Indian river shad - Systematic Position or Classification, Identifying Character

Scientific Name Of Indian river shad : Gudusia chapra

Systematic position Of Indian river shad or Gudusia chapra

Phylum – Chordata

Subphylum – Vertebrata

Super Class – Gnathostomata

Class – Osteichthyes

Super order – Clupeomorpha

Order – Clupeiformes

Family – Clupeidae

Genus – Gudusia

Species – chapra

Identifying Character Of Indian river shad or Gudusia chapra:

• All members possess either in adult or larval stage a notochord, which forms the axial skeleton of the body
• Pharyngeal gill slits are present in all members

Hence, Phylum – Chordata

·         Notochord is replaced by vertebral column

·         Brain is well developed with brain box or cranium

·         Gills are present as primary respiratory organ

Hence, Subphylum – Vertebrata

• Mouth bounded with jaws

Hence, Super class - Gnathostomata

• Endoskeleton is bony
• Skin is provided with mucous gland
• Scales are ganoids, ctenoid, cycloid, types, some are scale less
• Paired fins are provided with fin rays, which may be cartilaginous or bony
• Gill arches are bony
• Gill Chambers are covered by bony operculum

Hence, Class – Osteichthyes

• Branchiostegals numbering as high as 15, usually fewer
• Mesocoracoid arch invariably present
• Usually no lateral line possess on trunk

Hence, Super Order – Clupeomorpha

• Body short, oblong, not eel like, covered with minute cycloid scales, scales are absent in head regions
• Abdomen with keeled scutes along the ventral line
• Radiating cutaneous canals on opercular bones

Hence, Order – Clupeiformes

• Maxillaries composed of three pieces and not composed with together
• Teeth when present, is rudimentary and deciduous
• Barbells absent
• Gill membranes free
• Opercular pieces four

Hence, Family – Clupeidae

·         Body compressed and oblong

·         Abdomen serrated, with 18 – 19 pre pelvic and 8 – 10 post pelvic scutes

·         Head short and highly compressed

·         Snout rounded

·         Mouth slightly upturned, terminal, cleft not extending to the orbit

·         Eyes large, lateral, in anterior part of the head and not visible from the ventral      surface with broad adipose eyelid

·         Lips thin

·         Caudal fin forked

Hence, Genus – Gudusia

• Body without any cross bars on sides
• Dorsal fins inserted in above pelvic origin, with 16 rays
• Anal fin with 19 – 21 rays
• Caudal fin forked
• Lateral line absent, 80 – 120 scales in the lateral series

Hence, species – chapra

Hence, the provided specimen, Gudusia chapra

Distribution – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Burma, Nepal, Malaya

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