded; eyes large, surrounded by thick adipose tissue, supraorbital ridge prominent; mouth small, maxilla not
extending to below eye; premaxilla not protractile; supramaxilla absent; palate toothless; teeth of lower jaw
simple anteriorly. with 3 cusps posteriorly; _ lacrimal bone covering upper jaw when mouth is closed; opercles thin;
gill-rakers slender, about 23 on first arch; gill filaments long, at least twice the length of the rakers. First dorsal
fin originating a little before or over pectoral. fin insertion, with 10 to 12 long slender spines, the longest almost
twice the length of any ray in the second dorsal; second dorsal originating behind mid-body, with 14 or 15 short
branched rays; anal fin similar to second dorsal, with 3 spines and 14 or 15 rays; pectoral fins elongate, becoming
particularly so with growth; pelvic fins originating under posterior end of pectoral fin base and folding into a
prominent abdominal groove. Scales small, cycloid, easily shed, not extending onto bases of median fins; lateral
line high, following dorsal profile and not extending onto caudal peduncle; scales with branched tubes; a branch of
the Iateral line arches forward over the eye in ,a bony tract.
Colour: quite silvery with a bluish tinge on back; may have a few darker and variable blotches on sides;
inside of opercle black; eye with 2 golden crescents separated by a vertical dark region almost the width of the
lens; large specimens may be uniformly dark.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA:
spines short more than 20
Psenopsis canea and P. obscura (Centrolophidae): soft rays
more slender and darker in colour, with more than 20 soft
rays in the second dorsal and anal fins; spines of first
dorsal shorter than the rays which follow; caudal peduncle
compressed, lacking keels.

Psenes species (Nomeidae): caudal peduncle com- no keels

pressed and without keels, usually more than 15 rays in
Psenopsis cyanea
second dorsal and anal fins; palate with small teeth on
vomer and palatines.

Apolectus niger (Carangidae): a single dorsal fin,

pelvic fins on throat (juveniles) or absent (adults); caudal
peduncle with scute-like scales; scales extending onto
median fins.

Other species of Carangidae: dorsal fin spines

shorter than dorsal rays; two strong anal spines, sepa- caudal peduncle
rated from the rest of the fin by a gap. compressed,
no keels
SIZE: Psenes sp.

Maximum: about 25 cm; common to 18 cm. no spines

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR:

Continental shelf and upper slope along the coasts of East

Africa, the Gulf of Suez, Aden, the "Gulf", and India. Eastward
to Indonesia, the Philippines, and southern Japan, but not known
from Australia or New Guinea. The form from Mozambique
may have a larger eye and be darker in colour than the Indian
form. no pelvic fins Apolectus niger
(adults) (Carangidae)
Occurs in small shoals over muddy bottoms to depths of no spines
300 m. In India, it is most abundant on the shelf at about 60 m
depth, rarely shallower than 20 m, while off Mozambique, most scutes often
individuals occur at 200 to 300 m depth. Appears to be pelagic present
at night and demersal during the day, often associated with
fishes of the genera Saurida, Gerres, Trichiurus, Decapterus,
Nemipterus and Lutjanus. May migrate seasonally. Spawns at
intervals in both spring and fall off the Indian coast a little
earlier off Mozambique; males somewhat smaller than females, Carangidae
which are usually mature at a length of about 13.5 cm; the
mean fecundity of Indian specimens is 79 500 eggs.

Feeds mostly on zooplankton.

PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS:

Occurs in deep water all around the coast from Mozambique to

Sri Lanka, but most abundant in the southern Gulf of Mannar, to the
northwest of Cochin, and on the Sofala Bank (summer) and Delagoa
Bank (winter). In Kenya, Ungawana Bay is an important fishing
ground. Juveniles are abundant north of the Laccadive Islands.

CATCHES, FISHING GEAR AND FORMS OF UTILIZATION:

Separate statistics are not reported for this species.

Taken as a by-catch in deep-sea trawling. At times it amounts

to as much as 35 or even 60% by weight of fishes from deep-sea
trawls off Mozambique (especially Delagoa Bank). An annual yield
near 9 000 t is calculated to be possible in this area.

Marketed fresh and dried salted.

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