Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Elopiformes (Tarpons and tenpounders) >
Elopidae (Tenpounders)
Etymology: Elops: Greek, ellops = a kind of serpent (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous. Tropical, preferred ?; 38°N - 37°S, 22°E - 153°W
Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf (Ref. 68964), Red Sea to Mossel Bay, South Africa and east to India and western Pacific. Africa: Inland waters.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 118 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 50.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967); max. published weight: 10.8 kg (Ref. 40637)
Occurs in coastal waters, but enters lagoons and estuaries (Ref. 4832) [actual freshwater records remain to be confirmed]. Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Young and adults feed on small fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 5213). Probably spawn at sea, but the transparent larvae migrate to inshore areas and are often found in brackish water (Ref. 7050). Are voracious carnivores that take fish, squid and shrimp bait (Ref. 3968). Edible, but not tasty and full of bones (Ref. 3968). A total length of 126 cm for this species has been reported from Knysna, South Africa (G. Bernardt, pers. comm., e-mail: gerard@smallstreams.com) .
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Smith, M.M., 1986. Elopidae. p. 155-156. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 3968)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
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