FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 82, NO. 4 



line, silver below becoming whitish ventrally. A 

 series of about six to eight interrupted horizontal 

 black lines on sides of body much narrower than 

 interspaces. Anteriorly, usually only one of these 

 lines above lateral line; replaced posteriorly by a 

 number of short oblique black lines becoming 

 somewhat confused, and only two or three con- 

 tinue through to caudal peduncle. Horizontal 

 black lines on body interrupted to varying degrees, 

 beginning almost intact in places, but broken up 

 into a series of small rectangular "spots" in others. 

 Juveniles have spots but develop adult pattern of 

 interrupted lines by the time they reach a length 

 of 400 mm (Smith 1964:177). Upper areas of caudal 

 peduncle and median keel black, lower areas 

 dusky. First dorsal fin black except lower areas of 

 membrane may be pale posteriorly. Second dorsal 

 fin with leading edge and tips of rays dusky, rest 

 silver to pale; finlets dusky with a silver area at 

 center. Anal fin, leading edges and tips of rays 

 dusky, rest silvery; finlets white with a dusky 

 central area. Pectoral fins black inside, as is axil; 

 dusky outside with edges black; pelvic fins pale 

 whitish with outside of midrays dusky, groove on 

 body a little dusky. Caudal fin basally pale, rest of 

 fin dusky to black. 



Black and white photographs of S. plurilineatus 

 have been published by Williams (1960:pl. 2, 640 

 mm Zanzibar specimen) and Fourmanoir (1966: 

 fig. 1, 740 mm holotype from Madagascar). Illus- 

 trations of a spotted 300 mm juvenile and two 

 adults over 1 m long were presented by Smith 

 (1964:pl. 8). A colored figure of the juvenile is 

 included in Smith and Smith (1966:fig. 841). 



Biology. — Large schools are present in the Zanzi- 

 bar Channel from March- April until August-Sep- 

 tember, average weight 3.2-3.5 kg (Williams 1960). 

 Angling statistics point to a peak abundance in 

 Natal, South Africa, during May (van der Elst 

 1981). Spawning probably takes place in August- 

 September in the Zanzibar Channel (Williams 

 1964). There do not appear to be any published 

 references to eggs or larvae of S. plurilineatus. 

 This species feeds mainly on anchovies (Ancho- 

 viella sp.), clupeids (Amblygaster sp., Sardinella 

 fimbrata, S. perforata ), other small fishes, squids, 

 and mantis shrimps (Williams 1964; Merrett and 

 Thorp 1966; van der Elst 1981). 



Interest to fisheries. — In the Malindi area of 

 Kenya, catches of S. plurilineatus are mainly 

 made by trolling and hand lines, while in the 

 Zanzibar Channel all methods are used but the 



gill net prevails (Williams 1964). On the west 

 coast of Zanzibar a trap net called the mensab is 

 used to intercept fish on their projected paths of 

 movements (Williams 1964). More recently, tuna 

 purse seines are used in Zanzibar with catches of 

 several tons reported off the northwest coast 

 (Merrett and Thorp 1966). In Natal, South Africa, 

 it is a popular gamefish with ski-boat fishermen 

 and also with spearfishermen (van der Elst 1981). 



Distribution. — Common in coastal waters, espe- 

 cially near rocky and coral reefs. Western Indian 

 Ocean along the coast of East Africa from Kenya 

 (lat. 1°30'S) and Zanzibar (Williams 1964) to 

 Natal, South Africa (Fig. 58). The southernmost 

 records are from Algoa Bay (Smith and Smith 

 1966). Also found in the Seychelles Islands (Smith 

 and Smith 1963) and along the west coast of 

 Madagascar. 



Material examined.— Total 37 (165-910 mm FL). 



meas.: 37 (165-910): Natal, South Africa (25); 



Mozambique (1); Kenya (1); Zanzibar (10, 



F. Williams' data), 

 counts: 37. 

 diss.: 5 (490-910): South Africa (4); Kenya (1). 



Scomberomorus queenslandicus Munro 

 Queensland School Mackerel 



Figure 64 



Cybium guttatum. Not of Bloch and Schneider 

 1801. Macleay 1880:559 (description; Port 

 Jackson, Australia). Ogilby 1887:30 (listed; 

 Port Jackson). 



Scomberomorus guttatus. Not of Bloch and 

 Schneider 1801. Waite 1904:42 (New South 

 Wales). Stead 1906:165-166 (N.S.W). Stead 

 1908:98 (description; N.S.W. ). McCulloch 

 1922:105 (N.S.W). McCulloch 1929:264-265 

 (range in part; Queensland, N.S.W). 



Scomberomorus (Cybium) queenslandicus Munro 

 1943:82-86 (original description; Queensland 

 and west Australia), pi. 7, fig. B, pi. 8, fig. 

 1. Coates 1950:24 (description), fig. Roughley 

 1951:110 (description), pi. 45, top fig. (after 

 Munro). Jones and Silas 1962:202 (may turn 

 up in Indian waters), fig. 8 (after Munro). 

 Jones and Silas 1964:61-62 (description, range), 

 fig. 11 (after Munro). Taylor 1964:282 (listed 

 after Whitley 1954). Marshall 1964:363-364 

 (description; Qld.), pi. 49, fig. 350 A and B (after 



654 



