Teleostei (teleosts) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Etymology: Nematalosa: Greek, nema, -atos = filament + Latin, alausa = a fish cited by Ausonius and Latin, halec = pickle, dealing with the Greek word hals = salt; it is also the old Saxon name for shad = "alli" ; 1591 (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 16°S - 32°S, 112°E - 125°E (Ref. 188)
Eastern Indian Ocean: endemic to Western Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 36.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 33617); max. reported age: 20 years (Ref. 127616)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 17; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 22 - 24; Vertebrae: 45 - 49. Belly with 16 to 19 (usually 18) + 12 to 14 (usually 12), total 28 to 32 (usually 31) scutes. Anterior arm of pre-operculum with a fleshy triangular area above, not covered by third infra-orbital bone (see N. come). Lower jaw strongly flared outward. A small pectoral axillary scale present. Hind edge of scales toothed. A dark spot behind gill opening.
Abundant in estuaries; also found in coastal embayments. A filter-feeder. Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 33617). Used mainly for bait in the rock lobster fishery in Western Australia (Ref. 33617).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 188)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; bait: usually
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00912 (0.00433 - 0.01920), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.45 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 6.5 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.17).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100).
