West African ladyfish (Elops lacerta)

Scientific name: Elops lacerta Valenciennes, 1847

West African ladyfish (Elops lacerta)

The West African ladyfish (Elops lacerta) is a freshwater fish of the family Elopidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines: 0; Anal spines: 0. Lateral line scales ornamented with non-ramified small tubes. Gray back, silver glossy sides; fins tinted yellow.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Elops lacerta
Family
Elopidae (Tenpounders)
Order
Elopiformes (Tarpons and Tenpounders)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
100.0
Common length
60.0
Depth range
50 m (164 ft)
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range ? - 50 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: coastal waters from Mauritania to Angola or Namibia. Sometimes entering freshwater, like in Cross River and Kouilou-Niari. It is often confused with Elops senegalensis.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tm=2-3)

Sources

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

Last updated