| Family: |
Leiognathidae (Slimys, slipmouths, or ponyfishes), subfamily: Gazzinae |
| Max. size: |
14 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 19.0 g |
| Environment: |
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 160 m, amphidromous |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: Port Sudan in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf south to Shark Bay, Western Australia, north to South Korea, Yellow Sea and southeast to Fiji. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 8-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-17; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 14-14. Description: Body silvery, dorsal with vermiculations short and dark; snout with a dark band; dorsal and anal fins with orange tips; dorsal fin spinous portion with thick orange margin from 2nd to 6th spines. Head naked, with nuchal spine; mouth protrusible pointing forward to slightly downward. Body deep and compressed strongly, depth max 1.8-1.9 in SL; breast with small scales. (Ref. 2108, 90102) |
| Biology: |
Found over muddy sand bottoms of coastal inshore waters (Ref. 47581). Often enters estuaries (Ref. 4833). Forms schools. Feeds mainly on diatoms, copepods, Lucifer, nematodes and polychaetes (Ref. 3424). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 17 August 2023 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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