Squaretail mullet | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Mugiliformes |
Family: | Mugilidae |
Genus: | Ellochelon Whitley, 1930 |
Species: | E. vaigiensis |
Binomial name | |
Ellochelon vaigiensis | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The squaretail mullet (Ellochelon vaigiensis), also known as the diamondscale mullet, is a species of grey mullet from the family Mugilidae. It is an Indo-Pacific species and is the only species in the monospecific genus Ellochelon. [2]
The squaretail mullet is olive-brown on its back with silvery flanks and a white or yellowish belly. It has six longitudinal stripes along its sides which are formed by darker longitudinal markings on the scales which also have darkened edges creating a slight chequered appearance on the flanks. The iris has yellow patches. The fins have dark margins which contrasts with their mainly yellowish cast but the caudal fin is obviously yellow and in smaller specimens the pectoral fin is totally black but the lower part becomes yellowish in older fish. [2]
The squaretail mullet occurs from the Red Sea and the coast of East Africa, as far south as Mozambique, eastwards through the Indo-pacific to New Caledonia and the Great Barrier Reef and north to southern Japan. [1] [3]
The squaretail mullet can be found in lagoons, estuaries, sheltered sandy shorelines and coastal creeks and can enter freshwater, having been found up to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) up rivers, although they normally do not move further inland than the influence of the tides. They can form large aggregations among mangroves and the juveniles are frequently recorded in rice paddies and mangroves. [2] They feed on phytoplankton, algae and detritus. Spawning is at sea, [4] and the eggs are pelagic and do not adhere to objects. [2]
The smaller fish are caught for use as bait fish. [2] It is also locally used as a food fish being marketed fresh; its roe is also sold and eaten. It is fished for using beach seines, gillnets, cast nets and stake nets. [1]
The orbicular batfish, also known as the cooper batfish, circular batfish, orbiculate batfish, round batfish, narrow-banded batfish or orbic batfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ephippidae, the spadefishes and batfishes. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific but has been recorded outside its native range in the western Atlantic Ocean.
The white-spotted puffer fish is a medium to large-sized puffer fish, it can reach 50 cm length. It is light grey in color, or greyish or yellowish, and clearly covered with more or less regular white points, that become concentric contrasting white and dark grey lines that radiate around the eyes and pectoral fins. The ventral part is white. The "shoulder" is dark. It also has concentric contrasting white and dark grey lines that radiate around the eyes and pectoral fins. The white spotted puffer fish is poisonous.
Yellow-eye mullet, also known as Coorong mullet, conmuri, estuary mullet, Forster's mullet, freshwater mullet, pilch, pilchard, Victor Harbor mullet, yelloweye, yellow-eyed mullet known are small, near-shore fish found in temperate waters of southern Australia from just north of Sydney, New South Wales to Shark Bay in Western Australia, around Tasmania, and New Zealand.
The marbled parrotfish, also known as the seagrass parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae and is the only known member of the genus Leptoscarus. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution and is also found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. It is a coastal species found in beds of sea grass and seaweed.
The mangrove red snapper, also known as mangrove jack, grey snapper, creek red bream, Stuart evader, dog bream, purple sea perch, red bream, red perch, red reef bream, river roman, or rock barramundi, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific range and has recently been recorded in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The sicklefin lemon shark or sharptooth lemon shark is a species of requiem shark belonging to the family Carcharhinidae, widely distributed in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. It is closely related to the better-known lemon shark (N. brevirostris) of the Americas; the two species are almost identical in appearance, both being stout-bodied sharks with broad heads, two dorsal fins of nearly equal size, and a plain yellow-tinged coloration. As its common name suggests, the sicklefin lemon shark differs from its American counterpart in having more falcate (sickle-shaped) fins. This large species grows up to 3.8 m (12 ft) long. It generally inhabits water less than 92 m (302 ft) deep in a variety of habitats, from mangrove estuaries to coral reefs.
The yellow-edged moray, also known as yellow-margin(ed) moray, leopard moray, and speckled moray, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific Oceans at depths to 150 m (500 ft).
The blacktip grouper, also known as the redbanded grouper, blacktipped cod, black-tipped rockcod, footballer cod, red-barred cod, red-barred rockcod, scarlet rock-cod or weathered rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is the type species of the genus Epinephelus.
The orange-spotted grouper, also known as the brown-spotted rockcod, estuary cod, estuary rockcod, goldspotted rockcod, greasy cod, North-west groper, orange spotted cod or blue-and-yellow grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has an Indo-Pacific distribution and is found in marine and brackish waters.
Lutjanus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, snappers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. They are predatory fish usually found in tropical and subtropical reefs, and mangrove forests. This genus also includes two species that only occur in fresh and brackish waters.
The blue trevally, also known as the banded trevally, barred trevally, Ferdau's trevally or Forskaal's jackfish, is a common, widespread species of pelagic marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The blue trevally is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific and central Pacific regions, ranging from South Africa in the west to Hawaii in the east. It is a moderately large fish, growing to a recorded maximum length of 70 cm, with the number of rays in the second dorsal fin and the colouring serving as diagnostic features of the species. The species inhabits waters to depths of 60 m, generally inhabiting reefs, beaches, lagoons, and areas with sandy substrates. It is a predatory fish, taking other fish, prawns, crabs, and molluscs, and very little is known of the species' reproductive biology. The blue trevally is of varying importance to fisheries throughout its range, with some regions having high catches of the fish. It is considered to be a gamefish, and is sought after for its excellent eating qualities.
The streaked spinefoot, also known as the Java rabbitfish, blue-spotted spinefoot, blue-spotted trevally, Java spinefoot or white-spotted rabbit-fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found throughout most of the Indo-Pacific region.
Kuhlia mugil, the barred flagtail, the fiveband flagtail or the five-bar flagtail, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a flagtail belonging to the family Kuhliidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lutjanus fulvus, the blacktail snapper, flametail snapper, redmargined seaperch, Waigeu snapper or yellowmargined sea perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indo-West Pacific region. It is an important species for fisheries within its range.
Lutjanus carponotatus, the Spanish flag snapper, stripey snapper, dusky-striped sea-perch, gold-banded sea perch, gold-stripe sea-perch, striped seaperch or stripey seaperch, is a species marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, from India to northern Australia.
Hippichthys cyanospilos, commonly known as the blue-spotted pipefish or bluespeckled pipefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, native from the Indo-Pacific area.
Upeneus moluccensis, the goldband goatfish, golden-banded goatfish or Moluccan goatfish, is a species of Indo-Pacific goatfish from the red mullet and goatfish family, the Mullidae. It is widespread in the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans as far east as New Caledonia and has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, making it a Lessepsian migrant.
Terapon puta, the spiny-checked grunter, three-lined grunter, small-scaled banded grunter, small-scaled terapon, squeaking perch or two-lined grunter, is a species of fish from the Indo-Pacific region, it is a member of the grunter family, Terapontidae. It has also spread into the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, a process known as Lessepsian migration.
Kyphosus vaigiensis, the brassy chub, brassy drummer, long-finned drummer, low-finned drummer, Northern silver drummer, Queensland drummer, Southern drummer, blue-bronze sea chub, brassy rudderfish, yellow seachub, large-tailed drummer, low-finned chub or long-finned rudderfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is a largely herbivorous species which has a circumglobal distribution. Studies in the 21st Century appear to have shown that some other species in the genus Kyphosus are junior synonyms of this taxon.
Pomadasys argenteus, the silver grunt, silver javelin, grunter bream, small-spotted grunter-bream, small-spotted javelin fish, trumpeter or white-finned javelin fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt from the family Haemulidae. This species has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It is the type species of the genus Pomadasys.