Home · Pristigasteridae · Dove's longfin herring
Dove's longfin herring (Opisthopterus dovii) — Pristigasteridae

Dove's longfin herring

Opisthopterus dovii
LC · Least Concern

The Dove's longfin herring (Opisthopterus dovii) is a brackish-water fish of the family Pristigasteridae that grows up to 23 cm.

Length
23 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

Dove's longfin herring is a herring-like fish of the family Pristigasteridae from the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru. The species reaches about 23 cm and has an elongate, strongly compressed, silvery body with a sharp, keeled belly edge and a conspicuously long anal fin. It occurs in coastal waters and may enter brackish water. The diet consists mainly of small fishes. It is a schooling fish caught locally in coastal fisheries, but of modest value owing to its fine bones.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Dove's longfin herring?

The Dove's longfin herring has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Dove's longfin herring live?

The Dove's longfin herring lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Dove's longfin herring get?

The Dove's longfin herring grows to a maximum of about 23 cm. On average the species is around 18 cm.

Is the Dove's longfin herring dangerous to humans?

No, the Dove's longfin herring is harmless to humans.

Is the Dove's longfin herring edible?

The Dove's longfin herring is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Doves langvinharing sourced
English name
Dove's longfin herring verified
Scientific name
Opisthopterus dovii
Family
Pristigasteridae
Other names
Pacific longfin herring verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
23.0 verified
Average length (cm)
18.0 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
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling 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 Opisthopterus

More from the family Pristigasteridae

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