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Banana fish (Elops hawaiensis) — Elopidae

Banana fish

Elops hawaiensis
Family: Elopidae
DD · Data Deficient

The Banana fish (Elops hawaiensis) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Elopidae that grows up to 120 cm.

Length
120 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
1.0–30.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The Hawaiian ladyfish is a fish of the tenpounder family (Elopidae) from the Indo-Pacific. The species has an elongate, silvery, streamlined body with a deeply forked tail. It is a coastal fish that commonly enters lagoons, bays and estuaries, including fishponds, and stays particularly around mangroves; sometimes it enters freshwater streams. As a predator it hunts smaller fishes and crustaceans in schools. Like related species it has a transparent, ribbon-shaped larva. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Banana fish?

The Banana fish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Banana fish live?

The Banana fish lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Banana fish get?

The Banana fish grows to a maximum of about 120 cm. On average the species is around 50 cm.

Is the Banana fish dangerous to humans?

No, the Banana fish is harmless to humans.

Is the Banana fish edible?

The Banana fish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Hawaiiaanse tarpoenharing sourced
English name
Banana fish verified
Scientific name
Elops hawaiensis
Family
Elopidae
Other names
Chiro; Giant herring; Hawaiian giant herring; Hawaiian ladyfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
120.0 verified
Average length (cm)
50.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. 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 Elops

More from the family Elopidae

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