Thryssa mystax, the moustached thryssa or Gangetic anchovy, is a species of oceanodromous ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the tropical western Indo-Pacific region from India, Sri Lanka to Myanmar and south to Java, and Indonesia.[1]

Moustached thryssa
Thryssa mystax
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Engraulidae
Genus: Thryssa
Species:
T. mystax
Binomial name
Thryssa mystax
Synonyms
  • Clupea mystax Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Engraulis mystax (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Scutengraulis mystax (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Thrissocles mystax (Bloch & Schneider, 1801 )
  • Thrissa mystax (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Clupea subspinosa Swainson, 1839
  • Thryssa subspinosa (Swainson, 1839)
  • Thryssa poorawa Jerdon, 1851
  • Thryssa poorawah Jerdon, 1851
  • Engraulis mystacoides Bleeker, 1852
  • Stolephorus valenciennesi Bleeker, 1866
  • Scutengraulis valenciennesi (Bleeker, 1866)
  • Thryssa valenciennesi (Bleeker, 1866)
  • Engraulis hornelli Fowler, 1924

It is a small schooling fish found in depths up to 50 m (160 ft). Maximum length does not exceed 15.5 cm (6.1 in). The fish has 11 to 12 dorsal soft rays and only present 29 to 37 anal soft rays. There are 24 to 32 keeled scutes from isthmus[1] to anus on belly region. Lower gill rakers are serrated. Body is silver, darker dorsally. There is a distinctive dark blotch behind upper part of gill opening, which can easily identify the species from other Thryssa species. Caudal fin is yellowish.[3] It feeds on plankton, fish larvae, and small crustaceans like shrimp larvae.

References

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  1. ^ a b Di Dario, F.; Munroe, T.A. (2020). "Thryssa mystax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T155240A102905120. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T155240A102905120.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Thryssa mystax (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)". FishBase. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  3. ^ "Field Guide to Lombok Island".

Notes

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^ the fleshy throat region of a fish which extends forward from the ventral part of the chest and narrows anteriorly