Moustached thryssa (Thryssa mystax)

Scientific name: Thryssa mystax Bloch & Schneider, 1801

Moustached thryssa (Thryssa mystax)

The Moustached thryssa (Thryssa mystax) is a brackish-water fish of the family Engraulidae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, western coast of India to Myanmar and south to Java, Indonesia.

Biology

Found in coastal pelagic waters and often observed as entering mangroves and adjacent brackish waters. Juveniles and adults may penetrate the upper reaches where mixohaline-mesohaline conditions prevail. Eggs and larvae are found in the lower reaches of the mangroves. A schooling species found mostly inshore. Feed on planktonic organisms in coastal waters. Juveniles in mangroves feed on larvae of shrimps and fish. Confusions in identification make all previous biological studies unreliable. One of the commonest species of Thryssa (if identifications have been correct).

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Thryssa mystax
Family
Engraulidae (Anchovies)
Order
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
15.5
Depth range
0–50 m (0–164 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 50 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: western coast of India to Myanmar and south to Java, Indonesia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.76)

Sources

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

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