Polydactylus malagasyensis, African blackspot threadfin

Polydactylus malagasyensis Motomura & Iwatsuki, 2001

African blackspot threadfin
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Polydactylus malagasyensis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Polydactylus malagasyensis (African blackspot threadfin)
Polydactylus malagasyensis
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangaria/misc (Various families in series Carangaria) > Polynemidae (Threadfins)
Etymology: Polydactylus: Greek, poly = a lot of + greek, daktylos = finger (Ref. 45335); malagasyensis: Named for old name of Madagascar, Malagasy, its type locality (Ref. 40958).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 5 - 62 m (Ref. 40958). Tropical; 1°N - 35°S, 25°E - 51°E (Ref. 57343)

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Indian Ocean: Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Madagascar. Likely to occur in Somalia and Tanzania.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40958)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae: 24. With 6 pectoral filaments; uppermost not reaching to (or extending slightly beyond) posterior tip of pectoral fin. Pectoral fin, rays long, 21-26% of SL; fin base long, 10-12% of SL; all rays branched except uppermost 1 or 2. Second dorsal spine long, 7-9% of SL. Well-developed swim bladder. A large black spot anteriorly on lateral line (Ref. 40958).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found in estuaries as well as offshore (Ref. 57343).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Motomura, H., 2004. Threadfins of the world (Family Polynemidae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of polynemid species known to date. FAO Spec. Cat. Fish. Purp. Rome: FAO. 3:117 p. (Ref. 57343)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |