Teleostei (teleosts) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Dorosomatidae (Gizzard shads and sardinellas)
Etymology: Nematalosa: Greek, nema, -atos = filament + Latin, alausa = a fish cited by Ausonius and Latin, halec = pickle, dealing with the Greek word hals = salt; it is also the old Saxon name for shad = "alli" ; 1591 (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-neritic. Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Persian Gulf and northern Arabian Sea to Pakistan, based on specimens previously identified as Nematalosa nasus.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9971)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Prepectoral scutes usually 7. Expanded third infraorbital bone, with the anterior edge vertical or nearly so. Supraorbital grooves lacking.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Pelagic. Feeds by filtering plankton (Ref. 68964).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Nelson, G. and L. McCarthy, 1995. Two new species of gizzard shads of the genus Nematalosa (Teleostei, Clupeidae, Dorosomatinae) from the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Jap. J. Ichthyol. 41(4):379-383. (Ref. 9971)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
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