Pope's ponyfish

📖 Overview

Inhabits shallow waters, usually in schools near the bottom. Feeds mainly on small crustaceans, polychaetes and algae .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 14. This species of the Equulites elongatus group is distinguished by the following set of characters: eye diameter 82-137% postorbital head length; distance from pelvic-fin insertion to center of anus 35-50% of the distance from pelvic-fin insertion to anal-fin origin; scales above lateral line 8-13, below 12-19; dorsolateral body with large dark blotches rarely forming ring marks (0-2) and a few dark spots (0-5) that are smaller than a half of pupil diameter; the tips of neural and hemal spines of fourth preural centrum is less expanding, distal expansion ratios of neural and hemal spines of the fourth preural centrum 2.1-3.9. Colour of the head and ventrolateral body almost uniformly silvery white; snout tip blackish; upper posterior margin of the operculum pale yellow; dorsolateral body silvery brown with scattered dark blotches; pectoral axil dark and pectoral fin pale yellow; black lines along the caudal-fin rays, the posterior margin of caudal fin dark while other fins are colourless .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Pope's ponyfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 20 - 100 m . Tropical; 45°N - 30°S, 30°E - 165°E West Pacific: east coast of Africa (Mozambique, Oman) and the Red Sea (a Lessepsian migrant, Golani et al, 2011) to the Philippines; north to Japan (including Okinawa), Thailand (Gulf of Thailand); south to Malaysia (Sabah).

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

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