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Amazon pellona (Pellona castelnaeana) — Pristigasteridae

Amazon pellona

Pellona castelnaeana

The Amazon pellona (Pellona castelnaeana) is a brackish-water fish of the family Pristigasteridae that grows up to 80 cm.

Length
80 cm
Water
Brackish
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The Amazon pellona is a large herring relative (Pristigasteridae) from fresh and brackish water of the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. The species grows to about 80 cm and has an elongate, laterally compressed, bright-silvery body with a golden tinge, a keeled belly edge and an upturned mouth. As a fast open-water predator it hunts smaller fish in rivers. It is a food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Amazon pellona?

The Amazon pellona has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Amazon pellona live?

The Amazon pellona lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Amazon pellona get?

The Amazon pellona grows to a maximum of about 80 cm.

Is the Amazon pellona dangerous to humans?

No, the Amazon pellona is harmless to humans.

Is the Amazon pellona edible?

The Amazon pellona is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Amazone-pellona sourced
English name
Amazon pellona sourced
Scientific name
Pellona castelnaeana
Family
Pristigasteridae
Other names
Shad verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
80.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten inferred
Fishing method
Te vangen met natuurlijk aas of kunstaas, afgestemd op de grootte en het leefgebied van de soort. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Pellona

More from the family Pristigasteridae

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