Systematic Position
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Family: Engraulidae (Anchovies)
Subfamily: Coiliinae
Genus: Coilia
Species: C. ramcarati
Synonyms
Coilia cantoris Bleeker, 1853
Coilia quadragesimalis Valenciennes, 1848
Engraulis hamiltonii Gray, 1830
Mystus ramcarati Hamilton, 1822
Common/local names
English: Ramcarat grenader anchovy and Tapetail anchovy
Bangladesh: Olua (আউলা), Megha olua (মেঘা আউলা) and Boiragi (বৈরাগি)
Distributions: Bangladesh (Rahman, 1989 and 2005); Ganga delta and Andaman Sea south of Yangon of Myanmar (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Conservation status: Not threatened in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh, 2000).
Morphology: Golden brownish body, without having round spot as in C. dussumieri. Body compressed, tapering evenly to caudal fin. Fins hyaline. Dorsal fin preceded by a small scute-like spine. Pectoral fin with 6 (Rahman, 1989 and 2005); 6-7 (Parvez, 2011) free filamentous rays. Anal fin long, confluent with caudal fin. About 70 scales in median lateral series (Rahman, 1989 and 2005).
Fin formula:
D. 1/13-14; P1. 6/6; P2. 10; A. 96-105 (Rahman, 1989 and 2005)
D iii 13-14; A ii 90; P vi+5-6; V i 8-9 (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Maximum lengths: 21.9 cm TL (Rahman, 1989 and 2005), 16 cm SL and 25 cm TL (Huda et al., 2003).
Habitats: Typically a coastal-marine and schooling species (Parvez, 2011). Found in estuaries and the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh (Rahman, 1989 and 2005). Inhibits coastal waters and estuaries (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Fishery information: This is one of the important fish species of the artisanal fishery of Bangladesh contributing a notable share, about 0.12% to 2.25% (Nabi, 2007). Caught mainly with beach seines, purse seines, bamboo-stake traps, estuarine set bag net (ESBN), along with a variety of other fishes as by-catch (Parvez, 2011).
The small fish is highly relished and commands a higher market value than other species of this genus (Parvez, 2011). It is a very soft fish with low standing quality. Little portion of the catch is sold fresh and a large part is sundried and has a good demand among the coastal community (Parvez, 2011).
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REFERENCES
Bleeker P (1853) Bijdrage tot de kennis der Muraenoïden en Symbranchoïden van den Indischen Archipel. Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen.25(5):1-62+ 63-75.
Cuvier G and Valenciennes A (1848) Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome vingt et unième. Suite du livre vingt et unième et des Clupéoïdes. Livre vingt-deuxième. De la famille des Salmonoïdes. Histoire naturelle des poissons. 21: i-xiv + 1 p. + 1-536.
Gray JE. 1830. Illustrations of Indian zoology; chiefly selected from the collection of Major-General Hardwicke, F.R.S., 20 parts in 2 vols. Illustrations of Indian zoology; chiefly selected from the collection of Major-General Hardwicke, F.R.S., Pls. 1-202.
Hamilton F (1822) An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches. Edinburgh & London. An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches.: i-vii + 1-405, Pls. 1-39.
Huda MS, Haque ME, Babul AS and Shil NC (ed.) (2003) Field guide to finfishes of Sundarban, Aquatic resources division, Sundarban, Boyra, Khulna, Bangladesh, p. 61.
IUCN Bangladesh (2000) Red book of threatened fishes of Bangladesh, IUCN- The world conservation union. xii+116 pp.
Nabi MR (2007) Management of Estuarine Set Bag Net Fishery of Bangladesh: Application of Traditionl Scientific Methods, Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Local Indigenous Knowledge (Ph.D. Thesis), Borneo Marine Research Institute, University Malaysia Sabah, p. 240.
Parvez MS (2011) Study on some aspects of the biology of Coilia ramcarati (Hamilton, 1822) from the landing center and local markets of Chittagong, MS Thesis, Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, University of Chittagong. p. 2.
Rahman AKA (1989) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 1st edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, p. 241.
Rahman AKA (2005) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2nd edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, pp. 264-265.
Talwar PK and Jhingran AG (1991) Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries, Vol. 1, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi-Calcutta, pp. 130-131.
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