Johnius carouna (Cuvier, 1830)

(Common name: Caroun croaker)

(Fig. 8, Table 6)

Corvina carouna Cuvier, 1830: 125 (type locality: Malabar, India. Syntype: MNHN 0000-7529

Johnius carouna (Cuvier, 1830): Sasaki, 2000: 621; Sasaki, 2001: 3142; Mohamad Faisal, 2009: 97; Atan et al. 2010: 194; Seah et al. 2021: 101.

Johnius belangerii (non of Cuvier, 1830): Atan et al., 2010: 194.

Johnius carutta non of Bloch, 1793: Mohsin & Ambak, 1996: 174.

Johnius coitor (non of Hamilton, 1822): Ambak, 2010: 174; Atan et al., 2010: 194.

Johnius goldmani (syn. of Bleeker, 1854): Mohamad Faisal, 2009: 98; Atan et al., 2010: 195.

Material examined. Non-types: NMMB-P37088 (2, 98.16 to 106.76 mm SL), Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia, 23 February 2017 ; NMMB-P37089 (10, 102.9 to 116.37 mm SL), Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, 26–27 February 2017 ; NMMBP21551 (4, 89.17 to 136.9 mm SL), Pantai Remis, Perak, Malaysia, 4–6 June 2014 ; NMMB-P27642 (7, 92.85 to 124.33 mm SL), Pantai Remis, Perak, Malaysia, 10 August 2016 ; NMMB-P34742 (5, 97.98 to 98.26 mm SL), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 4 March 2017 ; NMMB-P34741 (7, 89.35 to 97.13 mm SL), Betangor, Sarawak, Malaysia, 14 March 2017 ; NMMB-P21550 (6, 92.86 to 97.58 mm SL), NMMB-P26525 (3, 90.45 to 107.46 mm SL), NMMB-P26504 (4, 104.88 to 141.26 mm SL), Kuala Kurau, Perak, Malaysia, 4 June 2014 ; NMMB-P21535 (104.11 mm SL), Bagan Panchor, Perak, Malaysia, 5 June 2014 ; NMMB-P21716 (B) (18, 62.7 to 107.09 mm SL), Matang, Perak, Malaysia, 21 April 2011 ; NMMB-P34740 (10, 113.45 to 122.58 mm SL), Beluran, Sabah, Malaysia, 28 February 2017 ; NMMB-P26533 (4, 92.54 to 121.9 mm SL), Kuala Kedah, Kedah, Malaysia, 19 May 2014 ; NMMB-P34743 (10, 106.09 to 141.28 mm SL), Goebilt, Sarawak, Malaysia, 17 March 2017 ; NMMB-P27643 (10, 92.79 to 130.83 mm SL), Bako, Sarawak, Malaysia, 17 March 2014 ; NMMB-P31392 (7, 117.27 to 160 mm SL), Muar, Johor, Malaysia, 19 March 2019 .

Diagnosis. A species of Johnius with the following combination of characters: snout bluntly rounded, slightly projecting in front of upper jaw; mouth small, inferior; lower jaw with a band of villiform teeth; gill rakers long, stiff, about 1/2 length of gill filaments at angle of arch, 10 to 12 on lower limb of first gill arch; second spine long, stiff, 32 to 50% of head length; and scales moderately large, 5 to 7 scale rows above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin, 8 to 11 scale rows below lateral line to origin of anal fin (Hanafi et al., 2022).

Distribution. Indo-West Pacific, India and Myanmar east to Borneo, north to northern Vietnam and southern China.

Remarks. Johnius carouna can be distinguished from sympatric congener species, J. sasakii, by the second anal spine length longer and stiffer and the gill raker count more higher (10 to 12 in carouna vs 8 to 10 in sasakii). Johnius carouna also is a common species and abundant especially concentrated in Sarawak states. It was collected at several sites of the Bako, Betangor, and Kota Kinabalu.