Elops machnata

Indian woman fish on offer at a market in Metro Manila.

The Indian woman fish ( Elops machnata ) is a large, expectant about a meter long fish bone, which occurs on the coast of the Red Sea and tropical Indo-Pacific from the South African Mossel Bay on the shores of India to the western Pacific. The type also goes into brackish water and in East Africa in freshwaters.

Features

The Indian woman fish has a very elongated body and can reach a maximum length of about 1.20 meters, but is usually at a length of half a meter. The maximum published weight is 10.8 kg. The maxillary teeth form brush-like bands, the lower jaw extends to the eye. In contrast to the West African ladyfish ( Elops lacerta ) is the Indian woman fish before the lower jaw and covered parts of the front row of teeth on the premaxilla.

• Fins formula: Dorsal 20-27, 14-18 anal fin.

Way of life

The Indian woman fish comes in shallow coastal waters with reefs and sandy bottoms at depths of one to ten meters and also goes into lagoons and estuaries. It feeds on small fish, cephalopods and shrimps and other small crustaceans. The adult fish spawn in large shoals in the sea, the hatched Leptocephaluslarven then migrate to the coast and are looking for protected areas such as lagoons on.

Use

Indian woman fish are used as a food fish, but their flesh is not particularly tasty and rich feathered.