Partial- and hyper-melanic pigmentation in fishes of the family Carangidae collected from Jubail area, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

The members of the family Carangidae are among the important commercial fish species in the Arabian Gulf area. Carangid species are characterised in having bluish silvery body colour. We report cases of partial and hyper-melanic pigmentation in 3 species belonging to the family Carangidae (Alepes vari (Cuvier, 1833) Carangoides bajad (Forsskål, 1775) Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål, 1775)) based on 5 specimens collected in the area of Al-Jubail City, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. Severe case of hyperpigmentation was noticed in G. speciosus, while an acute case of partial melanic pigmentation occurred in a specimen of Alepes vari. Potential effects of these colour abnormalities on their ecology and on human consumptions' perception were mentioned.