DESCRIPTION OF A LEUCOTIC MORPH OF THE PANGA FISH PTEROGYMNUS-LANIARIUS (PERCIFORMES, SPARIDAE) FROM SOUTH-AFRICA

The first record of a leucotic (or white) morph of the panga Pterogymn us laniarius (Cuvier 1830), collected off Mpekweni in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, is described. The specimen appeared silvery w hite, except for the iris and retina with some black pigment, and a sm all portion of the posterior caudal pn margin, which showed some faint pink colour. The 30-cm fork length fish appeared in poor condition an d was sexually immature, not having completed sexual differentiation T he age of this this specimen was estimated to be 12 +/- 1 years, based on the examination of sectioned sagittal otoliths. The implications o f colour morphs for the feeding and reproductive biology of the popula tion are discussed.