HomeFish encyclopediaRay-finned fishesPerch-like fishThreadfin breams, Whiptail breamsParadise whiptail Paradise whiptail (Pentapodus paradiseus) Scientific name: Pentapodus paradiseus G?nther, 1859 The Paradise whiptail (Pentapodus paradiseus) is a marine fish of the family Nemipteridae. BiologyDorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7. Head scales reaching forward to or almost to level of posterior nostrils. Suborbital naked. Lower limb of preopercle naked. Pelvic fins short, not reaching to level of anus. Upper lobe of caudal fin produced into a very long trailing yellowish-brown filament. Axillary scale present. Color: Upper body pale brownish, lower whitish. Presence of three bluish stripes across snout, first joining eyes behind nostrils, second in front of nostrils, third from eye to tip of snout. A yellow stripe from behind eye to upper base of pectoral fin. A yellow stripe from middle of upper lip, beneath eye to below pectoral fin.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific namePentapodus paradiseusFamilyNemipteridae (Threadfin breams, Whiptail breams)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length30.0Common length15.0EnvironmentMarine; reef-associatedClimateTropicalDistributionWestern Pacific: northeastern Australia, southern Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the Philippines. This species has been previously confused with Pentapodus setosus by most authors.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: subsistence fisheriesResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026