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Blue dartfish (Ptereleotris calliura) — Microdesmidae

Blue dartfish

Ptereleotris calliura
Family: Microdesmidae

The Blue dartfish (Ptereleotris calliura) is a saltwater fish of the family Microdesmidae that grows up to 13 cm.

Length
12.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
5.0–50.0 m
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless

Description

The blue dartfish is a graceful dartfish (Microdesmidae) from the western Indian Ocean. The species grows to about 13 cm and has an elongate, blue-grey body with a deeply forked tail and light-blue accents on the head. It hovers just above sand and rubble bottoms near reefs and darts into a burrow at lightning speed when threatened; it eats zooplankton from the current. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue dartfish?

The Blue dartfish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly blue.

Where does the Blue dartfish live?

The Blue dartfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Blue dartfish get?

The Blue dartfish grows to a maximum of about 13 cm.

Is the Blue dartfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue dartfish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwe pijlgrondel sourced
English name
Blue dartfish sourced
Scientific name
Ptereleotris calliura
Family
Microdesmidae
Other names
Blue goby verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Blue sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

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 verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Ptereleotris

More from the family Microdesmidae

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