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Bald glassy (Ambassis gymnocephalus) — Ambassidae

Bald glassy

Ambassis gymnocephalus
Family: Ambassidae
LC · Least Concern

The Bald glassy (Ambassis gymnocephalus) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Ambassidae that grows up to 16 cm.

Length
16 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The bald glassy is a small, semi-transparent perchlet of the family Ambassidae from the Indo-West Pacific. The species reaches about 16 cm and has a deep, glassy silvery body through which the backbone is visible. It is euryhaline and fairly common in both salt and fresh water; it is common in shallow coastal waters and estuaries and enters the lower reaches of rivers, although it tolerates fresh water only within a narrow temperature range. It feeds mainly at night on crustaceans, but also takes small fishes, fish eggs and larvae. The species is marketed dried, salted and fresh.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bald glassy?

The Bald glassy has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Bald glassy live?

The Bald glassy lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Bald glassy get?

The Bald glassy grows to a maximum of about 16 cm. On average the species is around 10 cm.

Is the Bald glassy dangerous to humans?

No, the Bald glassy is harmless to humans.

Is the Bald glassy edible?

The Bald glassy is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Naaktkop-glasbaarsje sourced
English name
Bald glassy verified
Scientific name
Ambassis gymnocephalus
Family
Ambassidae
Other names
Bald glassy verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
16.0 verified
Average length (cm)
10.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Ambassis

More from the family Ambassidae

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