Polydactylus quadrifilis, Giant African threadfin : fisheries, gamefish

Polydactylus quadrifilis (Cuvier, 1829)

Giant African threadfin
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Polydactylus quadrifilis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Polydactylus quadrifilis (Giant African threadfin)
Polydactylus quadrifilis
Picture by Klimpel, S.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangaria/misc (Various families in series Carangaria) > Polynemidae (Threadfins)
Etymology: Polydactylus: Greek, poly = a lot of + greek, daktylos = finger (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range 15 - 55 m (Ref. 10799). Tropical; 22°N - 5°S, 26°W - 13°E (Ref. 57343)

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Angola (Ref. 57402). Also reported from Mauritania (Ref. 55783).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57402); common length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3659); max. published weight: 75.0 kg (Ref. 7386)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. Diagnosis: pectoral fin with 4 threadlike filaments (Ref. 57402, 81658). Pectoral fin inserted very low on body, generally somewhat longer than upper part of fin (Ref. 57402).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs in shallow coastal waters, over sandy and muddy bottoms, sometimes in brackish habitats (Ref. 57343, 81658). Enters estuaries (Ref. 57402), occasionally caught in fresh water (Ref. 57402, 81658). Very large specimens are only found in marine waters (Ref. 81658). Feeds on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 10799, 81658). Flesh fairly tasteful (Ref. 57402).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Motomura, H., 2004. Threadfins of the world (Family Polynemidae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of polynemid species known to date. FAO Spec. Cat. Fish. Purp. Rome: FAO. 3:117 p. (Ref. 57343)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 15 July 2014

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Fisheries: landings search; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Eggs
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Larvae
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Distribution
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Anatomy
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Nutrients
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Aquaculture profiles
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings search; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index
(Ref. 82804) 		PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight a=0.00676 (0.00529 - 0.00863), b=3.10 (3.04 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level
(Ref. 69278) 		4.0   ±0.66 se; based on food items.
Generation time 2.7 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2 growth studies.
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.34-0.41; assuming tm=3-4).
Rate of population increase Prior r = 0.57, 95% CL = 0.37 - 0.85, Based on 3 data-limited stock assessments.
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100). 🛈
Climate Vulnerability
(Ref. 125649) 		Very high vulnerability (87 of 100). 🛈
Price category
(Ref. 80766) 		High.
Nutrients
(Ref. 124155) 		Calcium = 59.4 [32.4, 109.8] mg/100g; Iron = 0.818 [0.418, 1.451] mg/100g; Protein = 20.1 [18.5, 21.7] %; Omega3 = 0.213 [0.132, 0.349] g/100g; Selenium = 79.1 [38.5, 162.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 6.04 [2.46, 14.30] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.742 [0.514, 1.115] mg/100g (wet weight);