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Shorttail thryssa (Thryssa brevicauda) — Engraulidae

Shorttail thryssa

Thryssa brevicauda
Family: Engraulidae

The Shorttail thryssa (Thryssa brevicauda) is a brackish-water fish of the family Engraulidae that grows up to 8 cm.

Length
7.5 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Shorttail thryssa is an anchovy (Engraulidae) from coastal, estuarine and lower river water around Australia and the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 12 cm and has a slender, silvery body with a shiny lengthwise stripe and a projecting snout with inferior mouth. As a social schooling fish it swims in open water and filters plankton and small crustaceans. It is locally an important bait and food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Shorttail thryssa?

The Shorttail thryssa has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Shorttail thryssa live?

The Shorttail thryssa lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Shorttail thryssa get?

The Shorttail thryssa grows to a maximum of about 8 cm.

Is the Shorttail thryssa dangerous to humans?

No, the Shorttail thryssa is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Kortstaart-ansjovis sourced
English name
Shorttail thryssa sourced
Scientific name
Thryssa brevicauda
Family
Engraulidae
Other names
Short-tail thryssa verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
7.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) 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 inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
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 Thryssa

More from the family Engraulidae

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