Indian threadfish

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Indian threadfish

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Carangiformes
Family: Carangidae
Genus: Alectis
Species:
A. indica
Binomial name
Alectis indica
(Rüppell, 1830)
Approximate distribution of the Indian threadfish
Synonyms[2]
  • Scyris indicus (
    Rüppell
    , 1830)
  • Seriolichthys indicus (
    Rüppell
    , 1830)
  • Hynnis insanus (Valenciennes, 1862)
  • Hynnis momsa (Herre, 1927)

The Indian threadfish (Alectis indica), also known as the Indian threadfin, diamond trevally, mirror fish or plumed trevally, is a large

tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean, ranging from east Africa to India, Asia, Indonesia and Australia. Adult fish tend to inhabit coastal waters over reefs down to 100 m in depth, while juveniles inhabit a variety of environments including estuaries and seagrass beds. The Indian threadfish is similar to the other two species in the genus Alectis, with a slight concavity in the profile of the head the most obvious distinguishing feature. It is a large species, growing to 165 cm and 25 kg in weight. The species is carnivorous, consuming fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans
. The Indian threadfish is of minor commercial importance, and has been the subject of aquaculture in Singapore.

Taxonomy and naming

The Indian threadfish is one of three members of the diamond trevally genus Alectis, which itself is one of 33 genera encapsulated in the jack family, Carangidae. The Carangidae are part of the order Carangiformes.[3]

The species was first recognized and

type specimen collected from the Red Sea.[4] After Rüppell's designation, a number of other naturalists unknowingly re-described the species, with the names Hynnis insanus, Caranx gallus and Hynnis momsa applied to the species by the various authors. Rüppell's original classification was also revised; the fish was first placed in Seriolichthys, and finally in the senior genus Alectis by James Douglas Ogilby in 1913. The species' name has been given as Alectis indicus in the literature, however the genus Alectis is feminine and thus the spelling indica is the correct one.[5][6]

The common name of the species, 'Indian threadfish' or 'Indian threadfin' refers to its distribution which includes Indian waters, and the characteristic elongated dorsal fins in juveniles. Other common names, such as mirror fish and diamond trevally, describe other aspects of the species' appearance.[4]

Distribution and habitat

South East Asia, north to Japan and south to Indonesia and northern Australia.[6] The easternmost report is that of a specimen taken off French Polynesia in the Pacific.[2]

The species is generally an inhabitant of coastal waters from depths of 20 m to 100 m, although the juveniles may be

estuaries in the summer, before dying off in the cold winter. The African pompano shows a similar pattern in Australian waters. The juveniles are also known to inhabit estuaries in other regions (including South Africa)[7] as well as seagrass beds.[8] Adults generally inhabit areas of reef below 20 m.[9]

Description

Alectis ciliaris.[6] The species is known to grow to 165 cm and 25 kg.[2]

The body of adults is a silvery blue-green colour above, being darkest on the head and silver below. The upper operculum has a small diffuse dark spot. The long filamentous soft dorsal and anal fins as well as the pelvic fin are a dark blue to black colour, while the others are pale green to hyaline in appearance. Juveniles have 5 to 7 broad dark vertical cross bands through their body.[10]

Ecology

The Indian threadfish is a

predatory fish, consuming of a wide range of fishes, small squids, jellyfish and crustaceans. As with A. ciliaris, the trailing fins of juveniles are thought to resemble jellyfish medusae, causing predators to avoid the young fish. Relatively little is known about reproduction in the species, although observations made in Indonesia show spawning occurs in pairs at daytime between ebbing and flooding tides. The spawning area in this instance was a shoal of 35–45 m, located in a deeper channel between two islands.[11]

Relationship to humans

Alectis indica in an aquarium

The Indian threadfish is a

prehistoric and more modern sites in the United Arab Emirates yielding the preserved remains of this species, as well as a number of other carangids.[12]
The species is commercially farmed in small numbers in
IGFA all tackle world record for the species stands at 16.00 kg (35b 4oz) caught off of Gazaruto island, Mozambique in 2007.[14]

Juveniles are moderately popular aquarium fishes, but require fairly large tanks and peaceful neighbours.[15]

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T20253300A46664019.en
    .
  2. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Alectis indica" in FishBase. August 2019 version.
  3. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-0-643-09334-8
    .
  5. ^ http://research.calacademy.org/redirect?url=http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp&tbl=species&spid=15347 [dead link]
  6. ^
    ISBN 92-5-104587-9
    .
  7. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1983.tb04738.x
    .
  8. doi:10.1071/MF01125
    .
  9. ISBN 1-86252-661-3
    .
  10. ^
    doi:10.3853/j.0812-7387.12.1990.92
    .
  11. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1974.tb04567.x
    .
  12. ^ Potts, D.T. (1997). Before the Emirates: an Archaeological and Historical Account of Developments in the Region c. 5000 BC to 676 AD in Perspectives on the United Arab Emirates (PDF). pp. 28–69. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  13. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2109.1997.00941.x
    .
  14. ^ "Threadfin, indian". igfa.org. IGFA. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  15. ^ Pet education. "Indian threadfin". Fish. Foster & Smith, Inc. Archived from the original on 2006-03-04. Retrieved 2007-10-23.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alectis indica.
Wikispecies has information related to Alectis indica.
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