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Dussumier's pony fish (Karalla dussumieri) — Leiognathidae

Dussumier's pony fish

Karalla dussumieri
Family: Leiognathidae

The Dussumier's pony fish (Karalla dussumieri) is a brackish-water fish of the family Leiognathidae that grows up to 14 cm.

Length
14 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
10.0–40.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The pugnose ponyfish is a ponyfish (Leiognathidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has a deep, laterally compressed, strongly shiny silvery body with a small, highly protrusible mouth. It inhabits coral sand bottoms of coastal waters and also enters estuaries, often in schools. Many ponyfishes have a light organ with luminous bacteria around the oesophagus. On the bottom it sifts small crustaceans, polychaete worms and organic material. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Dussumier's pony fish?

The Dussumier's pony fish has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Dussumier's pony fish live?

The Dussumier's pony fish lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Dussumier's pony fish get?

The Dussumier's pony fish grows to a maximum of about 14 cm. On average the species is around 11 cm.

Is the Dussumier's pony fish dangerous to humans?

No, the Dussumier's pony fish is harmless to humans.

Is the Dussumier's pony fish edible?

Yes, the Dussumier's pony fish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Stompsnuit-ponyvis sourced
English name
Dussumier's pony fish verified
Scientific name
Karalla dussumieri
Family
Leiognathidae
Other names
Dussumier's ponyfish; Yellowspot ponyfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
14.0 verified
Average length (cm)
11.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Max depth (m)
40.0 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
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. 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 Karalla

More from the family Leiognathidae

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