(Cuvier, 1829)
1. Distinctive characteristics of early developmental stages
(a) Eggs and larvae
Not yet recorded from the mangrove waters.
(b) Early juveniles (description based on about 25 mm T.L. specimens)
Terapon puta 1
A strong opercular spine is present. The preoperculum is serrated and has 4 or 5 small spines at an angle. There are three nearly straight horizontal dark stripes on the body (in adults, one more stripe is present which lines the dorsal profile along the dorsal fin base). The top-most horizontal stripe in early juveniles (which is the second one and is straight in adults) shows an upward bend at the anterior portion. The caudal fin possesses bands and pigmentation similar to those in adults. In the spinous dorsal, the upper part of the membrane between the 3rd and 8th spine is darkly pigmented (which becomes a conspicuous blotch in adults). The upper portion of the soft dorsal is also darkly pigmented. The upper half of the body is dark green in colour and at times has feeble and small pearly rings spread over the body in fresh specimens.
2. Distinguishing characteristics of early developmental stages in related species occurring in the mangroves
(a) Early juveniles of T. jarbua
The stripes are curved downwards. The body depth is relatively greater than in the T. puta and is brownish/greyish dorsally (the body is thick and greenish dorsally in the case of T. puta ).
3. Distinguishing characteristics of early developmental stages in related species occurring in the coastal waters
(a) Early juveniles of Pelates quadrilineatus
The caudal fin is devoid of any bands or stripes. At times a blotch is present on the shoulder. Four to six (but usually 5 or 6) horizontal straight stripes are present on the body (3 horizontal straight stripes are usually present in early juveniles and juveniles of T. puta ).
4. Salient biological characteristics
This species grows to a maximum size of 200 mm T.L. in coastal waters. It occurs in mangroves up to 90 mm in total length, beyond which it moves to inshore waters for growth and reproduction (Jeyaseelan, 1981). It spawns during February-March and August-September in Indian waters (Prabhu, 1956). The adults are reported to feed on fish and invertebrates in inshore waters. The juveniles in the Southeast Indian mangrove waters feed on algal weeds, gammarids, tanaids, shrimp juveniles, bivalve veligers and juveniles and epiphytic diatoms (Jeyaseelan, 1981).
5. Salient ecological information
It is an inshore species occurring in brackish waters, including the mangroves. It is reported occasionally to visit fresh water (Fischer and Bianchi, 1984). However, in the mangrove waters, it occurs from near sea-water salinity up to the lower limits of mixo-mesohaline conditions and never in freshwater conditions (Jeyaseelan, 1981).
It often dwells in the lower reaches of the mangroves where algal weeds and sea-grass beds exist. It avoids highly turbid waters in the mangrove waters.