| Family: |
Engraulidae (Anchovies), subfamily: Engraulinae |
| Max. size: |
9.7 cm TL (male/unsexed); 10 cm TL (female); max.weight: 8.0 g; max.weight: 7.5 g |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; brackish; marine |
| Distribution: |
Indo-Pacific: widespread in the northern part of the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Aden, but apparently not the Red Sea nor Kenya, the Persian Gulf, India, Andaman Islands) and Western Central Pacific (Indonesia, Thailand, north to at least Taiwan Island, south to northern Australia; also eastward to Fiji and Tonga). |
| Diagnosis: |
Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 18-20. Diagnosis: Body rather cylindrical, belly rounded, with 5-6, rarely 3 or 4, sharp needle-like pre-pelvic scutes; maxilla tip pointed, projecting beyond second supra-maxilla and reaching to sub-operculum; isthmus short, preceded by a small bony plate on urohyal between branchial membranes; lower gillrakers 20-27; unbranched dorsal and anal finrays 3, anal fin short, with usually 15-17 branched finrays; in life, a bright silver band on flank, with a thin blue line above, back blue/grey (Ref. 189). It closely resembles Encrasicholina heteroloba, which has only 2 unbranched dorsal and anal finrays, a dull silver/grey band on flank, and the back beige; Encrasicholina oligobranchus has only 17-18 gillrakers; other species of Encrasicholina have a fleshy urohyal plate and a maxilla tip blunt and not projecting beyond the second supra-maxilla; species of Stolephorus have a long isthmus reaching to the margin of the branchial membrane (Ref. 189).
Description: Body rather cylindrical, belly rounded (Ref. 189). Snout prominent; tip of maxilla pointed (Ref. 2871, 30573). A small silvery plate in front of isthmus (Ref. 2871). Number of gill rakers on upper limb 19-21 and on lower limb 20-27 (Ref. 189, 122132). With 3 unbranched dorsal- and anal-fin rays; anal fin origin behind base of last dorsal-fin ray (Ref. 30573). With 3-6 sharp needle-like pre-pelvic scutes, no post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 189, 30573).
Colouration: In life, a bright silver band on flank, with a thin blue line above, back blue/grey (Ref. 189, 30573). A small silvery plate in front of isthmus (Ref. 30573). |
| Biology: |
|
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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