A first record of the Redbelly Yellowtail Fusilier Caesio cuning (Bloch, 1791) (Teleostei: Caesionidae) from Visakhapatnam coastal waters, India

For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies and Guidelines visit https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Article Submission Guidelines visit https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientific Misconduct visit https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints contact <info@threatenedtaxa.org> Note A first record of the Redbelly Yellowtail Fusilier Caesio cuning (Bloch, 1791) (Teleostei: Caesionidae) from Visakhapatnam coastal waters, India

Material and Methods: A single specimen of C. cuning was collected from the Visakhapatnam coastal waters, India, on 22 June 2015. The material was fixed in 10% formalin and preserved in 70% ethanol. Identification was based on standard taxonomic keys of Carpenter (1987) and Froese & Pauly (2016). Counts and measurements were made according to Allen (1985). The specimen was deposited at the Department of Marine Living Resources, Andhra University (DMLRAU52/2015).

Results and Discussion
Genus Caesio Lacepecle, 1801 Caesio cuning (Bloch, 1791)  Body moderately deep, dorsal profile of head high, interorbital space strongly convex, profile of snout relatively short and pointed; mouth small, oblique; the lower jaw slightly projecting, the posterior end of maxilla reaching to above front edge of orbit. Preoperbital bone narrow and less than the eye diameter; eyes are relatively large in size. Villiform teeth in jaws; tongue without tooth; minute teeth in a triangular shaped patch of vomer and a narrow band on palatines. Preopercular flap slightly pointed. Head covered with ctenoid scales; originating from nape region and extending upto the base of the first dorsal spine. Transverse scale rows on cheek four.
Origin of dorsal and pelvic fin on the same line where as the origin of pectoral fin slightly anterior; dorsal fin continuous with ten spines and sixteen soft rays; fourth dorsal spine longest and succeeding spines decreasing length posteriorly. Dorsal fin rounded in shape slightly angular in shape posteriorly; anal fin with three spines; first anal spine shorter than second and second anal spine stouter and longer than third; pectoral pointed, it reaches up to the anterior margin of anus. Pelvic fin angular in shape; caudal fin forked. Body covered with ctenoid scales. Dorsal and anal fin with scaly sheath; lateral line runs parallel to dorsal profile; supra-temporal band of scales confluent at dorsal midline.
Upper body bluish superiorly yellow, lower sides and the belly portion reddish in colour; dorsal fin posteriorly yellow, pectoral fin rays pinkish, pelvic and anal fins reddish in color; axil of pectoral fin black; caudal fin yellowish and iris red.
Remarks: Cuvier (1830) reconciled the colour differences between C. erythrogaster and the figure of Bloch's cuning as due to Bloch's incomplete information of the original colour (Carpenter 1987). When compared with the original description of previous authors (Bloch, 1791 andCarpenter, 1987). The meristic, morphometric and colouration were well in agreement with the present specimen (Tables 1 and 2) except lateral line scales. According to Carpenter (1987), Rao (2004)  www.threatenedtaxa.org The Journal of Threatened Taxa is dedicated to building evidence for conservation globally by publishing peer-reviewed articles online every month at a reasonably rapid rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org. All articles published in JoTT are registered under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License unless otherwise mentioned. JoTT allows unrestricted use of articles in any medium, reproduction, and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.