Author: (Gill, 1862)

Selene dorsalis (Gill, 1862)

Diagnosis: body very compressed and deep; depth contained about 1.7-2.3 times in fork length. Gillrakers (including rudiments) 7-9 upper, 31-34 lower on first gill arch. Dorsal fin VIII + I + 23 or 24; anal fin II (reabsorbed and not apparent at about 13 cm. fork length) + I + 18-20; pelvic fins relatively short at all sizes (about one-third or less length of upper jaw), becoming nearly rudimentary; anterior soft rays of dorsal fin never filamentous; first four dorsal spines elongated in fish smaller than 6 cm fork length. Body scales minute and embedded where present, absent anteriorly on most of area from pelvic fin base to junction of curved and straight parts of lateral line. Scutes in straight lateral line 8-17, weak and scarcely differentiated. Colour: body and head silvery, sometimes with a metallic bluish cast dorsally; faint dark spot on edge of opercle near upper margin and a narrow black area on top of caudal peduncle. Juveniles (to about 7-9 cm fork length) generally silvery with an oval black spot over straight part of lateral line. Size: to 32.5 cm fork length, common to 24 cm.

Habitat: usually found near bottom in 20-100 m; young and juveniles occur in surface waters often near bays and river mouths; a schooling species. Food: crustaceans and small fishes. Reproduction: see family.

Distribution: rare in the area; literature records for Portugal and Madeira. Elsewhere, the Cape Verde Is. and African coast from Senega to Walvis Bay, (Namibia). A geminate species, Selene setapinnis, occurs in the western Atlantic.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Perciformes
Suborder Percoidei
Family Carangidae
Genus Selene
Species Selene dorsalis

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Selene dorsalis (Gill, 1863)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Selene dorsalis (Gill, 1862)

Synonyms:

Vomer setapinnis of authors
Selene setapinnis (Mitchill, 1815)
From the synonymy of this species, delete Vomer goreensis Guichenot, 1866 (not 1858: nomen nudum) (holotype: MNHN 2924), Vomer gaboensis Guichenot, 1866 (holotype: MNHN 2928), Vomer senegalensis Guichenot, 1866 (holotype: MNHN 2918) and Vomer dorsalis Gill, 1862. All these four nominal species are synonyms of Vomer dorsalis Gill, 1862, a valid species from the area south to the Clofnam area.
Vomer brownii: Cuvier, 1833 is only pro parte a synonym of Selene setapinnis.


Common names:

African lookdown [En]
Musso africain [Fr]
Jorobado africano [Es]

Gill, T. N. 1862c. Catalogue of the fishes of the eastern coast of North America from Greenland to Georgia. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad., 1861[1862],13 (suppl.) :1-63.

Guichenot, A. 1866. Catalogue des Vomers de la collection du Musee de Paris. Ann. Soc. Linn. Maine et Loire: 3244.

Mitchill, S. L. 1815. The fishes of New York, described and arranged. Trans. Iit. phil. Soc., N.Y., 1(5): pp. 355-492, 6 pl.

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