Occurrence of saddle back syndrome in Pampus argenteus from North-West Coast of India

Pampus argenteus plays a vital role in the aquatic ecosystem. It forms a major share in pomfret fishery along the Indian coast. Caudal fin deformities are commonly observed in pomfret that might have been caused due to predation but saddle back syndrome (SBS) in fishes are rarely observed. An abnormal specimen of P. argenteus was recorded with saddle back syndrome along with lateral line deformity from North-West coast of India, where it forms a major fishery. It was characterised by a depression in the dorsal fin and lacking 10^th-16^th dorsal fin rays. The causative agents of SBS are discussed in this paper.