Middling thread herring (Opisthonema medirastre)

Scientific name: Opisthonema medirastre Berry & Barrett, 1963

Middling thread herring (Opisthonema medirastre)

The Middling thread herring (Opisthonema medirastre) is a marine fish of the family Clupeidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 23. Body moderately deep and compressed; posterior edge of gill openings with two clearly visible, fleshy, protuberances; gill rakers numerous, 41 to 69 on ceratobranchial (in fish longer than 14 cm total length); last dorsal ray elongated and filamentous; back gray-green with silver-white flanks and a black spot behind the gill slit followed by a yellow lateral strip. The filamentous last dorsal fin ray distinguishes it from members of any other eastern Pacific clupeoid genus. Separated from other eastern Pacific Opisthonema by having 41 to 69 lower gill rakers in fishes over 14 cm standard length.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Opisthonema medirastre
Family
Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
30.0
Common length
20.0
Depth range
0–50 m (0–164 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 0 - 50 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Los Angeles, California to Sechura Bay, Peru. (Included in at least some accounts of Opisthonema bulleri and especially Opisthonema libertate which used to be the only Pacific species recognized).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: occasionally
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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